Making believers holy involves “cleansing … by the washing with water
through the word.” The participle “cleansing” usually means making someone
ethically pure or free from the guilt of sins. The cleansing happens with
water, and immediately the question arises whether Paul alludes to baptism or
is developing the imagery of a bride’s wedding preparations. Evidence for the
latter comes from two quarters. First, the verse lacks the verb “to baptize,”
which Paul uses in 1 Cor 12:13. Second the image seems to call to mind the
common practice of bridal baths. Following this analogy closely in the context
of this verse, however, would require the bridegroom giving his bride a
prewedding bath, which would contravene custom and modesty codes. Responding to
this challenge, some argue that Paul draws on Ezekiel’s vision of adulterous
Jerusalem, in which the Lord washes and clothes her, but then she commits
idolatry (Ezek 16:1–43). In this vision, the Lord enters into a covenant with
Jerusalem and declares: “You became mine” (16:8), after which the Lord bathed
his wife and clothed her (16:9–13). In any case, the Lord serves Jerusalem, his
“wife,” with love and compassion by washing and putting ointment on the wounded
flesh, adorning her with beautiful clothes. The prophet’s picture of Israel’s
infidelity and God’s faithfulness help illuminate Paul’s emphasis that Christ
does not overlook the church’s sin, but has “pledged himself to the church
[and] will establish the church’s holiness.”
If the bridal bath is in view here in Eph 5:26, then 5:27 fills out
the picture in possible ways. Christ’s actions as menial household chores of
laundering and ironing implicitly contrast the typical masculine tasks of the
public square. The spotless, wrinkle-free garment might be compared to the
vision of the bride adorned for her husband—the new Jerusalem, descending from
heaven (Rev 21:2). The bride, the wife of the Lamb, is also the holy city
Jerusalem, which shines with God’s glory as a precious jewel (21:9–11). This
verse has been understood as highlighting the brilliant beauty of the young
bride, the church. From here, some commentators stress the physical beauty of a
young bride, even after acknowledging that the verse itself speaks to moral
uprightness. This subtle switch, praising female physical beauty and connecting
ugliness and sinfulness, runs counter to several strands within the biblical
text and reinforces a troubling cultural message that women’s worth is tied to
physical appearance. Both Peter and Paul enjoin women to develop an inner
beauty and eschew pearls, gold, fancy hairstyles (1 Tim 2:9–10; 1 Pet 3:3–6).
And are wrinkles to be erased as ugly, even immoral? Is maintaining a youthful
appearance a godly activity? I wish the church answered with a resounding “no,”
but too often women’s self-worth is measured by society’s definition of beauty.
Viewing others as beloved members of God’s family, being made new from the
inside out, could mitigate against our culture’s obsession on external appearance.
Those who favor an allusion to baptism in Eph 5:26 offer several
arguments. First, they observe that Paul uses an article before the noun
“washing,” thereby specifying “the washing.” A parallel with 1 Cor 6:11, which
is more directly tied to baptism, strengthens this, but the claim cannot rest
solely on the tenuous argument of the article’s presence. Second, Titus 3:5 is
the only other time the noun “washing” is found, there most likely referring to
baptism. Paul mentions baptism in Eph 4:5 in his proclamation of the oneness of
believers in the Lord, and will reemphasize unity in 5:30 as believers are
members of Christ’s body. Finally, the enigmatic phrase “through the word” is
best understood as part of a liturgical setting. The “word” might refer to a liturgical
phrase, perhaps drawing on the testimony in 4:2–5 and covering the actions of
sanctifying and cleansing with water performed by Christ. Or it may refer more
broadly to the gospel message that is testified to in the rite of baptism. Paul
uses the noun again in 6:17 in describing the sword of the Spirit as the word
of God. Paul describes the message of faith with the same noun as he explains
to the Romans that the word is near you (Rom 10:8, citing Deut 30:14). Even
though the phrase’s grammatical place in the sentence is not clear, the message
rings out that Christ’s actions in making his people holy occurs in and through
the power of God’s word. Taken together, these arguments tilt the scales in
favor of seeing Paul allude to baptism as part of Christ’s work in creating a
radiant church. (Lynn H. Cohick, The Letter to the Ephesians [New International Commentary on the New
Testament; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2020], 363-65)
