Ephesians 5:21-33 - Wives And Husbands

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²² Wives, you should submit to your own husbands, as you would to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the [spiritual] head over his wife, just as Christ is also the [spiritual] head over the church, since He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But just as the church submits to Christ, so wives also should submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵ Husbands, you should love your wives just as Christ also loved the church, and gave up His life for her, ²⁶ so that He could dedicate her [to Himself], after cleansing her by means of the washing of water [i.e., immersion], accompanied by the word. [Note: "The word" here refers either to a person's profession of faith (See Rom. 10:9) or to the Gospel message (See Rom. 10:17), both of which are associated with immersion]. ²⁷ [This is] so He could present the church to Himself in all her splendor, without any kind of stain or wrinkle, but that she should be holy and without [moral] flaw. ²⁸ In the same way also, husbands should love their own wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his own wife [actually] loves himself. ²⁹ For no [normal] person ever hated his own [physical] body, but [instead] he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ also does for the church, ³⁰ because we are parts of His [spiritual] body.

³¹ [Gen. 2:24 says], "For this reason a man will leave [the home of] his father and mother, and will cling to his wife, [so that] the two will become one flesh [i.e., united in such a close relationship, as to practically constitute one body]."

³² The secret [truth] of this is great, but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each of you men individually should also love his own wife the way he loves himself. And the wife should respect her husband.

¹ In the same way [that Jesus was submissive], you wives should submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even though they may not obey the [Gospel] message [they have heard] they may, without your talking [to them about it], ² be won by observing your godly and respectful behavior. ³ Do not let your [adornment] be [the decorations] of the physical body, such as elaborate hair-dos, the wearing of golden [jewelry] and the wearing of [stunning] outfits. ⁴ But [the kind of adornment you should display is] that of the inner person, with its enduring qualities of a meek and calm spirit, which are extremely valuable in God's eyes. ⁵ For this is the way holy women in ancient times decorated themselves. Their hope was in God and they were known for being in subjection to their own husbands. ⁶ Sarah obeyed her husband Abraham, even referring to him [in respectful terms such] as "sir." You [wives] are her [spiritual] descendants if you also do what is right and are not fearful [that things in life will turn out badly].

⁷ [You] husbands, in the same way, should live with your wives in an understanding way, recognizing their feminine nature as being physically weaker than yours, and showing special honor to them because of it. [Realize] that sharing your lives together is a gracious gift [from God]. [If you have the right relationship with them] it will help avoid problems in your prayer lives.