[139] See Dr. Maclaren's admirable words on this subject in _Colossians and Philemon_ (Expositor's Bible), pp. 336-40; and Dr. Dale's _Lectures on Ephesians_, Lect. xix., "Wives and Husbands."
[140] In verse 24 St Paul resumes with =alla=, the _but_ of opposition and not mere contrast, indicating a case where the claims of husband and Saviour may, conceivably, be in competition.
"The Christ is the head of the Church, _being_ Himself the Saviour of the body.... The Church is subject to the Christ in everything....
"The 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 a glorious _Church_, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and without blemish....
"The Christ [nourisheth and cherisheth] the Church; because we are members of His body. 'For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the twain shall become one flesh.' This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the Church."--EPH. v. 23-32.
We have extracted from the apostle's homily upon marriage the sentences referring to Christ and His Church, in order to gather up their collective import. The main topic of the epistle here again asserts itself; and under the figure of marriage St Paul brings to its conclusion his doctrine on the subject of the Church. This passage answers, theologically, a purpose similar to that of the allegory of Hagar and Sarah in the epistle to the Galatians: it lights up for the imagination the teaching and argument of the former part of the epistle; it shows how the doctrine of Christ and the Church has its counterpart in nature, as the struggle between the legal and evangelical spirit had its counterpart in the patriarchal history. The three detached paragraphs present us three considerations, of which we shall treat the second first in order of exposition: Christ's _love to the Church_; His _authority over the Church_; and _the mystery of the Church's origin in Him_.
I. "Husbands, love your wives, even as the Christ also loved the Church, and gave up Himself for her." This is parallel to the declaration of Galatians ii. 20: "He loved me; He gave up Himself for me." The sacrifice of the cross has at once its personal and its collective purpose. Both are to be kept in mind.
On the one hand, we must value infinitely and joyfully assert our individual part in the redeeming love of the Son of God; but we must equally admit the sovereign rights of the Church in the Redeemer's passion. Our souls bow down before the glory of the love with which He has from eternity sought her for His own. There is in some Christians an absorption in the work of grace within their own hearts, an individualistic salvation-seeking that, like all selfishness, defeats its end; for it narrows and impoverishes the inner life thus sedulously cherished. The Church does not exist simply for the benefit of individual souls; it is an eternal institution, with an affiance to Christ, a calling and destiny of its own; within that universal sphere our personal destiny holds its particular place.
It is "the Christ" who stands, throughout this context (vv. 23-29), over against "the Church" as her Lover and Husband; whereas in the context of Galatians ii. 20 we read "Christ"--the bare personal name--repeated again and again without the distinguishing article. _Christ_ is the Person whom the soul knows and loves, with whom it holds communion in the Spirit. _The Christ_ is the same regarded in the wide scope of His nature and office,--the Christ of humanity and of the ages. "The Christ" of this epistle expands the Saviour's title to its boundless significance, and gives breadth and length to that which in "Christ" is gathered up into a single point.[141]