Ephesians 5:25 kjv
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Ephesians 5:25 nkjv
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Ephesians 5:25 niv
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
Ephesians 5:25 esv
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Ephesians 5:25 nlt
For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her
Ephesians 5 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ephesians 5:25 | Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; | (Direct Parallel) |
| Colossians 3:19 | Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. | (Command for husbands) |
| 1 Peter 3:7 | Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. | (Context for marital conduct) |
| Genesis 2:24 | Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. | (Foundation of marriage) |
| Mark 10:8 | And they shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. | (Unity in marriage) |
| John 13:34 | A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. | (Christ's command to love) |
| 1 John 4:8 | He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. | (Nature of God is love) |
| 1 John 4:10 | Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. | (God's sacrificial love) |
| Romans 5:8 | But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. | (Christ's sacrifice) |
| Galatians 2:20 | I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. | (Personal application) |
| Acts 20:28 | Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. | (Christ's purchase of Church) |
| Revelation 5:9 | And hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; | (Redemption by blood) |
| Philippians 2:5 | Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: | (Christ's example) |
| 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 | The husband ought to render unto the wife due benevolence: likewise also the wife unto the husband. ... | (Mutual conjugal duty) |
| Proverbs 31:28 | Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. | (Husband's affirmation) |
| Ephesians 5:22 | Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. | (Wives' role) |
| Ephesians 5:24 | Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. | (Wives' submission context) |
| Song of Solomon 4:7 | Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. | (Beauty of the beloved) |
| 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 | Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity not itself not, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; | (Nature of love) |
| Ephesians 5:33 | Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. | (Summary of marital love) |
Ephesians 5 verses
Ephesians 5 25 Meaning
Husbands are commanded to love their wives with a selfless, sacrificial love, mirroring Christ's love for the Church. This love is not based on a wife's performance or attractiveness but is a divinely mandated devotion that involves giving oneself for her.
Ephesians 5 25 Context
This verse is situated within a section of Ephesians (chapters 4-6) that addresses practical Christian living and household relationships. Paul is specifically detailing the responsibilities of husbands and wives within the Christian marriage. He establishes a pattern of mutual submission, beginning with the wife submitting to the husband as the church submits to Christ. This verse then provides the foundational command for the husband's love, framing it as an imitation of Christ's relationship with the Church. Historically, in Greco-Roman society, marriage roles were often hierarchical and unequal. Paul's instruction, while maintaining a structure that reflected societal norms of the time, elevates the husband's role from mere authority to one of profound, self-sacrificial love, drawing a direct parallel to Christ's devotion. There are no direct polemics against contemporary beliefs as this is an instruction for believers, but the radical nature of Christ-like love challenges any lesser standards of marital affection.
Ephesians 5 25 Word Analysis
- Husbands (ανδρες, andres): While literally meaning "men," in this context it refers specifically to men in their marital role. It signifies the masculine headship within the marital structure.
- love (αγαπαω, agapao): This is a significant term for divine, unconditional, sacrificial love. It's not eros (romantic passion) or philia (friendship affection) but agape, the selfless, volitional love that seeks the highest good of the beloved. This love is active, intentional, and demonstrable. It is the love that God exhibits.
- your wives (ταις γυναιξιν, tais gunaixin): Refers to their own spouses, emphasizing a committed and exclusive marital bond.
- even as (καθως, kathos): This conjunction introduces the standard or model for their love. It means "in like manner as," or "insofar as."
- Christ (Χριστος, Christos): The Anointed One, Jesus Christ, presented here as the ultimate example.
- loved (ηγαπησεν, egapesen): The past tense of agapao, referring to Christ's completed action of love.
- the church (την εκκλησιαν, ten ekklesian): The assembly of believers, the Body of Christ.
- and gave himself (και εαυτον παρεδωκεν, kai heauton paredoken): This highlights the active, giving nature of Christ's love. "Gave himself" signifies a complete offering, a sacrifice. It means "delivered himself up."
- for it (υπερ αυτης, hyper autes): "For her," referring to the church. This emphasizes the substitutionary and redemptive aspect of Christ's death. He died on behalf of or in the place of the church.
Word Group Analysis:
- "Husbands, love your wives": This is a direct imperative, a command. It’s not optional, but a requirement for all Christian husbands. The verb tense emphasizes a continuous action of loving.
- "even as Christ also loved the church": This establishes the immensity and the specific quality of the love required. The "as" links the husband's duty to Christ's supreme example. The love described is not just affection but active devotion, leading to ultimate sacrifice.
- "and gave himself for it": This further defines the nature of Christ's love for the church, which is to be emulated. It points to a total self-offering, a willingness to surrender all for the benefit of the church, culminating in His death on the cross.
Ephesians 5 25 Bonus Section
The intensity of Christ’s love for the Church, as depicted in this verse, is what purifies and sanctifies the Church (Ephesians 5:26). This implies that a husband’s sacrificial love should similarly contribute to the spiritual growth and sanctification of his wife. The union between Christ and the Church is often described as a marriage (Revelation 19:7), and the husband is called to reflect this divine model. The parallel between the husband's love and Christ’s love underscores that the Christian home is intended to be a microcosm of God’s redemptive plan and the Church’s relationship with Christ.
Ephesians 5 25 Commentary
Paul elevates the marital relationship to a sacred institution reflecting the relationship between Christ and His Church. This verse commands husbands to love their wives with the same kind of sacrificial, selfless love that Christ demonstrated for the Church. This isn't merely a feeling but an active commitment to the well-being and spiritual growth of the wife, involving a willingness to give oneself for her. The love demanded is active, enduring, and purifying, just as Christ’s love is for the Church. It requires a husband to prioritize his wife’s needs and to act with her best interests at heart, even at personal cost. This agape love is the divine standard for Christian marriage.
- Practical application: A husband demonstrates this love by listening to his wife’s concerns, sharing burdens, patiently forgiving her faults, and actively working for her spiritual and emotional good.