Marriage, as ordained by God, reflects a profound relationship patterned after Christ's bond with the church. The roles of husbands and wives embody God's ideal, emphasizing a complementary dynamic where each supports the other. The wife is designed to be a helper comparable to the husband, balancing the marriage relationship by making up for deficiencies and harmonizing as one flesh. Her role involves submission, not as a slave, but as an expression of her duty to the Lord, submitting to her husband as part of her Christian behavior to please God. This submission is rooted in the order of creation, where the husband is established as the head of the wife, responsible for leadership and family decisions, while the wife aids and supports him in fulfilling God's design. The complementary nature of marriage was distorted by sin, leading to conflict and struggle for leadership between husband and wife. This distortion manifests as excessive desire on the wife's part to oppose and assert control, and as domineering rule on the husband's part, abandoning his God-given role to lead and care. Despite this, the fundamental teaching remains that the husband is to be the head, endowed with faculties to fulfill this role, while the wife complements him, helping him function according to God's will. Both are called to live to the glory of God, with the wife rejoicing in her position as a comparable helper, and the husband respecting and honoring her distinct nature, ensuring a partnership that reflects God's ordinance.

Human marriage should be viewed from God's perspective, modeled after the profound relationship between Christ and His Bride, the Church. Jesus Christ serves as the perfect Bridegroom, setting the supreme standard for husbands to emulate in their marriages. Wives, like the spiritual Bride of Christ, must seek guidance from God's inspired word to foster the right perspective and relationship with their husbands. The love, joy, and peace essential for a successful Christian marriage are attainable only through God's Spirit, as both husband and wife remain teachable, obedient, and submissive in their intimate connection with the Father and Christ. Through the design of human marriage and family, God provides a workshop to understand how His family operates, revealing the dynamics of family relationships, hierarchy, and the responsibilities of each member. The mystery of Christ and the Church, described as great and profound, illuminates the spiritual union that mirrors the union between husband and wife. This mutual enlightenment shows that understanding the spiritual bond between Christ and the Church enhances comprehension of human marriage, while the human union offers insight into the divine relationship. Christian marriage is deemed the most precious human relationship, comprehensible only through the revelation of Christ's bond with the Church. The concept of "one flesh" underscores this unity, illustrating that a husband and wife are so closely united that they nourish and cherish each other as part of themselves, reflecting how Christ nourishes the Church. This union, sacred and sanctified by God, is designed for mutual satisfaction and delight, emphasizing a deep, spiritual oneness. The Church is portrayed as the fullness of Christ, completing Him in a unique sense, just as a wife completes her husband. As Adam was incomplete without Eve, who was taken from his substance, so Christ, in His role as Mediator, considers Himself incomplete until united with His Bride, the Church. This mutual completion highlights the sacredness of marriage, portraying the Church as part of Christ's very body, flesh, and bones, derived from Him through a divine operation akin to the creation of Eve from Adam. Ultimately, the relationship between husband and wife parallels the eternal bond between Christ and the Church, with husbands called to love their wives sacrificially as Christ loves the Church, and wives to respect their husbands as the Church reveres Christ. This divine analogy elevates marriage to a serious responsibility, reflecting the extraordinary unity and oneness that exists in the spiritual marriage of Christ and His Bride.

God established marriage from the beginning of human creation, declaring it is not good for man to be alone and creating a helper comparable to him. He brought Eve to Adam, pronouncing the first marriage union in history, joining the couple together. The relationship between husband and wife mirrors that of Christ and His church, becoming one flesh, one body, as taught by Jesus Christ. Husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies, just as Christ loves the church as His own body. The husband is head of the wife, reflecting the order of creation and paralleling Christ as head of the church. This relationship emphasizes a vital, organic unity, where the wife complements the husband, forming a wholeness akin to the body and head. They are not separate entities in tension but are united, with differing functions yet coordinated in action. The wife is not inferior but holds a position of honor, and the husband is to nourish, cherish, love, and respect her. The wife is to submit to her husband as the church submits to Christ, not acting independently or before him on major issues, nor delaying or refusing action, to avoid chaos in the marriage. This submission is not mere passivity but a coordinated effort under the husband's leadership. The husband, in turn, acts as a provider and protector, nourishing and cherishing his wife as he does his own body, safeguarding her from harm. Husbands and wives belong to each other, with mutual authority over each other's bodies, ensuring they meet each other's needs without neglect. Their unity is both physical and spiritual, achieved by obeying Christ's instructions on love. They are to dwell together in peace, striving for unity as best friends, communicating constantly, and building their friendship through teamwork and sacrifice, which pleases God. Christian marriage reflects the relationship between Christ and the church, requiring oneness of purpose in serving God. Marital problems often stem from breaking spiritual laws, necessitating repentance and humility. By submitting to God and each other in love, husbands and wives can weather life's storms, filling their homes with the fruit of God's Spirit.

The happiness of society hinges on a proper understanding of the marriage relationship, as it shapes all other relationships and sources of joy. In God's design, the wife holds a subordinate yet comparable role to the husband, fulfilling her responsibilities with a willing attitude, acting promptly on her husband's wishes. A husband must never demand anything improper from his wife, should consider her desires, and, unless they are wrong, let them guide his decisions in the family, fostering marital unity. He is to love his wife as Christ loved the church, willing to sacrifice himself to ensure her happiness, to care for her in sickness, and even risk his life for her welfare. He must recognize her unique claim on him, as she left her family, entrusted her honor and happiness to him, and merged her identity with his. In return, he owes her love and the effort to make her happy, as this is what she sought in marrying him and what sustains her through life's trials. Unity is the central principle in marriage, akin to the unity between a man and his own body and the spiritual union between Christ and His church. A lack of understanding of this unity leads to broken vows and conflicts, as individuals assert their rights rather than embracing oneness. A husband must leave his father and mother to form a new, intimate unity with his wife, prioritizing this bond over previous familial ties. This shift requires a mental and spiritual adjustment for both partners and their families, recognizing the new family unit with the husband as its head. Interference from parents or failure to adjust to this new unity disrupts the marriage. Both husband and wife must realize they are no longer what they were, entering a relationship that takes precedence over all other human connections. The husband is called to love his wife as himself, avoiding harshness or dominance, reflecting a spirit of kindness in the home. The wife, in turn, must respect her husband with reverential deference, recognizing him as the head of their unit, much as she once deferred to her parents. This deference must not be swayed by external criticism or misunderstanding, even from her husband, as she is to maintain this attitude steadfastly. Both partners must cultivate mutual kindness and excellence of character, avoiding behaviors that alienate affection, such as irritability or neglect. Marital happiness thrives on ongoing small acts of gentleness and love, underpinned by unity and submission, ensuring a harmonious and enduring bond.