Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Husbands {G435}, love {G25} your {G1438} wives {G1135}, even as {G2531} Christ {G5547} also {G2532} loved {G25} the church {G1577}, and {G2532} gave {G3860} himself {G1438} for {G5228} it {G846};

As for husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah loved the Messianic Community, indeed, gave himself up on its behalf,

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;

Commentary

Ephesians 5:25 is a pivotal verse in the New Testament, offering a profound instruction to husbands regarding their role within marriage. It sets a remarkably high standard by comparing the husband's love for his wife to the sacrificial love Christ demonstrated for the church.

Context

This verse is part of a larger section in Ephesians (chapters 5 and 6) where the Apostle Paul provides guidance for Christian households. Following a call for believers to "walk in love" (Ephesians 5:2) and be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), Paul addresses various relationships: wives and husbands, children and parents, servants and masters. The instruction to husbands in verse 25 follows the call for wives to submit to their own husbands (Ephesians 5:22), presenting a balanced picture of mutual responsibility and love within the marriage covenant, rooted in respect for Christ (Ephesians 5:21).

Key Themes

  • Husband's Love: The primary command is for husbands to love their wives. This is not presented as optional but as a core duty and expression of Christian life within marriage.
  • Christ's Sacrificial Love: The standard for this love is the love of Christ for the church. This points to a love that is active, purposeful, and ultimately self-giving.
  • Analogy of Marriage to Christ and the Church: Paul uses the relationship between Christ and the church as the ultimate model for the husband-wife relationship, highlighting its sacred and profound nature.
  • Self-Sacrifice: The phrase "and gave himself for it" underscores the sacrificial nature of Christ's love, which is the example husbands are to emulate.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word used for "love" in this verse is agape (ἀγάπη). This is significant because agape love is distinct from other types of love (like eros - romantic love, or phileo - brotherly affection). Agape is a volitional, self-sacrificing love that seeks the highest good of the other, regardless of their merit or response. It's the same powerful word used to describe God's love for the world in John 3:16 and is the kind of love that Paul describes in detail in 1 Corinthians 13. By using agape, Paul calls husbands to a committed, active, and sacrificial love for their wives.

Connecting Verses

The idea of Christ giving Himself for the church is central to the New Testament understanding of salvation and the atonement. This sacrifice is the foundation of God's grace and the church's existence. The comparison here elevates the marriage relationship, showing it to be a picture, albeit imperfect, of this ultimate divine relationship.

Practical Application

For husbands today, this verse challenges them to move beyond passive affection or merely meeting needs. It calls for an active, intentional, and sacrificial love that prioritizes the wife's well-being, growth, and spiritual flourishing, just as Christ prioritized the church's. This may involve making difficult choices, putting her needs before his own, forgiving freely, leading with humility, and nurturing her spiritual life. It's a lifelong commitment to emulate Christ's selfless example within the covenant of marriage.

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Cross-References

  • 1 Peter 3:7 (55 votes)

    Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

  • Colossians 3:19 (52 votes)

    Husbands, love [your] wives, and be not bitter against them.

  • Ephesians 5:28 (43 votes)

    So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

  • Genesis 2:24 (36 votes)

    Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

  • Ephesians 5:33 (18 votes)

    Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife [see] that she reverence [her] husband.

  • Ephesians 5:2 (17 votes)

    And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

  • Galatians 1:4 (8 votes)

    Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: