Ephesians 5:22

Ephesians 5:22 says, Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  Paul in the next few verses addresses the relationship between husband and wife.  He first calls on wives to submit themselves to their husbands as to the Lord.  This would imply that he was speaking to a wife who was a follower of Christ, otherwise she would not submit to Him.  Verse twenty-three adds, For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.  Paul based this all on both husband and wife following Christ.  As head of the church, Christ lived to benefit others and died to redeem them. If a husband loves his wife the same way, and they are both committed to following God's will, the there should never be a problem.  Verse twenty-four continues, Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.  If the church, the followers of Christ, is subject to Him as it should be, then those believers should never have a reason to question the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  When a wife is married to a fellow believer, then she should never doubt that he has her best interest at heart.  Verse twenty-five declares, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;  If a husband wants to fulfill his calling as the head of the household, then he must put the welfare of his wife first, just as Christ did for the church.  Verse twenty-six adds, That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Paul was referring to Christ and the church in this verse.  Christ sanctifies and cleanses the church by washing its members by the word of God.  God's word points us to salvation through Christ's blood shed for us on the cross.  Christ washes the church, His followers, clean and they do not cleanse themselves.   Verse twenty-seven continues, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.  When we as believers in Christ truly follow the will of God as revealed by His word, we will be holy and without blemish.  This is due to the sacrifice of Christ and through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.  Verse twenty-eight states, So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.  I do not believe that Paul was implying that a husband can be saved for his wife, nor can he make her perfect before God.  I believe Paul was saying that the husband should love with a love that wants all the best for his wife before God.  Husbands are called on to love their wives as they love themselves.  Verse twenty-nine adds, For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:  Paul was speaking of normal, rational people who are following God's direction in life.  We may be able to cite examples of people who have hated and harmed themselves, but it is never under the leadership of God.  Verse thirty continues, For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.  This is another reminder that Paul was writing to those who had accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Those who believe are members of the body of Christ.  Verse thirty-one states, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.  Paul tells us that when a man is grown that he should leave his parents and get married.  This is not a command for everyone to be married but is a statement of what should normally occur.  Paul tells us that the husband and wife become one flesh.  Verse thirty-two says, This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.  Paul said that what he had been saying might be a great mystery, but that he was speaking of Christ and the church, and I believe relating that to the relationship between a husband and wife.  Verse thirty-three adds, Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.  Paul calls on husbands and wives to love each other with a God like love.  Nothing less is going to bring happiness and satisfaction in marriage.