Marriage—Christ and the Church(A)

22 Wives, (B)submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For (C)the husband is head of the wife, as also (D)Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands (E)in everything.

25 (F)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and (G)gave Himself for her, 26 that He might [a]sanctify and cleanse her (H)with the washing of water (I)by the word, 27 (J)that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, (K)not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For (L)we are members of His body, [b]of His flesh and of His bones. 31 (M)“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the (N)two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless (O)let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she (P)respects her husband.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:26 set it apart
  2. Ephesians 5:30 NU omits the rest of v. 30.

The Christian Household

22 Wives, be subject[a] to your husbands as to the Lord,(A) 23 for the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.(B) 24 Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, 27 so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, so that she may be holy and without blemish.(C) 28 In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 because we are members of his body.[b](D) 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”(E) 32 This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church. 33 Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect[c] her husband.

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Footnotes

  1. 5.22 Gk lacks be subject
  2. 5.30 Other ancient authorities add of his flesh and of his bones
  3. 5.33 Or fear

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands(A) as you do to the Lord.(B) 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,(C) his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands(D) in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives,(E) just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her(F) 26 to make her holy,(G) cleansing[a] her by the washing(H) with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself(I) as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.(J) 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives(K) as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.(L) 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[b](M) 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife(N) as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
  2. Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24