in a sacrificial way; rather he refers to an essential aspect of the husband’s role as “head,” which results in unity. It is important to see the role of Christian marriage in God’s intended purposes for the church. It has been argued that Eph. 5 was designed to present a good witness for the Christian community in a society in which non-Christian husbands expected their wives to be subordinate. In this understanding, Paul appears to uphold the patriarchal order, but not for the purpose of proclaiming