Bible Reading
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for 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.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Ephesians 5:22-33
Ephesians 5:22-33
Devotional
Paul brings up a word in this passage that in today's culture, can sound like a curse word. The word is submission. We don't like to submit. It often rubs against our human pride and our sense of independence. But the truth is, everyone submits, whether you like it or not. Even Jesus submitted. And God has set certain structures and circles of authority in our lives that we are meant to submit to in certain circumstances. In the same way, every day, each of us submits to something or someone, whether we like it or not, or whether we realize it or not. We submit to the laws, and when you don't submit to the law, you will have to submit to the local sheriff or judge. You submit to your employer, and when you don't submit to your employer, you will have to submit to the unemployment office. The question is not if you will submit, but rather what or who you will choose to submit to. This idea of submission is woven throughout all of Scripture. Here are just a few New Testament examples and where they are found: Jesus submitted to His parents (Luke 2:51). Demons submitted to the disciples (Luke 10:17). Citizens should submit to authority (Romans 13:1 and 5, Titus 3:1, 1 Peter 2:13). The universe will submit to Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:27 and Ephesians 1:22). Unseen spiritual beings submit to Jesus (1 Peter 3:22). Christians should submit to church leaders (1 Corinthians 16:15-16 and Hebrews 13:17). Wives should submit to husbands (Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:5, 1 Peter 3:5, Ephesians 5:22-24). The church should submit to Jesus (Ephesians 5:24). Servants should submit to masters (Titus 2:9 and 1 Peter 2:18). Christians should submit to God (Hebrews 12:9 and James 4:7).
Paul brings up this topic of submission because he wanted to teach the church what healthy and right submission looked like, while also realizing that there is such a thing as unhealthy and wrong submission, which was prevalent in Roman society. There are things that we as Christians have been taught that we should not submit to throughout all of history like pagan Roman emperors, evil rulers, and terrorists. However, there are structures of submission that are for the good of all, one of them being the family structure. A few things to keep clear are that submission does not make one person possess more value or worth than another. A husband does not hold more worth or value than their wife in the same way a child does not have less worth or value than their parents. Submission does not mean inferiority and submission also does not mean silence. Submission means “sub-mission.” There is a mission for Christian marriage, and that mission is obeying and glorifying God. The wife says, “I’m going to put myself under that mission. That mission is more important than my individual desires. I’m not putting myself below my husband, I’m putting myself below the mission God has for our marriage and for my life." To submit means that you recognize that there is an order of authority and that you are part of a unit, and a team. You as an individual are not more important than the work of that unit or team.
When we submit to God, we recognize God’s authority and act accordingly. When we submit to the police, we recognize the authority of the police and act accordingly. When we submit to our employers, we recognize the authority of our employer and act accordingly. However, If you are not Swedish, you would not submit to the Swedish king or governor because you don't recognize their legitimate authority over you. The fact that Paul says that a wife should submit to her husband is significant. This defines the sphere of a wife’s submission. The Bible never commands the general submission of women to men in society. This order is commanded only in the spheres of the home and the church. And if Paul stopped at Ephesians 5:24, it would be easy for a Christian wife to feel that all the obligations fell on her. Thankfully, Paul continues and shows what obligations a Christian husband also has in marriage; obligations that are greater and even more sacrificial. Both husband and wife are called to die to self. Both husband and wife are called to sacrifice. Both husband and wife are called to see their marriage as a model of Jesus’ relationship with the church. But the husband receives the most difficult job of all, to love his wife like Christ loved the church and gave himself up for it. That is a love that is totally selfless and willing to submit and lay down its life for another. This is the most difficult love of all.
Paul brings up this topic of submission because he wanted to teach the church what healthy and right submission looked like, while also realizing that there is such a thing as unhealthy and wrong submission, which was prevalent in Roman society. There are things that we as Christians have been taught that we should not submit to throughout all of history like pagan Roman emperors, evil rulers, and terrorists. However, there are structures of submission that are for the good of all, one of them being the family structure. A few things to keep clear are that submission does not make one person possess more value or worth than another. A husband does not hold more worth or value than their wife in the same way a child does not have less worth or value than their parents. Submission does not mean inferiority and submission also does not mean silence. Submission means “sub-mission.” There is a mission for Christian marriage, and that mission is obeying and glorifying God. The wife says, “I’m going to put myself under that mission. That mission is more important than my individual desires. I’m not putting myself below my husband, I’m putting myself below the mission God has for our marriage and for my life." To submit means that you recognize that there is an order of authority and that you are part of a unit, and a team. You as an individual are not more important than the work of that unit or team.
When we submit to God, we recognize God’s authority and act accordingly. When we submit to the police, we recognize the authority of the police and act accordingly. When we submit to our employers, we recognize the authority of our employer and act accordingly. However, If you are not Swedish, you would not submit to the Swedish king or governor because you don't recognize their legitimate authority over you. The fact that Paul says that a wife should submit to her husband is significant. This defines the sphere of a wife’s submission. The Bible never commands the general submission of women to men in society. This order is commanded only in the spheres of the home and the church. And if Paul stopped at Ephesians 5:24, it would be easy for a Christian wife to feel that all the obligations fell on her. Thankfully, Paul continues and shows what obligations a Christian husband also has in marriage; obligations that are greater and even more sacrificial. Both husband and wife are called to die to self. Both husband and wife are called to sacrifice. Both husband and wife are called to see their marriage as a model of Jesus’ relationship with the church. But the husband receives the most difficult job of all, to love his wife like Christ loved the church and gave himself up for it. That is a love that is totally selfless and willing to submit and lay down its life for another. This is the most difficult love of all.