Ephesians 5:27 kjv
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:27 nkjv
that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:27 niv
and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Ephesians 5:27 esv
so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:27 nlt
He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
Ephesians 5 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eph 5:25 | Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church | Connects Christ's love to husband's love for wife. |
| Eph 5:26 | that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word | Highlights Christ's cleansing action on the church. |
| 1 Cor 6:17 | But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. | Shows the intimate union between Christ and believers. |
| 2 Cor 11:2 | For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. | Uses a betrothal imagery for the church's purity. |
| Rev 19:7 | Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; | Portrays the church as the Bride of Christ in future glory. |
| Titus 2:14 | who gave himself for her, that he might redeem them from all lawlessness and cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works. | Emphasizes Christ's redemptive work and cleansing for a unique people. |
| Heb 10:10 | and by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. | States believers are sanctified through Christ's sacrifice. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. | Details the precious blood by which believers are redeemed and cleansed. |
| John 17:17 | Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. | Jesus' prayer for the sanctification of believers through truth (the Word). |
| Phil 3:21 | who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that is able to subject all things to himself. | Points to Christ's power to transform believers to His likeness. |
| Col 1:22 | yet now he has reconciled you in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him | Describes the present reconciliation and future blameless presentation. |
| Song of Solomon 4:7 | You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. | An Old Testament picture of ideal beauty, used typologically for the church. |
| Song of Solomon 6:9 | My dove, my perfect one, is the only one, the only one of her mother, precious to the one who bore her. | Another descriptive phrase that echoes the church's unique beauty to God. |
| 1 Cor 1:30 | And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption. | Lists the gifts Christ is to believers, including sanctification. |
| Acts 20:28 | Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. | Shows the church was purchased with Christ's own blood. |
| Rev 21:2 | And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. | The New Jerusalem as the ultimate bride of Christ. |
| Eph 4:23 | to be renewed in the spirit of your minds | Highlights the renewal that happens in the believer's mind. |
| Eph 4:24 | and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. | Describes the process of transformation into a new self. |
| Gal 3:27 | As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. | Baptism signifies being clothed with Christ and His righteousness. |
| 2 Thess 2:13 | But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. | Attributes salvation to the Spirit's work and belief. |
| Eph 5:24 | Just as the church is submissive to Christ, so also wives should be submissive in everything to their husbands. | This verse leads into the description of the church's presented state. |
| Eph 1:4 | even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. | Connects the current sanctification to God's eternal purpose. |
Ephesians 5 verses
Ephesians 5 27 Meaning
Christ presented the church to himself. It is a church without blemish or wrinkle or any such thing. This speaks of His ultimate sanctification and presentation of believers to Himself, perfected in His righteousness and free from sin's stain.
Ephesians 5 27 Context
This verse is part of Ephesians chapter 5, which uses the marriage relationship as an illustration of Christ's relationship with the church. Following the instruction for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church (verse 25) and Christ's sanctifying and cleansing work through His sacrifice (verse 26), this verse describes the ultimate purpose and presentation of the church to Christ. The apostle Paul is emphasizing the purity and perfection Christ achieves for His church, enabling it to be presented before Him in a glorious state, free from any fault. This occurs at His return. Historically, the imagery would have resonated with the Jewish understanding of God presenting His covenant people in a state of ritual purity and beauty.
Ephesians 5 27 Word Analysis
ἵνα (hina): "in order that," "so that." This expresses purpose. It introduces the intended outcome of Christ's redemptive action.
παραστήσῃ (parastēsē): Third-person singular aorist active subjunctive of παρίστημι (paristēmi). Means "to present," "to offer," "to stand by," "to introduce." Here, it signifies Christ presenting the church to Himself. The subjunctive mood indicates a purpose or a desired result.
αὐτῷ (autō): Dative personal pronoun, "to himself" (referring to Christ). The presentation is directly to Christ, emphasizing His ownership and ultimate recipient of the perfected church.
αὐτός (autos): Masculine nominative singular pronoun, "himself." Emphasizes that it is Christ personally who performs this act of presentation.
ἔκκλησ laporan (ekklēsia): "church." The assembly of believers, the body of Christ.
νυμφευθεῖσαν (numphutheisan): Feminine accusative singular passive participle of νυμφεύω (numphuō). Means "espoused," "betrothed," "having been given in marriage." This participle describes the church, indicating a prior espousal to Christ, with the ultimate presentation in marriage as the culmination. It speaks to the church's relationship with Christ.
Without: Implies the absence of something negative.
without blemish: Not blemished. Refers to freedom from moral or spiritual defect, like an animal without physical defect in Old Testament sacrificial laws.
without spot: Not spotted or stained. Reinforces the idea of purity, again alluding to the perfect sacrifice required in the Old Testament.
or any such thing: A comprehensive phrase to include any other potential imperfection.
The church espoused without blemish, without spot: This phrase collectively describes the ideal state of the church, reflecting its purification through Christ. The past passive participle "espoused" connects to the earlier idea of Christ presenting Himself for the church, making it His own. The adjectival phrases describe the result of that act of presentation—a church made pure.
Ephesians 5 27 Bonus Section
The verse's emphasis on presenting the church "without blemish, without spot" draws heavily on Old Testament sacrificial requirements (Leviticus 1:3, 10; 3:1; 4:3, etc.) where the offerings were to be perfect, male, and without defect. This illustrates the profound perfection Christ's sacrifice provides for the church. The participle "espoused" (νυμφευθεῖσαν) highlights the covenantal relationship established between Christ and the church, an unbreakable bond leading to final union and perfection. This theme is echoed in the Song of Solomon, particularly chapter 4, where the lover describes his beloved with terms of beauty and flawlessness, often interpreted typologically as Christ and the Church. This verse also speaks to the ultimate consummation of God's plan where His redeemed people will be perfectly conformed to Christ.
Ephesians 5 27 Commentary
Christ's intention in His sacrificial love is to present the church to Himself. This is not just a spiritual imputation of righteousness, but an ultimate, future presentation of a perfected entity. The church, through Christ's ongoing work and final consummation, will be completely purified. This purification leaves no room for sin, imperfection, or anything that would mar its beauty or holiness before Him. It is a spotless bride, mirroring the Old Testament requirements for sacrificial animals, signifying Christ's own perfect, atoning sacrifice that cleanses entirely. This presents a glorious hope of complete transformation and acceptance in Christ.