Okay, I recognize that a few people may get fired up by the title of this. But I wanted to write about submission-- specifically in the case of wives. There are a few topics that I feel like God has been teaching me about them, over a period of years. Submission is one of those. (The title was just for fun.)
Let’s look at some verses that many people shy away from.
Eph 5:22-24 - Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
1Pe 3:1-6 - Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
Col 3:18 - Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Wives, submit to your own husbands. Wives, be submissive to your own husbands. Wives, submit to your own husbands.
First, I want to point out one thing before tackling the “submit” part. As a wife, I am called to be submissive to MY HUSBAND. If God called me to submit to every man on this planet, God would have said so in His Word. Okay… now that we have that covered, let’s move on.
SUBMIT. In Strong’s Concordance it says, “This word was a Greek military term meaning ’to arrange troop divisions in a military fashion under the command of a leader’. In non-military use, it was ‘a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden’.”
When I married my husband, I joined ranks. Just like any military, there are rankings. Those rankings are to prevent chaos, and to create and establish clear lines of communication and authority. Just like Jesus and the Holy Spirit choose to submit to the Father, the body of Christ must choose to submit to Jesus, the head of the church. And just like those, I as a wife, must choose to submit to my husband.
Choosing to submit does not mean I am less important, less of a child of God, less intelligent or less spiritual. Choosing to submit means that I will come under the order of a marriage relationship that GOD has set up. It means that I can disagree. I can suggest another way of doing things to my husband. But when it comes down to decision time, I must respect the rankings that God has put forth. When it’s time to make the decision, I allow my husband’s decision to stand. He will be responsible before God for our family as the priest of our home.
If an officer higher than you calls the shots, you listen and you obey. If they were wrong, they will be accountable to their presiding officer. But you will be accountable if you are disobedient. That is how I see submission.
Some have taught submission by just putting it in the context that we should all be submitting to one another anyways (Eph. 5:21). I completely agree we should all be submitting one to another. Here’s my problem with that though, in the context of marriage. I am called as a wife to submit and be subject to my husband. My husband is called to love me. But God set forth the order of submission because when a decision must be made, I need to submit to my husband’s authority. If everyone in the military submitted to everyone, it might be a little confusing who to take orders from. So yes, we should all submit to one another in love and servanthood. But in the context of marriage, a wife is told to submit to her husband. If you don’t like it, sorry – deal with it. Otherwise, you’ll be in direct disobedience to God.
I recognize that this is unpopular and foreign in a women’s rights world. But this is the way that God set it up. Period.
Let’s look at some verses that many people shy away from.
Eph 5:22-24 - Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
1Pe 3:1-6 - Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
Col 3:18 - Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Wives, submit to your own husbands. Wives, be submissive to your own husbands. Wives, submit to your own husbands.
First, I want to point out one thing before tackling the “submit” part. As a wife, I am called to be submissive to MY HUSBAND. If God called me to submit to every man on this planet, God would have said so in His Word. Okay… now that we have that covered, let’s move on.
SUBMIT. In Strong’s Concordance it says, “This word was a Greek military term meaning ’to arrange troop divisions in a military fashion under the command of a leader’. In non-military use, it was ‘a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden’.”
When I married my husband, I joined ranks. Just like any military, there are rankings. Those rankings are to prevent chaos, and to create and establish clear lines of communication and authority. Just like Jesus and the Holy Spirit choose to submit to the Father, the body of Christ must choose to submit to Jesus, the head of the church. And just like those, I as a wife, must choose to submit to my husband.
Choosing to submit does not mean I am less important, less of a child of God, less intelligent or less spiritual. Choosing to submit means that I will come under the order of a marriage relationship that GOD has set up. It means that I can disagree. I can suggest another way of doing things to my husband. But when it comes down to decision time, I must respect the rankings that God has put forth. When it’s time to make the decision, I allow my husband’s decision to stand. He will be responsible before God for our family as the priest of our home.
If an officer higher than you calls the shots, you listen and you obey. If they were wrong, they will be accountable to their presiding officer. But you will be accountable if you are disobedient. That is how I see submission.
Some have taught submission by just putting it in the context that we should all be submitting to one another anyways (Eph. 5:21). I completely agree we should all be submitting one to another. Here’s my problem with that though, in the context of marriage. I am called as a wife to submit and be subject to my husband. My husband is called to love me. But God set forth the order of submission because when a decision must be made, I need to submit to my husband’s authority. If everyone in the military submitted to everyone, it might be a little confusing who to take orders from. So yes, we should all submit to one another in love and servanthood. But in the context of marriage, a wife is told to submit to her husband. If you don’t like it, sorry – deal with it. Otherwise, you’ll be in direct disobedience to God.
I recognize that this is unpopular and foreign in a women’s rights world. But this is the way that God set it up. Period.
Comments
I once heard that the degree of submissiveness a woman is in her marriage mirrors the degree she is submitted to Christ. Harsh and cold statement but I believe it to be true. Thank you for being a Godly example of a Godly wife to so many.