Ephesians 5:33

Even if Paul’s original readers did not grasp the significance of Christ’s intimate relationship to the church fully, every individual (Gr. humeis hoi kath’ hena) Christian husband, one by one, was responsible to love his wife as himself. Likewise every (the same Greek phrase) Christian wife should, one by one, respect (phobetai, fear, reverence) her husband (Ephesians 5:21-22). Paul did not instruct wives to respect their husbands because submission is the primary expression of love that God requires. If the husband loves his wife as Christ loved the church, the wife will respect (fear) and so love her husband.

Respecting means voluntarily lifting up another person for special consideration, treatment, and obedience. It involves having consideration for his responsibilities and needs and praying for him. Words of encouragement that have a positive focus and build him up show respect for a husband, as does doing things that please him. Probably most men have a poor self-image. [Note: See Walter Trobisch, All a Man Can Be & What a Woman Should Know.] A man must have the respect of his wife to feel successful as a man. [Note: See Emerson Eggerichs, Love and Respect.]