Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Ephesians 5:22

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

A Certain wise man, setting down a number of things in the rank of blessings, set down this also in the rank of a blessing, "A wife agreeing with her husband." And elsewhere again he sets it down among blessings, that a woman should dwell in harmony with her husband. …

Homily on Ephesians 20 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Not without reason and not in vain does Paul devote great care to marriage, for God too from the beginning was especially concerned with it. For He joined with Adam his sister — no, more than that — his daughter; but what am I saying? His own flesh. Then, as the race multiplied, He also widened the boundaries of marriage, so as not to confine love within the narrow limits of kinship alone. Indeed, our very life is sustained by marriage. …

Commentary on Ephesians ↗

Ignatius of Antioch

It behoves you also, therefore, as "a peculiar people, and a holy nation," to perform all things with harmony in Christ. Wives, be ye subject to your husbands in the fear of God; and ye virgins, to Christ in purity, not counting marriage an abomination, but desiring that which is better, not for the reproach of wedlock, but for the sake of meditating on the law.

Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians ↗

Western Saints

Jerome

The union of Christ and the church is holy. So is the proper union of husband and wife holy. Just as a congregation of heretics, however, cannot rightly be called the church of Christ and cannot have Christ as its head, so it is that a union between husband and wife cannot be truly called holy if there is a disregard for the way of life taught by Christ.

Commentary on Ephesians 5:22-23 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Up until now the Apostle has set down general precepts applicable to everyone (4:17), at this point he expresses those which pertain to particular persons or classes. According to the Philosopher in his Politics, a home must possess three relationships if it is to be complete, namely, that of the husband and wife, of the father and the children, and that between the master and his servants. …

Commentary on Ephesians ↗