From here through verse 33 the writer dwells extensively on the Christian husband’s relationship to his wife, comparing it to that between Christ and the church. This relationship between Christ and the church becomes the subject of the exposition from verse 25 on, but in verse 33 the writer returns to the subject of husbands and wives and gives them a final bit of advice.

A Christian husband’s love for his wife should be like that of Christ’s love for the church, a love which expressed itself in self-sacrifice. The language is the same as that of 5.2, Christ loved us and gave his life for us (see similar language in Gal 2.20). Three times (this verse and verses 28, 33) the writer commands Christian husbands to love their wives; the first time he appeals to the example of Christ’s love, and the second and third times to the “one body” concept of marriage set forth in the Old Testament.

If singular forms are required in speaking of wives and husbands in verse 24, the same would be true in verse 25, for example, “each of you husbands should love your wife” or “each husband should love his wife.”

There may be a slight and subtle problem involved in the choice of terms for love in verse 25. Some languages normally make a distinction between (1) the type of love that a husband would have for his wife and (2) the type of love which Christ would presumably have for the church. It would, however, be important to try to use the same terms or a very similar phrase, so as to make the analogy clear.

There is also a problem involved in the temporal relations of the phrase loved the church and gave his life for it, for the church did not exist as a recognized institution until after Christ’s death. Furthermore, in some languages the use of a past tense form of loved might suggest Christ’s love of the church at one time but not later. Accordingly, it may be necessary to use a so-called perfective tense, for example, “just as Christ has loved the church.” In some languages the so-called “unmarked present” tense expresses the idea perfectly: “Christ loves the church and gives his life for it.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .