Ephesians 5:22

Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.

Wives be in subjection ... This is to be understood in the light of the obligation, given a moment later, for the husband to love his wife even as Christ loved the church. There never was any kind of effective organization that functioned without a head. From ants and bees in the insect world to central governments, an effective social unit of any kind requires a head; and it could not have been otherwise with regard to the human family, the oldest of God's organizations among men, being prior to that of any state, or of the church. By the appointment of God himself, the husband was named head of the family. Societies which have reversed this are known as matriarchal; but by definition they are inferior.

As unto the Lord ... "This does not mean that they should yield to their husbands the same deference as they would yield to Christ himself, but that deference is a duty which they owe to the Lord.[23]

As Christ is the head of the church ... Marriage from the very beginning was prophetic of the spiritual relationship between Christ and his church (the great "mystery" of Ephesians 5:32). Paul begins here to build that analogy.

The saviour of the body ... Here, "The implication seems to be that the husband is the protector and defender of his wife."[24]

[23] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 114.

[24] Ibid.