Here is yet another example, namely: when someone, having left his parents, is united with her. And he did not say: will live together with her, but: "shall cleave," indicating an inseparable union. And the words "one flesh" are understood also simply, as the great John Chrysostom says: shall be one flesh; but they can also mean something else, namely: the two shall be for the production of one flesh, that is, a child.
Eph. 5:32. This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and to the Church.
That is, Moses pointed to something great and wondrous. And truly it is a mystery — to leave those who gave birth to him, labored for him, and did him good, and to cleave to one whom he had never seen and who had not even begun to do him good. Indeed, this is a great mystery, if only it is understood as referring to Christ, as a prophetic word about Him. For He too left the Father, not in the sense of a change of place, but by condescending to the assumption of flesh, and came to the bride who did not know Him at all, and became one with her in spirit. For "he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord" (1 Cor. 6:17). How then can one condemn marriage, when Paul presents it as an image of the mystery of Christ and calls it a mystery?
Eph. 5:33. So let each one of you love his own wife as himself;
However, he says, although I have set this forth allegorically, nevertheless it was also said for the sake of the wife, and the allegory does not destroy the literal indication contained therein regarding the relationship of husband to wife. For each man ought to love his own wife and cherish her as himself. And do not tell me that the wife has this or that defect, because in your own body there are many defects as well — for example, a dislocated arm, a lame leg, a damaged eye — but you do not cut them off; rather, you deem them worthy of even greater care.
Eph. 5:33. And let the wife fear her husband.
Since equality produces disorder, he therefore introduces fear, so that one would be the head — the husband. By fear here he means special respect and restraint — a fear befitting free persons, not a slavish one. In such fear, love too will find support for itself and will, in turn, support it. And the wife will love her husband as a part of the body loves the head, and will fear him, that is, honor him as the head. But what if the wife will not fear? You still love and do your part; likewise, even if the wife is not loved, let her still maintain fear. And notice that about the husband's duty to love his wife, he spoke at length, but about fear he does not elaborate, because he wishes the former to prevail, namely love. And the wife, as has been said, should fear with a fear that proceeds from love, not one that arouses trembling and dread, from which hatred rather springs; but so as not to contradict, not to rebel, and not to seek supremacy. For although there is one flesh, and she has authority and is equal in honor in this respect, the wife is the second authority, while the husband holds greater significance.