‘Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for it, that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.'
Although Paul is strictly supposed to be talking about the husband/wife relationship he takes the opportunity of his analogy to bring home some theological lessons, and these soon take over. Here Christ is described as loving the church as the husband should love his wife. There is not strictly a bridegroom analogy. What bridegroom dies for his bride before marrying her? And what bridegroom washes his bride in preparation for the wedding and provides her beauty treatment? He would soon be sent packing! Christ is shown here to be even more than a husband (and certainly more than a bridegroom). He is Saviour, husband, attendant, ladies' maid, beauty expert and everything. He is depicted as the Carer and Nourisher supreme. Contrast this with Revelation 19:7 where the bride makes herself ready! There the thought was of the works of righteousness which result from the Saviour's saving work. So to His people He is not just the bridegroom, He is all in all, and here we see the Godward side of His working.
‘As Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for it, that He might sanctify it, having cleansed it with the washing of water with the word.' Here He is acting as ‘Saviour of the body' (Ephesians 5:23). His motive is love, and the price paid is Himself. ‘He gave Himself up' for His people (see Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:15; Romans 3:24-25; Romans 8:3 and often). The result is then His continued saving activity as He first washes them with the washing of water with the word (compare 1 Corinthians 1:17-18) and then sanctifies them.
‘He gave Himself up for it.' Voluntarily humbling Himself (Philippians 2:5-8), and suffering death on their behalf. Always, as with Israel when salvation is spoken of, it is ‘the true church' that is in mind, that which is made up of all those who are truly responsive to Christ.
‘That He might sanctify it.' The verb is aorist representing something done once for all. His people are ‘set apart' as His own once and for all, as ‘holy' to God and to Himself (each as they respond), and then go through the process of being made perfect before Him.
‘Having cleansed it with the washing of water with the word.' It is not baptism that washes, but the application of the word, the preaching of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18) (baptism symbolises the life-giving rains from Heaven, representing the Holy Spirit, rather than washing). Compare ‘of His own will He brought us into life by the word of truth' (James 1:18). This is quite clear here. Reference to ‘the word' refers overwhelmingly to the preached word. Had baptism been in mind he would have said so.
Note. It is a mistake to equate washing with baptism. It is true that the idea of the new birth is related to washing, ‘the washing of new birth (regeneration)', in Titus 3:5, but even there it is not directly connected to baptism. The idea there is of spiritual renewal as being like the ‘washing' of rain that regenerates the earth. Indeed Peter specifically warns us not to relate baptism to washing. He says that ‘it is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh' (1 Peter 3:21) precisely because some were seeing it in that way. Rather, he says, it is ‘the appeal of a good conscience towards God (a baptism of repentance and faith) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ'. In other words the emphasis in baptism is on new life.
This is possibly also what Ananias meant in Acts 22:16, although he does relate washing there indirectly to baptism. But he uses 'apolouo which is used only once in LXX, and that of washing in the snow (Job 9:30) (thus what comes directly from the heavens) as opposed to louo which is used for ritual washing. Thus even here he does not relate baptism to ritual washing. Apart from this possible reference baptism is never spoken of in terms of ‘washing' in the New Testament. That is mainly a later idea. Baptism rather represents the coming of the Holy Spirit like rain from heaven, producing grain and fruit and good trees, and new life out of death, and providing spiritual water to drink.
End of note.
However, there are no grounds for referring to baptismal formulae here in Ephesians. That is a mere invention of fertile (and sacerdotal) minds. Of course those who always see any mention of water as referring directly to baptism will see baptism here but that is not sound exegesis. The washing here refers to the purifying activity of the word of God.
‘That He might present the church to Himself, a glorious one, not having spot, or wrinkle or any such thing.' Having washed, cleansed and sanctified His people He will remove every blemish so that He can receive His church as fit to bring before God. Every spot or wrinkle or blemish will be done away (see Ephesians 1:4 where this was promised as part of His plan). Through His sacrifice on the cross we will be presented ‘holy, and without blemish and unreproveable before Him' (Colossians 1:22 compare Jude 1:24).
This is often interpreted as signifying that He presents herself to Him as His bride, but this is nowhere clearly suggested and the comparison is more of a husband to a wife all the way through. A bridegroom is not noted for having nourished and cared for his bride until after the wedding. Even then the comparison is indirect. The church is never spoken of in this passage as His wife or His bride. The emphasis is rather on His Headship, and on the loving relationship revealed by His expressed care and concern, and the great efforts He makes for the well-being of His church, the same care and concern that a husband should have for his wife (in general, not in detail).