Ephesians 5 tells me that it's my responsibility to wash my wife with the Word. Hmmm, that's interesting. But what does that mean? Am I to read her Scripture?
After many years of thought, I'm getting closer, I think, to a right interpretation. To unpack the interpretation, I must first begin with what Jesus did for me. As the incarnate Torah (Word of God), Jesus bound (obligated) me to Torah and loosed (un-obligated) me via his reconciling death on the cross. In this way, Jesus did not excuse my sin (he deemed me a sinner: that is, he bound me to Torah). Yet, at the same time, he washed me in his blood (he deemed me righteous: that is, he freed me of my transgressions).
Now, what I'm about to write is really important, so follow closely. Loosing does not negate the binding. In other words, just because there's forgiveness doesn't mean we throw the standards out the window; those are still in effect. Thus, herein lays the beauty. Jesus washes me in the Word by simultaneously holding me accountable to the Law while freeing me from any infractions. Amazing.
In this way, I am to wash my wife in the Word. As a husband, it is my responsibility to instruct her in the way of Jesus (i.e., bind her to Torah), but I am also to compensate for her weaknesses, which often causes me to have to die to self (i.e., I loose her).
In my best estimation, in Ephesians 5 the Apostle Paul is simply extending the way all Christians should treat each other to the "mystery" of marriage...because, in verse 32, Paul does a switch-a-roo and acknowledges, See what I'm talking about? I'm talking about how Jesus binds his bride to Torah and looses her via his death.
So, that's the way it is with fellow believers. We offend and forgive. We offend in that we are holding our brothers and sisters accountable to God's standards, but we simultaneously forgive. We bind. We loose. It's beautiful. It's biblical.