Where Scripture takes it next: household discipleship continues with children and parents and with enslaved people and masters, all placed under the authority of the Lord. Revelation will later bring bride imagery to its consummation in the marriage supper and New Jerusalem.

Evidence boundary: Ephesians 5:26 does not itself explain a complete doctrine of baptismal regeneration, so baptismal imagery should be presented as strong background rather than a shortcut around the wider baptism texts. The wording of verse 22 also has a real textual history. Several important witnesses do not repeat the verb “submit” there, while recent textual criticism has argued that an imperative form may better explain the surviving variants. What is secure is that the household instruction follows directly from the Spirit-filled context of 5:18–21; the manuscript question itself should not be used as a shortcut that settles every later marriage-role debate.