A fundamental tenet of Christianity is that our harmonious relationship with God and others was damaged as a result of the fall of humankind, as described in Genesis 3. The majority of the biblical text is composed of descriptions and discussion of the effects of this fall and of God’s plan to reconcile us to Himself and others. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, coupled with the subsequent empowerment of His Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, has permitted the reconciliation and renewal of both our relationship with God and with others, by the grace of God. The New Testament contains numerous exhortations as to how we, as Christ-followers, new creatures in Christ, are to love and interact with one another, yet many Christians struggle to have loving, flourishing relationships with other Christians, a situation which diminishes the rewards of their life in Christ and works to the detriment of the ethos and mission of the church. At the cross of Christ, we are reconciled to God and given the ministry of reconciliation. We must therefore avail ourselves of every possible instrument that can encourage and empower loving and flourishing relationships within the body of Christ. One such “instrument” is the pericope at Ephesians 5:21–33. Ephesians 5:21–33 is integral to the series of instructions in the New Testament that scholars call “household codes” (German: Haustafeln, lit. “House Tables”), and interpretation of this passage varies widely—the characterization of Christian marriage, leadership within it, and the roles of and expectations of husband and the wife likewise vary. The true role and purpose of Christian marriage is—as a result of this variety of opinion and the controversial nature of some of it—easily misconstrued by people inside and outside the church. It is important that this and all other New Testament passages describing marriage and defining the roles and expectations of husband and wife envisioned for this loving, one-flesh union be well understood. In order to achieve such an understanding, we must study their original cultural context and compare them to and with one another. Such work will help us clarify the implications of this particular pericope. Our ability to witness to the reality of God’s offer, at the cross, of reconciliation and of a restored relationship with Him and others is—at least in part—dependent on our comprehension and appropriate application of scripture such as Eph 5:21–33 to Christian marriage and family life. While interpreters dispute its implications, few would disagree that it and other Haustafeln passages in the NT have strongly influenced the Christian understanding of family. There is, however, little, if any, research into or discussion of the relevance of this passage for loving relationships in the church, apart from marital relationships. As a result, it is not clear whether such an interpretation of Eph 5:21–33 has sufficient biblical or theological integrity—i.e., can we really look to marriage as a model for loving relationships within the contemporary church? Investigation of the cultural context of the first century CE, and a critical exegesis of this pericope will, it is hoped, begin to answer this question. Similarly, comparing the marital love described and commanded in Eph 5:21–33 with other marital love passages will aid our study. Finally, evaluating NT scripture for consistent themes and actions associated with loving others will help in our search for a reliable, common understanding of how best to live out a life of love.
