We talked about this verse in church this past Sunday and Josh did an excellent job with such a touchy subject. It reminded me of a blog I read a long time ago. You see the trouble really does start with that silly heading that someone put in the bible, and so we immediately jump to verse 22 and think, BOOOO! But the passage actually starts with verse 21. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Bam! Ok, so we both actually have to submit to one another and my husband is not above me ;)
Now let’s look at that whole little passage at once and really take it in:
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is
the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he
is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should
submit to their husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave
himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water
through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without
stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same
way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his
wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds
and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his
body. 31“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to
his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32This is a profound mystery—but I
am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must
love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
I like how Paul gives examples on how to submit to one another. Basically he says, “wives, here is what submission to your husband means in your life” and then “husbands, this is what submission to your wife looks like for you.” And I honestly think the husbands have it a little more tough then we do. Love your wife the same way Christ loves the church. Lay down your life for her. So husbands truly have THE example to look towards. Christ alone. And we all know how incredibly hard it is to imitate Christ in our lives.
So, wives, what exactly does submitting to your husband look like today? It’s really simple. Put him first. Honor and respect him. Encourage him. Lift him up. Stop complaining!!! Even when he’s being an a$$. Seriously! Even when he does not deserve it! What?!?! In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives (1 Peter 3:1). Just think about it. Christ not only submitted to the Father, but he also submitted to wicked and sinful men. He suffered for us! He did not return evil for evil.
And really, the same goes for the husband. What does laying down your life mean? It means putting your wife first. If we would always look at life and marriage this way… just think of how many fights we wouldn’t have.
Why do so many Christians, myself included, refuse to take Paul’s words here seriously? He is not being a chauvinist pig. His teaching is not a reflection of his culture. His teaching is timeless.
Just as Christ is the head of the church, because he has brought it into existence, Adam was the head of his wife, Eve, because she came forth from him and was created for his benefit (1 Corinthians 11:8-9 and Collossians 1:16-18).
So, what are your thoughts on this subject? I’d love to hear your input!
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