NT Text: Ephesians 5:31-32
OT Source(s):
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Direct Quotation
Connection Method(s): Typology + Longitudinal Theme
Anchor Text: Gen 2:24 — One Flesh
Significance: Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 ("two shall be one flesh") and boldly interprets it allegorically as referring to Christ and the church, calling this a "great mystery" revealed by God. The hermeneutical sophistication appears in converging two metaphors: the church as Christ's body (developed throughout Ephesians) and as God's new creation humanity. Paul acknowledges the unusual interpretation ("But I say...") while affirming the text's normal marital application (5:33), following a revelatory pattern like Daniel's dream interpretation. The theological significance establishes marriage as creational pattern prefiguring Christ-church union - the "one flesh" relationship established in Eden pointed forward to the ultimate marriage between Christ and his people. This reveals Genesis 2:24's deeper meaning in God's redemptive plan: the church as bride united to Christ in one body fulfills creational design while inaugurating new creation.