Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Ephesians 5:22-33

1. Christian Duties of Wives and Husbands.

All the relative duties discussed in this portion of the Epistle are based upon the fact of a common relation to Christ: the exhortations are all ‘in the Lord.' But the fundamental social relation, namely, that between husband and wife, has a yet deeper basis, in the mystical relation between Christ and His Church. Hence the exhortation to wives (Ephesians 5:22) is at once grounded upon the duty of the Church to Christ (Ephesians 5:23-24); while on the other hand the exhortation to husbands (Ephesians 5:25 a) is at once enforced by the example of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-31). As this side of the matter has always required the greater emphasis, the Apostle enlarges upon it, by introducing not only the self-sacrificing love of Christ for His Church (Ephesians 5:25 b), but the end of that love (Ephesians 5:26-27). The duty of husbands thus to love their wives is further enforced from the unity of the marriage relation resembling that of Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:29-30), as appears from the first reference to marriage in the Old Testament (Ephesians 5:31). In Ephesians 5:32 the Apostle speaks of the whole matter as a mystery, especially in its higher application, but repeats the exhortation to both classes (Ephesians 5:33).

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Ephesians 5:22-33

Old Testament

New Testament