Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:2c-Jesus Christ Gave Himself Up As A Substitute For Every Believer
Lesson # 309
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of conducting your lives by imitating the one and only God because each and every one without exception are beloved children. 2 Specifically, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of living your lives by means of the practice of divine-love because the one and only Christ in fact divinely-loved each and every one of you of us as a corporate unit. Namely, He gave Himself up as a substitute for each and every one of us as a corporate unit to be a voluntary offering, which is a sacrifice for the benefit of the one and only God for a fragrant aroma. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 5:2 is composed of the following:
(1) epexegetical command: kai peripateite en agapē ( καὶ περιπατεῖτε ἐν ἀγάπῃ), “Specifically, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of living your lives by means of the practice of divine-love.” (Lecturer’stranslation)
(2) causal clause: kathōs kai ho Christos ēgapēsen hēmas (καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς), “because the one and only Christ in fact divinely-loved each and every one of you of us as a corporate unit.” (Lecturer’stranslation)
(3) epexegetical clause: kai paredōken heauton hyper hēmōn prosphoran kai thysian tō theō eis osmēn euōdias (καὶ παρέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ⸂ἡμῶν προσφορὰν⸃ καὶ θυσίαν τῷ θεῷ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας), “Namely, He gave Himself up as a substitute for each and every one of us as a corporate unit to be a voluntary offering, which is a sacrifice for the benefit of the one and only God for a fragrant aroma.” (Lecturer’stranslation)
Therefore, we can see that the apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:2 issues a command of the recipients of this epistle who were members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia.
It explains in greater detail the meaning of the command in Ephesians 5:1 and required that they must continue to make it their habit of living their lives by means of the practice of divine-love.
He then emphatically presents the reason for this command, which asserts that the one and only Christ divinely-love them.
Paul then goes on to explain this statement by asserting that Christ gave Himself up as a substitute for them.
He describes Christ’s act of love for them as a voluntary offering and specifically a sacrifice for the benefit of His Father for a fragrant aroma.
In the epexegetical clause, Paul employs the verb paradidōmi (παραδίδωμι), which pertains to giving oneself up as a sacrifice for others by enduring the loss of one’s life for others.
Therefore, this expresses the idea of Jesus Christ “giving” Himself “up” for every member of the Christian community when He suffered His Father’s wrath on the cross in order that they would never suffer it forever in the lake of fire.
The reflexive pronoun heautou (ἑαυτοῦ) emphasizes the action of Jesus Christ giving Himself up in the sense of voluntarily dedicating Himself for the specific purpose of solving the human race’s problem of being under the wrath of God, enslaved to the sin nature and Satan and world system, personal sins, condemnation from the Law and spiritual and physical death.
The word denotes that the Lord voluntarily dedicated Himself to the Father’s will in order to provide the offer of salvation for the entire human race.
It also indicates that the Lord voluntarily dedicated Himself to deliver the human race from the sin nature, personal sins, spiritual and physical death, condemnation from the Law, Satan and his cosmic system and eternal condemnation.
The word emphasizes the voluntary nature of Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross, which constituted Him suffering the wrath of God in the place of all of sinful humanity.
Our Lord’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross were “voluntary” in that He “chose” to suffer the wrath of the Father in order to solve the human race’s problem of being under the wrath of God, enslaved to the sin nature and Satan and world system, personal sins, condemnation from the Law and spiritual and physical death.
He also chose to suffer in order to accomplish the Father’s will and provide salvation for the entire human race.
These deaths were also self-sacrificial in nature in that the Lord was willing to deny self in order to serve the Father and the human race and come to the aid of the human race to deal with their sin problem.
Once again, Paul employs first person plural form of the personal pronoun egō (ἐγώ), however, this time he puts the word as the object of the preposition huper (ὑπέρ), which means “on behalf of, for the benefit of, as a substitute for” since it functions syntactically not only as a marker of participants who are benefited by an event but also as a marker of substitution.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase hyper hēmōn (ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν) not only marks each and every member of the church-past, present and future, as “benefitting from” Jesus Christ’s sacrificing Himself on the cross but also that He was their “substitute” as well in that He suffered the wrath of God “in the place of” each one of them so that they would never experience it in the lake of first forever.
The substitutionary aspect of Jesus Christ’s suffering the wrath of God on the cross as a substitute for sinful humanity in order that the latter would never suffer the wrath of God in the lake of fire forever is first mentioned by Jesus Christ Himself in Mark 10:45 and Matthew 20:28.
It is also mentioned by Paul in Romans 5:6-8, 8:32, Galatians 2:20 and 1 Timothy 2:6.
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (ESV)
Matthew 20:28 “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (ESV)
Romans 5:1 Therefore, because we have been justified by means of faith as a source, we, as an eternal spiritual truth, always have peace in the presence of God through our Lord who is Jesus, who is the Christ. 2 Through whom also, we have as a permanent possession access to this gracious benefit in which we forever stand and in addition we make it a habit to rejoice upon the confident expectation of sharing God’s glory. 3 In fact, not only this but we also make it a habit to rejoice on account of our adversities because we know for certain that adversity, as an eternal spiritual truth, produces perseverance. 4 And in addition, perseverance, as an eternal spiritual truth produces tested character and in addition tested character, as an eternal spiritual truth, produces confidence. 5 In fact, this confidence, as an eternal spiritual truth, never disappoints because God’s love is always being poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us for our benefit. 6 For a while, we were, as an eternal spiritual truth, still helpless, still, at that particular appointed moment in history, Christ died as a substitute for the benefit of the ungodly. 7 For, it is unlikely, anyone will die as a substitute for the benefit of a righteous person. 8 In fact, possibly, someone might also have the courage to voluntarily die as a substitute for the benefit of the good person. But, God (the Father), as an eternal spiritual truth and fact of history, proves His own divine-love for the benefit of all of us by the fact that while we were, as an eternal spiritual truth, still sinners, Christ died as a substitute for the benefit of all of us. (Lecturer’s translation)
Romans 8:32 Indeed, He by no means spared His own Son but rather He delivered Him over to death for each and every one of us, how will He unequivocally not also, as a certainty, with Him graciously give all things for the benefit of all of us. (Lecturer’s translation)
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (NET)
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore, based upon my previous statements, I first of all urgently request specific detailed requests, reverential prayers, intercessory prayers, thanksgivings be regularly offered up on behalf of each and every member of the human race, 2 on behalf of kings as well as each and every one of those individuals who are in authority in order that we may continue to live a peaceful and tranquil life with absolute godliness as well as dignity. 3 This is, as an eternal spiritual truth noble as well as pleasingly acceptable in the judgment of God the Father, our Savior 4 who, as an eternal spiritual truth desires each and every member of the human race to be saved as well as to enter into knowing experientially the truth. 5 For you see there does exist, as an eternal spiritual truth only one God. Also, there does exist, as an eternal spiritual truth only one intermediary between God the Father and the human race, a human being, namely Christ, who is Jesus 6 who gave Himself as a ransom on behalf of each and every one as a substitute, the testimony at His appointed time. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:2c-Jesus Christ Gave Himself Up As A Substitute For Every Believer
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday January 17, 2026
www.wenstrom.org
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:2c-Jesus Christ Gave Himself Up As A Substitute For Every Believer
Lesson # 309
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of conducting your lives by imitating the one and only God because each and every one without exception are beloved children. 2 Specifically, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of living your lives by means of the practice of divine-love because the one and only Christ in fact divinely-loved each and every one of you of us as a corporate unit. Namely, He gave Himself up as a substitute for each and every one of us as a corporate unit to be a voluntary offering, which is a sacrifice for the benefit of the one and only God for a fragrant aroma. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 5:2 is composed of the following:
(1) epexegetical command: kai peripateite en agapē ( καὶ περιπατεῖτε ἐν ἀγάπῃ), “Specifically, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of living your lives by means of the practice of divine-love.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(2) causal clause: kathōs kai ho Christos ēgapēsen hēmas (καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς), “because the one and only Christ in fact divinely-loved each and every one of you of us as a corporate unit.” (Lecturer’s translation)
(3) epexegetical clause: kai paredōken heauton hyper hēmōn prosphoran kai thysian tō theō eis osmēn euōdias (καὶ παρέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ⸂ἡμῶν προσφορὰν⸃ καὶ θυσίαν τῷ θεῷ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας), “Namely, He gave Himself up as a substitute for each and every one of us as a corporate unit to be a voluntary offering, which is a sacrifice for the benefit of the one and only God for a fragrant aroma.” (Lecturer’s translation)
Therefore, we can see that the apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:2 issues a command of the recipients of this epistle who were members of the Gentile Christian community in the Roman province of Asia.
It explains in greater detail the meaning of the command in Ephesians 5:1 and required that they must continue to make it their habit of living their lives by means of the practice of divine-love.
He then emphatically presents the reason for this command, which asserts that the one and only Christ divinely-love them.
Paul then goes on to explain this statement by asserting that Christ gave Himself up as a substitute for them.
He describes Christ’s act of love for them as a voluntary offering and specifically a sacrifice for the benefit of His Father for a fragrant aroma.
In the epexegetical clause, Paul employs the verb paradidōmi (παραδίδωμι), which pertains to giving oneself up as a sacrifice for others by enduring the loss of one’s life for others.
Therefore, this expresses the idea of Jesus Christ “giving” Himself “up” for every member of the Christian community when He suffered His Father’s wrath on the cross in order that they would never suffer it forever in the lake of fire.
The reflexive pronoun heautou (ἑαυτοῦ) emphasizes the action of Jesus Christ giving Himself up in the sense of voluntarily dedicating Himself for the specific purpose of solving the human race’s problem of being under the wrath of God, enslaved to the sin nature and Satan and world system, personal sins, condemnation from the Law and spiritual and physical death.
The word denotes that the Lord voluntarily dedicated Himself to the Father’s will in order to provide the offer of salvation for the entire human race.
It also indicates that the Lord voluntarily dedicated Himself to deliver the human race from the sin nature, personal sins, spiritual and physical death, condemnation from the Law, Satan and his cosmic system and eternal condemnation.
The word emphasizes the voluntary nature of Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross, which constituted Him suffering the wrath of God in the place of all of sinful humanity.
Our Lord’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross were “voluntary” in that He “chose” to suffer the wrath of the Father in order to solve the human race’s problem of being under the wrath of God, enslaved to the sin nature and Satan and world system, personal sins, condemnation from the Law and spiritual and physical death.
He also chose to suffer in order to accomplish the Father’s will and provide salvation for the entire human race.
These deaths were also self-sacrificial in nature in that the Lord was willing to deny self in order to serve the Father and the human race and come to the aid of the human race to deal with their sin problem.
Once again, Paul employs first person plural form of the personal pronoun egō (ἐγώ), however, this time he puts the word as the object of the preposition huper (ὑπέρ), which means “on behalf of, for the benefit of, as a substitute for” since it functions syntactically not only as a marker of participants who are benefited by an event but also as a marker of substitution.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase hyper hēmōn (ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν) not only marks each and every member of the church-past, present and future, as “benefitting from” Jesus Christ’s sacrificing Himself on the cross but also that He was their “substitute” as well in that He suffered the wrath of God “in the place of” each one of them so that they would never experience it in the lake of first forever.
The substitutionary aspect of Jesus Christ’s suffering the wrath of God on the cross as a substitute for sinful humanity in order that the latter would never suffer the wrath of God in the lake of fire forever is first mentioned by Jesus Christ Himself in Mark 10:45 and Matthew 20:28.
It is also mentioned by Paul in Romans 5:6-8, 8:32, Galatians 2:20 and 1 Timothy 2:6.
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (ESV)
Matthew 20:28 “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (ESV)
Romans 5:1 Therefore, because we have been justified by means of faith as a source, we, as an eternal spiritual truth, always have peace in the presence of God through our Lord who is Jesus, who is the Christ. 2 Through whom also, we have as a permanent possession access to this gracious benefit in which we forever stand and in addition we make it a habit to rejoice upon the confident expectation of sharing God’s glory. 3 In fact, not only this but we also make it a habit to rejoice on account of our adversities because we know for certain that adversity, as an eternal spiritual truth, produces perseverance. 4 And in addition, perseverance, as an eternal spiritual truth produces tested character and in addition tested character, as an eternal spiritual truth, produces confidence. 5 In fact, this confidence, as an eternal spiritual truth, never disappoints because God’s love is always being poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us for our benefit. 6 For a while, we were, as an eternal spiritual truth, still helpless, still, at that particular appointed moment in history, Christ died as a substitute for the benefit of the ungodly. 7 For, it is unlikely, anyone will die as a substitute for the benefit of a righteous person. 8 In fact, possibly, someone might also have the courage to voluntarily die as a substitute for the benefit of the good person. But, God (the Father), as an eternal spiritual truth and fact of history, proves His own divine-love for the benefit of all of us by the fact that while we were, as an eternal spiritual truth, still sinners, Christ died as a substitute for the benefit of all of us. (Lecturer’s translation)
Romans 8:32 Indeed, He by no means spared His own Son but rather He delivered Him over to death for each and every one of us, how will He unequivocally not also, as a certainty, with Him graciously give all things for the benefit of all of us. (Lecturer’s translation)
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (NET)
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore, based upon my previous statements, I first of all urgently request specific detailed requests, reverential prayers, intercessory prayers, thanksgivings be regularly offered up on behalf of each and every member of the human race, 2 on behalf of kings as well as each and every one of those individuals who are in authority in order that we may continue to live a peaceful and tranquil life with absolute godliness as well as dignity. 3 This is, as an eternal spiritual truth noble as well as pleasingly acceptable in the judgment of God the Father, our Savior 4 who, as an eternal spiritual truth desires each and every member of the human race to be saved as well as to enter into knowing experientially the truth. 5 For you see there does exist, as an eternal spiritual truth only one God. Also, there does exist, as an eternal spiritual truth only one intermediary between God the Father and the human race, a human being, namely Christ, who is Jesus 6 who gave Himself as a ransom on behalf of each and every one as a substitute, the testimony at His appointed time. (Lecturer’s translation)