Marital Intimacy as Signpost to Christ Church Union
The concept of marital intimacy as a signpost to Christ and the Church's union is rooted in the biblical text, particularly in Ephesians 5:22-33. Here, the Apostle Paul draws a parallel between the relationship of husband and wife and that of Christ and the Church [3, 4]. The passage establishes that just as Christ is the head of the Church, so too is the husband the head of the wife (Eph 5:23) [4].
This analogy is not merely a metaphorical expression but is grounded in the creation narrative, where it is written that a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, becoming one flesh (Eph 5:31, citing Gen 2:24) [7]. Paul interprets this union as a "great mystery" that signifies the relationship between Christ and the Church (Eph 5:32) [7, 8]. The mystery lies not just in the union itself but in its reflection of the deeper, spiritual union between Christ and His people.
The biblical basis for this doctrine is further reinforced by the reciprocal love and submission described in Ephesians 5. Just as the Church is subject to Christ, wives are to be subject to their husbands in everything (Eph 5:24) [2]. Conversely, husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the Church, giving Himself up for her (Eph 5:25) [3]. This mutual relationship is characterized by love, sacrifice, and unity, mirroring the bond between Christ and the Church.
Theological traditions have interpreted this passage in various ways. According to Charles Hodge, the marriage relation is sanctified by being used as a symbol of the relation between God and His people, both in the Old and New Testaments [5]. This symbolism underscores the sanctity and significance of marriage. In the Reformed tradition, the emphasis is on the spiritual union represented by marriage. John Gill notes that the union between a man and his wife is a representation of the spiritual marriage between Christ and His Church [7].
The Catholic tradition, as represented by Thomas Aquinas, views the sacrament of marriage as reflecting the unity between Christ and the Church. Aquinas argues that the union of Christ with the Church is characterized by unity on both sides, and thus, any division or multiplicity (such as bigamy) is seen as a defect in the sacrament of marriage [6].
The concept of union with Christ is a broader theological theme that encompasses the idea of marital intimacy as a signpost. According to Torrey's Topical Textbook, union with Christ involves Christ being in believers and believers being in Christ, maintained by faith and characterized by obedience to Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit [1]. This union is not limited to the individual believer but extends to the communal aspect, where the Church is united with Christ as His body.
The historical development of this doctrine can be seen in the way early Christian theologians and later Reformers interpreted the biblical text. The use of marriage as a metaphor for the divine-human relationship has its roots in the Old Testament, where God's relationship with Israel is described in marital terms [5]. The New Testament builds upon this imagery, with Christ's relationship with the Church being the fulfillment of this metaphor.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Union With Christ — As Head of the Church -- Eph 1:22,23; 4:15,16; Col 1:18. Christ prayed that all saints might have -- Joh 17:21,23. Described as Christ being in us. -- Eph 3:17; Col 1:27. Our being in Christ. -- 2Co 12:2; 1Jo 5:20. Includes union with the Father -- Joh 17:21; 1Jo 2:24. Is of God -- 1Co 1:30. Maintained by Faith. -- Ga 2:20; Eph 3:17. Abiding in him. -- Joh 15:4,7. His word abiding in us. -- Joh 15:7; 1Jo 2:24; 2Jo 1:9. Feeding on him. -- Joh 6:56. Obeying him. -- 1Jo 3:24. The Holy Spirit witnesses -- 1Jo 3:24. The gift of the Holy Spirit is an ev”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:24 (Geneva1599) — Therfore as the Church is in subiection to Christ, euen so let the wiues be to their husbands in euery thing.”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:25 (Geneva1599) — Husbands, loue your wiues, euen as Christ loued the Church, and gaue himselfe for it,”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:23 (Geneva1599) — For the husband is the wiues head, euen as Christ is the head of the Church, and the same is the sauiour of his body.”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 49: prophets, apostles, confessors, and martyrs, have been married men. If marriage was not a degradation to them, surely it cannot be to monks and priests. The strongest proof of the sanctity of the marriage relation in the sight of God, is to be found in the fact that both in the Old and in the New Testaments, it is made the symbol of the relation between God and his people. “Thy Maker is thy husband,” are the words of God, and contain a world of truth, of grace, and of love. The departure of the people from God, is illustrated by a referen”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Supplement (Supplementum), Of Bigamy and of the Irregularity Contracted Thereby, Art. 3: Article: Whether irregularity is contracted by marrying one who is not a virgin? I answer that, In the union of Christ with the Church unity is found on either side. Consequently whether we find division of the flesh on the part of the husband, or on the part of the wife, there is a defect of sacrament. There is, however, a difference, because on the part of the husband it is required that he should not have married another wife, but not that he should be a virgin, whereas on th”
- Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 5:29: For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother,.... These words contain the law of marriage, and are cited from Gen 2:24; and declare what ought to be, and are a prophecy of what should be; and are observed against polygamy, and to stir up mutual affection; See Gill on Mat 19:5. . Ephesians 5:32 eph 5:32 eph 5:32 eph 5:32This is a great mystery,.... It has something mysterious in it; it is a figure and emblem of the mysterious union between Christ and his people: for so it follows, but I speak concerning Christ and the church; or mention this law and i”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 49: The word “mystery,” as used in the Bible, means something hidden or unknown; something which can be known only by divine revelation. Thus the Gospel itself is repeatedly said to be a mystery ( Eph. iii. 3-9 ); the future conversion of the Jews is said to be a mystery ( Rom. xi. 25 ); the incarnation is 399 said to be the great mystery of godliness ( 1 Tim. iii. 16 ); and anything obscure or enigmatical is called a mystery ( Rev. xvii. 6 ); thus the mystery of the seven candlesticks is their secret meaning. If, therefore, Paul says that ma”