Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. 24 As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her 26 to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, 27 that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. 33 In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband.
During Paul's time, society was structured around patriarchal household codes, which dictated strict roles and hierarchies within families. These codes emphasized the authority of the male head of the household over his wife, children, and slaves. This hierarchical structure was deeply ingrained in both Roman law and cultural norms. Paul, a Pharisee, was also familiar with Jewish tradition on marriage and family, where marriage was seen as a covenant relationship. These traditions often reflected patriarchal norms, giving husbands authority over their wives. Paul's teachings on marriage in Ephesians 5:21-32 must be understood within the context of the first-century Greco-Roman world and Jewish customs. In contemporary relationships, this passage can be applied by focusing on the principles of mutual respect, sacrificial love, partnership, and the enduring values of love.
Paul draws on the profound mystery of Christ’s relationship with the Church to explain that Christian relationships should be motivated by reverence for Christ. Regarding the relationship between a husband and wife, submission does not denote inferiority but reflects the relational order within the family. Paul promotes a harmonious relationship rooted in love, where a wife's respect for her husband mirrors her reverence for Christ. He explains that just as Christ’s headship over the Church is marked by love and self-giving sacrifice, the husband's role is to serve and protect his wife. In this context, “savior” refers to the husband’s role in safeguarding and providing for his wife, not to spiritual salvation. Just as the Church’s submission to Christ is rooted in love and obedience to God's will, wives are similarly called to respect their husbands in the context of mutual love.
Paul instructs husbands to love their wives with the same sacrificial love that Christ showed when he gave himself up for the Church (cf. Jn. 15:13). This teaching challenged the norms of Greco-Roman culture, where wives were often treated as subordinate property rather than as equal partners in love. Paul uses the imagery of baptism—where the Church, the Body of Christ, is sanctified through the cleansing of water and the Word (baptism and the proclamation of the Gospel)—to explain that a husband's love is meant to sanctify his wife, helping her grow in holiness. Paul emphasizes that just as marriage is based on mutual love and harmony, both husband and wife are called to help each other grow spiritually and draw closer to Christ. A husband’s love should elevate and purify the marriage relationship, just as Christ’s love purifies the Church. Just as a husband cares for his own body with tenderness and concern, he must care for his wife in the same way.
As Christians, we are members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and therefore share in His life. Husbands and wives are united not only to each other but also to Christ. Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 to affirm the original design for marriage. The phrase "one flesh" expresses the deepest level of intimacy and partnership within marriage. Paul concludes by stating that the marital relationship is a profound symbol of the mystery of Christ’s union with the Church.
Almighty God, help us to love one another as Christ loves the Church. Grant husbands the grace to serve and protect their wives with selfless love, and may wives reflect the reverence and respect that mirrors Your divine will. Unite all marriages in holiness, guiding husbands and wives to a deeper union with You through mutual love and sacrifice. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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