Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church…so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Ephesians 5:21-33
It is common, today, to talk generically about “relationships” and “parents.” Softer language about marriage and child rearing represents a softening of biblical beliefs. We speak ambiguously of humans doing tasks any human can do instead of speaking of husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, manhood and womanhood. Scripture speaks quite clearly upon the home and our bodily identity. In our verses today, nowhere is this truer or clearer regarding marriage. Paul lays out the roles of husbands and wives and this text has been under fire since, especially in our time. The authority-submission structure of marriage is immutable in God’s Kingdom here on earth. The covenantal union of marriage and human sexuality have definite texture and shape. The man is called to a leadership role in marriage. He is the “head” of his wife, with God-given authority to lead the union and children of that union. Leadership for the husband is sacrificial leadership, modeled by the God-man Jesus Christ. Wives are called to joyfully yield to this leadership. Husband and wife are to respect and build up one another. Because of our sinful inclinations, no man comes even close to being the perfect leader. Humble men married to godly, loving women will grow over the years as the Holy Spirit works in their hearts. The wife’s gentle spirit and trusting heart plays a key role. The wife’s posture of submission displays the core teachings of the church to Christ. The church loves Christ. It does not battle or undermine Him. It celebrates His goodness and finds happiness in His devotion. We can see the interplay of authority and submission even in the Godhead. Christ submits to the will of His Father, His head. Scripture tells us that submission is not damaging, problematic, or unkind. It is the just response to proper authority. But today, humanity is encouraged to think otherwise. We hear from the world that to rebel is to live, and to cast off all restraints is to thrive. However, Christian faith is simply submitting to God, coming under His ruler-ship (Sovereignty), and fulfilling our role in His kingdom. All believers, married or single, are subjects of God’s sovereign rule. Relationships, spouses, and parents are not evil in their usage because these biblical words carry precious truths. Each of us is either a man or a woman. If called to marriage, each of us becomes a husband or a wife. If given the gift of children, each of us becomes a father or a mother. In our marriages, we practice authority and submission. We do so with joy in God and love for one another. No human mind “invented” marriage. God gave humanity sexual differences and marriage and called it holy. Holy matrimony shows the world covenantal love that transcends even the wildest hopes of the human heart.
Source: S C Ball February 5, 2024
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