The text for this morning's message is found in Ephesians, chapter 5,

verses 21 through 28.

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the Church, his body and is himself his savior.

As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.

Husbands love your wives. in everything to their husbands.

Husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her,

that he might sanctify her,

having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the

church to himself in splendour without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish.

Even so, husband should love their wives as their own body.

He who loves his wife loves himself.

The question I want to raise this morning from this passage and try to answer with you is one that's neglected, it seems to me, pretty much across the board in the feminist treatments of this passage.

It's this, what is the positive practical difference in a marriage between a

man's role as compared to Christ's

and a woman's role as compared to the church, Christ's body.

Verse 22 says, Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ

is the head of the church, his body.

And verse 25 says, Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

So husbands are compared to Christ, wives are compared to the church. Husbands are compared to the church.

Husbands are compared to the head,

...