This lesson finishes what is the longest teaching in the New Testament regarding the relationships between wives and husbands. Paul’s main objective, here as elsewhere it seems to me, is to teach us about the relationship between Christ and the Church. He plainly is also teaching something about how wives and husbands are to relate to one another. Just as all Christians are called to submit to one another out of reverent fear of Christ (5:21) so too are all wives called to submit to their own husbands. In addition husbands are here called to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, but this call to love is spoken to every child of God in every context. Finally, I think that the teaching concerning marital relations resolves itself as a call to husband and wife to be one person in marriage, just as all Christians are called to be one body in the church. There can be no controversial or demeaning distinction within this context. It is mysterious.
