What is the analogy between Christ and the church in Ephesians?
In Ephesians, marriage serves as the analogy: the husband is head and is commanded to love his wife as Christ loved the church, while Christ is head and Savior of the body, the church. The wife's God-given response pictures the church's response to Christ.
Les explains that Ephesians uses the husband-wife relationship as a constant analogy of Christ and the church. The husband is commanded to love his wife even as Christ loved the church; this is a biblical commandment, not only the Ten Commandments. God never commanded the wife to love the husband, but created within the woman a responder, so the marriage works when the husband loves and the wife responds. In the same way, Christ is the head of the church and the Savior of the body, the body of Christ. Les also points to Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 12: the human body is one with many members, and by one Spirit all believers are baptized into Christ's body.