Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. Ephesians 6:25-28
Is Paul really saying a husband is to cleanse his wife by the water of the word? Or is that just an example of how Christ loves his bride the church and not a literal example for husbands to follow? If it is literal, what if the wife is an unbeliever who doesn't want to hear the word?