Ephesians 5:25 Meaning and Explanation
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →A husband's love is measured by the highest standard there is: the self-giving love of Christ for His church.
What Does Ephesians 5:25 Mean?
Paul gives husbands a single, weighty calling: love your wives. The word he uses is agape, the love that gives rather than the love that takes, and he sets it to the costliest measure imaginable. The pattern is Christ, who loved the church and gave himself for it. That self-giving was no figure of speech. It was the cross. A husband's love is to lean in the same direction, toward sacrifice, toward laying himself down for her good.
The verse lifts the eyes higher than marriage. It shows us how Christ feels about His people, the church. He did not love us because we had made ourselves lovely. He gave Himself first, and His giving is what makes us lovely. Every marriage that reaches for this love is reflecting something true about Him, and every weary soul can rest in it: we are loved by One who gave Himself for us before we asked.
Ephesians 5:25 in the Original Language
agapao (ἀγαπάω), 'love' -- a deliberate, self-giving love that seeks the good of the other, set here to the measure of the cross.
How to Apply Ephesians 5:25 Today
The pattern set here, a love that gives itself for the good of another, is the love Christ has already poured out on us. Married or not, we are met by a Savior who gave Himself before we could earn it, and that love is meant to shape how we love everyone near us.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ephesians 5:25
What does Ephesians 5:25 mean?
A husband's love is measured by the highest standard there is: the self-giving love of Christ for His church.
How can I apply Ephesians 5:25 today?
The pattern set here, a love that gives itself for the good of another, is the love Christ has already poured out on us. Married or not, we are met by a Savior who gave Himself before we could earn it, and that love is meant to shape how we love everyone near us.