Sounds good, yes? Let’s be honest, though: Interpersonal give and take can be a sore spot if we don’t humbly acknowledge our similarities along with our differences. For in addition to everything else marriage means for a man and a woman, it has a deep spiritual significance - an eternal and cosmic significance … At the very highest level, it functions as an unparalleled working image of the seeking and saving Love of our Creator and Savior - the Love that compels Him to unite Himself to His people in a mystical bond of eternal fellowship and never-ending interpersonal give and take. The union represented may be one of the greatest miracles in all of creation. This is what Paul has in mind when he says, “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior” ( Ephesians 5:23, ESV). The relationship isn’t of master to servant it’s of lover and beloved.Īs Lord of the Church, Jesus has given up His life in exchange for the life of His Bride. The apostle Paul also compares marriage to the connection between Christ and the Church.

For example, Jesus clearly spoke of Himself as being equal with God ( John 5:18) - and then He said, “The Father is greater than I” ( John 14:28, ESV). At the same time, there’s a certain hierarchy in their unity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are fully equal in the sense that all three are God. We find diversity within unity in both the three-in-one bond of the Trinity and in the one-flesh union between a husband and wife. Submission points to the spiritual significance of marriage

Recognize that biblical submission and biblical leadership complement each other.

Embrace the differences that do exist between women and men.

Debunk the myth that women are inferior to men.

Understand the spiritual significance of marriage.

Nevertheless, we can build a solid framework with basic awareness of four areas: The topic of submission in marriage is too broad to cover completely in one article.

When a husband submits to the Lord, leading his wife with a servant’s heart and nurturing her God-given talents, she can confidently submit to him - lean on him and trust his covering. Add in our Western culture - where a me-focused lifestyle is easy to come by - and the internal and external conflict you described is real.Ī closer look at Scripture, though, shows the full picture of marriage: a relationship that mirrors the love between Christ and His Church. It’s a touchy subject, not least because it’s often misunderstood as being sexist or no-matter-what obedience. You’re not alone in wondering how to interpret biblical submission in marriage when the Bible says “wives submit to your husband”.

Scriptures on husbands