How is Christ related to the church and husbands related to wives in Paul's comparison?
Paul compares Christ and the church to a husband and wife because their relationship is perfectly synonymous. Christ is to the church what a husband is to his wife, and the husband-wife relationship corresponds to Christ and the church. Paul repeatedly moves between both pairs to show this parallel, corresponding relationship.
Les teaches that in this series of verses Paul constantly flips back and forth between Christ and the church, and the husband and the wife. The reason is that it is a perfect, synonymous relationship: Christ is the same to us as the husband is to the wife, and the husband and wife relationship is the same as Christ and the church. Les also notes that Peter does not bring any of this into chapter 2, because the Lord had not yet revealed all this to Peter; it was still waiting out in the wings.
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
More Questions
Why does Paul keep flipping back and forth between Christ and the church and husband and wife in Ephesians 5?
In the Ephesians passage Paul keeps going back and forth between Christ and the church and husband and wife because the two relationships are a perfect, synonymous relationship.