Submission Part 3

Today I walked down the street and no one started throwing rocks at me. I guess that is a good sign that hardly any one actually reads my blog. Oh well. I guess that gives me the freedom to think through writing without criticism. Or perhaps none of my friends who are feminist,s fighting for human rights, reads my blog, because, as of yet, my posts look rather bleak, putting women in a place under that of men. But it really isn't my intentions to say that. Although the Bible does give clear instructions for a model family and church the command to submit isn't truly to women so much as it is to all Christians.

Ephesians 5:21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

The first part “be subject to one another” paints a confusing picture of the members of the church or members of an individual family constantly saying to one another “What would you like me to say?” “What do you think we should do?” “What direction do you think the church/family should go in?” but then the following verses go on to explain how this command can be manifested in an orderly fashion.

Wives are to be under the headship, that is authority, of their husbands v 5:22
Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church v 5:25
Children are to obey their parents v 6:1
Parents by not provoking their children v 6:4
Slaves are to obey their masters v 6:5
Masters are not to threaten v 6:9

The second part of the verse “in the fear of Christ.” is the motivation for all of these things. That word could also be “reverence”. We do these things to honor Christ. It isn't because Paul, the author of Ephesians, decided to make a bunch of rules; it isn't because certain people are privileged more than others; or the church decided to make random declarations. No, it is because it is in reverence of Christ that we follow this model given. Now, it should be taken note that the manifestation of this model will look different in different stages in life and in different families. For example provoking may be one thing to one child while another child would be provoked by something completely different.

A note should also be made that the command of headship and authority is not given to the husbands. The verses do not command husbands to be the authority or head over their wives. No, husbands are apparently passive in this part. It is the wife who is to put herself under his leadership and the command to husbands is to love.