CHAPTER 5
LECTURE 10
31 ‘Tor this cause shall a man leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall be two in one flesh.”
32 This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church.
33 Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular love his wife as himself; and let the wife fear her husband.
The Apostle exhorted the Ephesians above to love their wives. He did this in two ways: both by offering the example of Christ’s love for the Church, and by the love a man has for himself (5:25), now he gives a third encouragement drawn from the authority of Scripture. Regarding this he does three things:
First, he brings in the authoritative text.
Secondly, he explains it mystically (5:32).
Thirdly, he adapts it according to its literal meaning to the case in question (5:33).
The authoritative text is Genesis 2 (24); words spoken by Adam when be saw his wife who had been formed from his rib. Yet does not this contradict Matthew 19 (4-5) which states that God himself spoke these words? I reply that Adam spoke them as inspired by God, and God spoke them insofar as he was inspiring and teaching Adam. We use the same expressions; there are many words which the Lord spoke by those whom the spirit of God instructed; so Matthew 10 (20) affirms: “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaks in you.”
It should be noted that in the above mentioned authority a threefold union of a man and wife is designated. The first union is through the devotion of their love, for it is strong enough in each that they both left their fathers behind. “So a man loves his wife better than his father or mother. Many have lost their heads completely for their wives” (3 Esd. 4:25-26), and much more concerning this is stated there [in 3 Esd. 4]. But this is natural, for natural desires fit in harmoniously with actions that must be performed. It is evident that a desire exists in all higher agents that they administer to, and communicate with, lower agents. Thus a natural love for the lower is present in them. Now a man is an inferior in relation to his father and mother, he is not higher than they; hence he is naturally more drawn towards his wife and children, to whom he is superior, than to his parents. And also because his wife is intimately united to him in the act of procreation.
The second union is through living together. Thus he says and he shall cleave to his wife . “With three things my spirit is pleased, which are approved before God and men: the concord of brethren, and the love of neighbors, and man and wife that agree well together” (Sirach 25:1-2).
The third is their carnal union— and they shall be two in one flesh , that is, in their carnal intercourse. For in any act of generation there is an active and a passive power. In plants both powers are in the same [plant], but in the perfect animals they are distinguished. And hence in the act of generation among animals the male and female become, as in plants, only one and the same body.158
He goes on to interpret this mystically, and he says This is a great sacrament , it is the symbol of a sacred reality, namely, the union of Christ and the Church. “I will not hide from you the mysteries of God” (Wis. 6:24).
Notice here that four Sacraments are termed great. Baptism by reason of its effect, since it blots out sin and opens the gate of paradise; Confirmation by reason of its minister, it is conferred only by bishops and not by others; the Eucharist because of what it contains, the Whole Christ; and Matrimony by reason of its signification, for it symbolizes the union of Christ and the Church. If, therefore, the text is mystically interpreted, the preceding passage should be explained as follows: For this cause shall a man , namely, Christ, leave his father and mother . I say leave his father , because he was sent into the world and became incarnate—“I came forth from the Father and am come into the world” (Jn. 16:28)— and his mother who was the synagogue—“I have forsaken my house, I have left my inheritance, I have given my dear soul into the hand of her enemies” (Jer. 12:7). And he shall cleave to his wife , the Church. “Behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” (Mt. 28:20).
Next, the point is argued by interpreting the above example according to its literal meaning. For there are certain passages in the Old Testament which can be said only of Christ. For instance, Psalm 21 (17): “They have dug my hands and feet: they have numbered all my bones”; or Isaias 7 (14): “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son; and his name shall be called Emmanuel.” Other passages, however, can be explained as referring to Christ and others; to Christ principally, and to others as they were types of Christ. The above example (Gen. 2:24) is of this category.
Thus it must first be interpreted in reference to Christ, and afterwards concerning others. Hence he says Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular love his wife , as though he asserted: The above example is principally related of Christ, but not only about him since it must be interpreted and fulfilled in other persons as types of Christ.” He states as himself because, just as everyone loves himself in relation to God, so he ought to love his wife in this way, and not inasmuch as she draws him into sin. “If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother and wife... he cannot be my disciple” (Lk. 14:26). But what about the wife? And let the wife fear her husband , with the fear of reverence and submission since she must be subject to him.