The Love of Christ in Husband - Wife relationships based on Ephesians 5:22 – 33 - Implications for Christian Families

Abstract

The Bible contains important teachings about the mysterious relationship between Christ and the Church, as explained in Ephesians 5:22-33. This article highlights the deep relationship between Christ and the Church and has important implications for Christian families in the Church, where teaching about the Christian family especially from Ephesians 5:22–33 is only given or preached at the time of the marriage blessing, and even that is not explained well. So it can be said that the description of Ephesians 5: 22-33 is just a routine without meaning. In Ephesians 5:22-33 the apostle Paul uses the analogy of marriage to explain the relationship between Christ and His church. He compared the relationship between a husband and wife to the relationship that exists between Christ and the church. Just as a husband is the head of his wife, Christ is the head of the church. It emphasizes the surrender of the church to the authority of Christ and the love and sacrifice Christ gave to His church. This passage emphasizes even more the sacrificial love that husbands must have for their wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her, husbands are also called to love their wives as Christ loves and cares for the Church. This underscores the importance of selflessness, grace and devotion in a Christian marriage by each of the spouses. Ephesians 5:22-33 moderates the patriarchal view of marriage, and it re-expresses the concepts of submission and leadership in a family. The wife should always submit to her husband's authority as she would to Jesus Christ. The husband needs to always exercise his authority with love and try to imitate Christ.