Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 'Thou hast seen the measure of obedience; now hear the measure of love. Do you wish your wife to obey you, as the Church is to obey Christ? Then have a solicitude for her, as Christ had for the Church (Ephesians 5:23); if it be necessary to give thy life for her, or to endure any other suffering whatever, do not refuse; and if you suffer thus, not even so do you do what Christ has done: for you do so, being already united to her; but He did so for one that treated Him with aversion. As, therefore, He brought to His feet one that even wantonly spurned Him, by much tenderness, not by threats and terror, so do you act toward your wife; and though you see her wayward, you will bring her to your feet by ranch thoughtfulness, by love, by kindness. For no bond is more so...

25._Husbands, love your wives. _From husbands, on the other hand, the apostle requires that they cherish toward their wives no ordinary love; for to them, also, he holds out the example of Christ, — _even as Christ also loved the church. _If they are honored to bear his image, and to be, in some measure, his representatives, they ought to resemble him also in the discharge of duty. _And gave himself for it. _This is intended to express the strong affection which husbands ought to have for their wives, though he takes occasion, immediately afterwards, to commend the grace of Christ. Let husbands imitate Christ in this respect, that he scrupled not to die for his church. One peculiar consequence, indeed, which resulted from his death, — that by it he redeemed his church, — is altogether beyond the power of men to imitate....

22-33 The duty of wives is, submission to their husbands in the Lord, which includes honouring and obeying them, from a principle of love to them. The duty of husbands is to love their wives. The love of Christ to the church is an example, which is sincere, pure, and constant, notwithstanding her failures. Christ gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify it in this world, and glorify it in the next, that he might bestow on all his members a principle of holiness, and deliver them from the guilt, the pollution, and the dominion of sin, by those influences of the Holy Spirit, of which baptismal water was the outward sign. The church and believers will not be without spot or wrinkle till they come to glory. But those only who are sanctified now, shall be glorified hereafter. The words of Adam, mentioned by the apostle, are spoken literally of marriage; but they have also a hidden...

Verse 25. _HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES_] Here is a grand rule, according to which every husband is called to act: _Love your wife_ _as Christ loved the Church_. But _how_ did Christ love the Church? _He gave himself for it_-he laid down his life for it. So then husbands should, if necessary, lay down their lives for their wives: and there is more implied in the words than mere protection and support; for, as Christ gave himself for the Church to _save_ it, so husbands should, by all means in their power, labour to promote the salvation of their wives, and their constant edification in righteousness. Thus we find that the authority of the man over the woman is founded on his _love_ to her, and this love must be such as to lead him to risk his life for her. As the care of the family devolves on the wife, and the children must owe the chief direction of their minds and formation of their man...

HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES - The duty of the wife is to obey; the right of the husband is to command. But the apostle would guard against the abuse of that right by enjoining the manifestation of such a spirit on the husband as would secure obedience on the part of the wife. He proceeds, therefore, to show, that the husband, in all his conversation with the wife, should manifest the same spirit which the Lord Jesus did toward the church; or, in other words, he holds up the conduct of the Redeemer toward the church, as the model for a husband to imitate. If a husband wished a rule that would be short, simple, clear, and efficacious, about the manner in which he should regard and treat his wife, he could not find a better one than that here suggested. EVEN AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH - This was the strongest love that has ever been evinced in this world. It follows, that a husband is in no d...

EXPOSITION EPHESIANS 5:1 BE YE THEREFORE IMITATORS OF GOD, AS CHILDREN BELOVED. These words are closely connected with the preceding. In Ephesians 4:32 he had urged the example of God in one very momentous matter; he now urges it in a more general sense and on another ground. We ought to forgive men because God has forgiven us—all admit that; but moreover, we ought to imitate our Father in his forgiveness and in his loving spirit, be-because beloved children should always imitate, and will always strive to imitate, what is good in a beloved father. Forgiving love is one of the great glories of our Father; it has been made peculiarly attractive in our eyes, because it has been exercised by him towards us; every consideration, therefore, ought to ind

HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES,.... Which consists in a strong and cordial affection for them; in a real delight and pleasure in them; in showing respect, and doing honour to them; in seeking their contentment, satisfaction, and pleasure; in a quiet, constant, and comfortable dwelling with them; in providing all things necessary for them; in protecting them from all injuries and abuses; in concealing their faults, and covering their infirmities; in entertaining the best opinion of their persons and actions; and in endeavouring to promote their spiritual good and welfare: this love ought to be hearty and sincere, and not feigned and selfish; it should be shown in private, as well as in public: it should be chaste and single, constant and perpetual; it should exceed that which is bore to neighbours, or even to parents, and should be equal to that a man bears to himself; though not so as to hind...

Ephesians 5:1. _Be ye therefore followers of God,_ Or, imitators of God,- Ephesians 5:1. _As dear children;_ Children are naturally imitators. They are usually inclined to imitate their father; this is, therefore, a most comely and appropriate precept: «Be ye therefore imitators of God, as dear children.» Ephesians 5:2. _And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor._ What a path to walk in! «Walk in love.» What a well-paved way it is! «As Christ also hath loved us.» What a blessed Person for us to follow in that divinely royal road! It would have been hard

EVEN AS CHRIST Christ's love-work for the church is threefold: past, present, future: (1) PAST; For love, He gave Himself to redeem the church (Ephesians 5:25); (2) PRESENT; In love, He is sanctifying the church (Ephesians 5:26); (3) FUTURE; For the reward of His sacrifice and labour of love, He will present the church to Himself in flawless perfection, "one pearl of great price" (Ephesians 5:27); (Matthew 13:46)....

4. MANIFESTATION IN THE FAMILY-RELATIONSHIP Chapter S 5:22-6:4 _ 1. Wives representative of the Church (Ephesians 5:22)_ 2. Husbands representative of Christ (Ephesians 5:25) 3. The mystery: concerning Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:30) 4. Exhortations to children and parents (Ephesians 6:1) The exhortations which follow concern the Christian family. The mystery concerning Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:32) is to be manifested in the family relationship. While before we have seen the