The Pulpit Commentary on Ephesians 5:25

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public domain

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for her. The husband's duty to the wife is enforced by another parallel—it ought to correspond to Christ's love for the Church.

This parallel restores the balance; if it should seem hard for the wife to be in subjection, the spirit of love, Christ-like love, on the part of the husband makes the duty easy. Christ did not merely pity the Church, or merely desire her good, but loved her; her image was stamped on his heart and her name graven on his hands; he desired to have her for his companion, longing for a return of her affection, for the establishment of sympathy between her and him.

And he gave himself for her (comp. Ephesians 5:2), showing that her happiness and welfare were dearer to him than his own—the true test of deep, real love.

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