Here is my response from my book "The original
Matthew 28:19 Restored".
5).
Ephesians 5:26 - "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word"
I am going to go out on a limb out there and make the case that
Ephesians 5 Verse 26 is a veiled reference to baptism in the name of Jesus. When we read it in other versions, we can see that it refers to baptism.
NIV. "to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word"
Noyes. "that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the bath of the water in the word"
Goodspeed. "to consecrate her, after cleansing her with the bath in water through her confession of him"
Name of God Bible. He did this to make the church holy by cleansing it, washing it using water along with spoken words.
Weymouth. "in order to make her holy, cleansing her with the baptismal water by the word,"
Living Bible. to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's Word;
Expanded Bible. 26 to omake her holy [sanctify her], cleansing her in the washing of water by the word [C the "washing" may be (1) baptism, (2) spiritual cleansing (
Titus 3:5), or (3) an analogy drawn from the Jewish prenuptial bath (Ezek. 16:8-14); the "word" may be (1) the Gospel, (2) a baptismal formula, or (3) the confession of the one baptized].
In
Ephesians 5:26 the Greek term employed for washing is loutro. The same word is used in
Acts 22:16, as noted earlier: "Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins." In this Acts account Baptism and washing away sins are synonymous. Louo means to wash, bathe." A. Oepke in the Theological Dictionary states that in many instances, this "is a clear reference to baptism. On the basis of this meaning of and usage of the terms cleansing and washing away of sins, we may rightly conclude that
Ephesians 5:26 is a clear reference to baptism. Baptism: God's Activity of Grace (2006) p. 42 by Doctor Morris Vaagenes.
As some may see and understand that this is really a reference to baptism as the initial rite of initiation into the body of Christ. Other ministers have also made the argument that this verse refers to baptism in a symbolic way. However I propose that the next part is a symbolic or cryptic reference to the name of Jesus, for he is "the word." (his name is the Word of God,
Rev 19:13) I propose that this is a veiled reference that the name of Jesus was pronounced at baptism. For it is by the name of Jesus we are washed and cleansed from all sins; for it is through the name of Jesus that we attain salvation; for it is in his name that we are sanctified and saved.
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