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NASB | Ephesians 5:22 ¶ Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 5:22 ¶ Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as [a service] to the Lord. |
Bible Question:
I do not understand why this paragraph is written. Wifes submiting to their husbands? and on through to Eph 5:22-25. My husband laughs at me...telling me to do things because it is what the church wants (and what the Bible says). I am struggling to explain these verses and the underlying meaning. Being new to Christiananity, I am finding explaining things to my husband regarding the Bible and its scriptures are difficult. Be "submissive" and "adaptive" towards the husband. Adaptive, I understand. However, Submissive? Like not questioning his decisions? Doing what he demands? Me, being second to him? ...no better than just being an object he has to use at will? I do not like arguing, however, this is really frustrating me. How do I properly explain this to my husband in a non-offensive way? |
Bible Answer: Hi, Beka... John Piper and Wayne Grudem gave a good definition in their book, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. They wrote, "Submission refers to a wife's divine calling to honor and affirm her husband's leadership and help carry it through according to her gifts. It is not an absolute surrender of her will. Rather, we speak of her disposition to yield to her husband's guidance and her inclination to follow his leadership." I'd recommend the book, ma'am. In fact, it is available for free at the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood web site: cbmw.org Now in explicit reference to Ephesians, I can sympathize. The last three chapters of the book contain over thirty imperative statements. I used to despair about that, complaining, "Paul, how do you expect me to keep all these rules?" I had missed the point of the first three chapters. You see, there is not a single imperative statement in the first three chapters. They are entirely theological. I did what any good American usually does, thinking "Let me get past all the fluff and down to brass tacks. I want the practical stuff!" What I failed to understand was that theology (what we know and think of God) always comes before obedience (how we walk in His statutes). Ma'am, the reason you are struggling with the imperative to submit to your husband, is that you are coming to that command all geared up with the assumptions and biases of the culture in which you live. When a believer rightly understand what has been accomplished for them and in them by God through Christ, and the equipping power of the Holy Spirit, all those commands are easy! Now, before you can explain anything to someone else, you've got to understand it yourself. Try this: Start out by reading Ephesians all the way through every morning and every evening for a month. Ask the Lord to implant the truth in your heart. Then come back and tell us what you think about your God given roles as a wife. Sometimes you have a sweat a bit to gain the prize of the things that are really worthwhile. In Him, Doc |