Ephesians 5:22-33

Last night we tackled one of the most controvérsias passages in the Bible because of the many verses that apply to marriage these are probably the most important. The passage as a whole shows the parallel between Christ's relationship with the Church, His bride, and the relationship between husband and wife. The wife is to submit to her husband as to the Lord which means the depth and sincerity of her submission is,a reflection of the depth and sincerity of her relationship with Jesus. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church which seems an impossible goal when we contrast the holiness and perfection of Christ with our own relative lack. Yet this is the standard. Verse 32 refers to a profund mystery, the only time this word is used of any of the 12 different mysteries that the NT tells us. I believe the importance here is God's plan that a believing husband and wife are intended to be a divinely ordained illustration of the relationship between Christ and the Church. Verse 33 is the key to a healthy God honoring marriage. The primary need of the man is respect. The primary need of the woman is love. We tend to give what we are comfortable with rather than what the other person needs.