In later centuries, perhaps even back to the date of Paul’s writing, there is a specific tradition of ritual immersion that took place before a wedding. The bride would be immersed in water to be ceremonially cleansed for her husband and the upcoming bridal ceremony. If Paul was indeed aware of this, it could add an interesting insight into his parallel to the baptismal cleansing of the church. The “through the word” passage below uses a different term, one which refers to the spoken word (rhemati) and not an idea or concept (logos).

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Ephesisans 5:25-32

So the washing, care, and feeding one does for his own body are both practical and religious, material and symbolic. In the same way, baptism and partaking in Jesus’ love for us are not just emotional, psychological and intellectual but physical and spiritual. Our washing and communion with Jesus take place not only as outward signs and ritual but as inner meditation and physical interaction. We are immersed in real water, eat real bread and drink of the real cup, but participate in Truth in his burial through baptism and partake of the meal he shared with the disciples in the upper room with the communion elements.

We leave this worldly family, our “father and mother” and are joined “in the flesh” to the body of Christ. This is the mystery which has now been revealed. We have been washed for the marriage, all that is left is to remain faithful.

Ethan Kirl