The next thing Paul does is apply this general exhortation, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God, to five specific relationships, and in this way shows how submitting to one another works in these relationships.
He begins with the wives.
5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in every thing.
As you can see, he uses the same word: in v 21 it is translated submitting, in v 22 submit, and in v 24 subject, but it is the same word. Loosely defined, it means to come under the authority of someone. Whose authority? The husband. For the husband is the head of the wife. He compares the relationship of the wife with the husband to that of the church with Christ. As the church submits to Christ, the wife is to submit to her husband.
Next he addresses the husbands.
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is how men submit to their wives – they love them. But what a charge is given to the men: love your wives as Christ loved the church!! Wow! Talk about a command that is too difficult to observe! Then he elaborates, So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. Love your wife as you love your own body: nourish and cherish her.
He goes on:
5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife [see] that she reverence [her] husband.
He is really telling us something wonderful about Christ and the church, but there is a truth that works in the home, Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Notice, Paul adds a new layer to this, “let...the wife see that she reverence her husband.” The husband is to love his wife like he loves himself and the wife is to reverence her husband. I have a feeling home life would be a lot different if husbands and wives lived like this.
But, and this is something to make a note of in all CAPITAL letters – When he says, wives submit to your husbands, he is not speaking to the husband; the wife’s progress in submission is none of the husband’s business, except perhaps in prayer. And when he says, husbands love your wives, he is not speaking to the wife; the husband’s progress in loving his wife is none of the wife’s business, except perhaps in prayer. And I have a feeling that loving my wife as Christ loved the church will occupy all my attention and energy.
But he continues:
6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
How do children submit to their parents? By obeying their parents.
6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
How do fathers submit to their children? Notice first how we have turned this around, we say the mother is responsible for training the children, but he places the burden on dad. And he says dads are not to provoke their children to wrath, but instead to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This is rich.
6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether [he be] bond or free.
And servants? Obey your masters, as if you were serving Christ. I think this is cool, wives are instructed to submit, not to obey, children and servants are instructed to obey, not merely to submit. It’s relationship. Wives are not children or servants.
6:9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
And even masters submit to their servants! How? Treating them with respect and dignity.
Paul sets forth the following truths
1. Christ is the head of the church, and the savior of the body.
2. The church is to submit to Christ
3. Wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.
4. The husband is the head of the wife.
5. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church.
6. Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. This is a great mystery.
7. The husband is to love his wife as his own body, as himself.
8. The wife is to reverence her husband.
Submission is not an ugly or scary thing, it is a part of God’s order, and produces harmony. But, those who are committed to the idea that their will should reign supreme and unchallenged will hate this message. There is so much more that needs to be said about how this works day in and day out, but my point was simply this, The Bible does indeed teach that the wife is to submit to her husband. But as a husband, I gotta say, I’m thinking I will be rather preoccupied with, “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies, nourishing and cherishing her.”
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| A happy home is one in which both husband and wife are willing to wash one another's feet |
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