Understanding Biblical Submission in Marriage

 

Summary

In today's exploration of Ephesians 5:22-24, we delve into the profound biblical teaching on marriage, focusing on the concept of submission within the marital relationship. This passage is often misunderstood, so it's crucial to approach it with a spirit of humility and a desire to understand God's design for marriage. The Apostle Paul instructs wives to submit to their husbands as part of their duty to the Lord, not as an act of subservience or inferiority, but as an expression of their devotion to Christ. This submission is not about being a slave to one's husband but is a voluntary act of love and respect, mirroring the relationship between Christ and the Church.

The teaching emphasizes that the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church. This headship is not about dominance but about responsibility and leadership, ordained by God as part of the order of creation. The Apostle Paul draws on the creation narrative to illustrate that man was created first and given authority, with woman created as a helpmeet, complementing and supporting him. This divine order is not a reflection of value or worth but of function and role within the marriage.

Furthermore, the fall of humanity introduced a distortion in these roles, leading to conflict and misunderstanding. However, in Christ, there is a restoration of these roles to their intended purpose. The wife's submission is ultimately to the Lord, and through this, she finds joy and fulfillment. This teaching challenges the prevailing cultural norms and offers a countercultural witness to the world, demonstrating the transformative power of the gospel in every aspect of life, including marriage.

Key Takeaways:

- Submission as Devotion to Christ: Wives are called to submit to their husbands not as an act of subservience but as an expression of their devotion to Christ. This submission is part of their Christian discipleship, done for the Lord's sake, and is a reflection of their desire to please Him. [07:35]

- Order of Creation: The biblical teaching on marriage is rooted in the order of creation, where man was created first and given authority, with woman created as a helpmeet. This order is not about superiority or inferiority but about fulfilling God-given roles. [12:48]

- Restoration through Christ: The fall introduced a distortion in marital roles, but in Christ, there is a restoration to their intended purpose. The wife's submission is ultimately to the Lord, and through this, she finds joy and fulfillment. [21:48]

- Countercultural Witness: The biblical model of marriage offers a countercultural witness to the world, demonstrating the transformative power of the gospel. In a world where authority is often misunderstood, Christian marriages can showcase the beauty of God's design. [10:43]

- Voluntary Submission: Submission in marriage is a voluntary act of love and respect, mirroring the relationship between Christ and the Church. It is not about being a slave but about willingly supporting and complementing one's husband. [36:23]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:08] - Introduction to Ephesians 5:22-24
- [00:35] - The Role of Wives in Marriage
- [01:17] - Understanding Submission
- [02:06] - Authority in the Church
- [03:17] - Submission as a Christian Duty
- [04:18] - The Importance of Motives
- [05:27] - Misunderstandings of Submission
- [06:42] - Submission as Devotion to the Lord
- [08:10] - Pleasing the Lord in Marriage
- [09:26] - A Countercultural Witness
- [11:02] - Reasons for Submission
- [12:10] - Order of Creation
- [13:53] - The Impact of the Fall
- [15:33] - The Role of Men and Women
- [19:57] - The Importance of Headship
- [23:51] - Addressing Common Objections
- [29:08] - The Complementary Role of Women
- [33:17] - Illustrations of Leadership
- [39:29] - The Importance of Biblical Teaching on Marriage

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Ephesians 5:22-24
- Genesis 2:18-24
- Genesis 3:16

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Observation Questions:

1. According to Ephesians 5:22-24, what is the role of the husband in the marital relationship, and how is it compared to Christ's role? [00:35]

2. How does the sermon describe the concept of submission in marriage, and what is its ultimate purpose? [06:42]

3. What does Genesis 3:16 indicate about the changes in marital roles after the fall, and how does this relate to the sermon’s message? [21:48]

4. How does the sermon explain the order of creation and its significance in understanding marital roles? [12:48]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the sermon interpret the phrase "wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord," and what does it suggest about the nature of this submission? [07:35]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the biblical model of marriage offers a countercultural witness to the world? [10:43]

3. How does the sermon address common objections to the concept of submission in marriage, particularly those related to perceived inequality? [23:51]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the restoration of marital roles through Christ, and how does this impact the understanding of submission? [21:48]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your understanding of submission in marriage. How does the sermon challenge or affirm your views, and what steps can you take to align your perspective with the biblical teaching? [06:42]

2. Consider the cultural norms around marriage and authority. How can you and your spouse demonstrate a countercultural witness in your relationship that reflects the transformative power of the gospel? [10:43]

3. The sermon emphasizes voluntary submission as an act of love and respect. How can you practice this in your marriage or relationships, and what specific actions can you take to support and complement your partner? [36:23]

4. How does understanding the order of creation and the roles within marriage influence your approach to leadership and responsibility in your relationship? [12:48]

5. In what ways can you find joy and fulfillment in your role within marriage, as suggested by the sermon, and how can this perspective impact your daily interactions with your spouse? [21:48]

6. Reflect on a time when you or someone you know struggled with the concept of submission in marriage. How can the insights from this sermon guide you in addressing such challenges in the future? [23:51]

7. How can you ensure that your marriage reflects the relationship between Christ and the Church, and what practical steps can you take to strengthen this reflection in your daily life? [06:42]

Devotional

Day 1: Submission as an Act of Worship
Submission in marriage is often misunderstood as a sign of weakness or inferiority. However, Ephesians 5:22-24 presents it as an act of devotion to Christ. Wives are called to submit to their husbands not out of obligation or subservience, but as a reflection of their commitment to the Lord. This submission is a voluntary act of love and respect, mirroring the relationship between Christ and the Church. It is a part of their Christian discipleship, done for the Lord's sake, and is a reflection of their desire to please Him. By understanding submission in this light, it becomes a powerful expression of faith and worship. [07:35]

Ephesians 5:21-22 (ESV): "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord."

Reflection: In what ways can you view submission in your relationships as an act of worship and devotion to Christ today?


Day 2: Embracing God’s Order in Creation
The biblical teaching on marriage is deeply rooted in the order of creation, where man was created first and given authority, with woman created as a helpmeet. This order is not about superiority or inferiority but about fulfilling God-given roles. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church. This headship is about responsibility and leadership, ordained by God as part of the order of creation. Understanding and embracing this divine order allows couples to function in harmony, fulfilling their roles as intended by God. [12:48]

1 Corinthians 11:8-9 (ESV): "For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man."

Reflection: How can you embrace and honor the roles God has designed for you within your relationships today?


Day 3: Restoration of Marital Roles through Christ
The fall of humanity introduced a distortion in marital roles, leading to conflict and misunderstanding. However, in Christ, there is a restoration of these roles to their intended purpose. The wife's submission is ultimately to the Lord, and through this, she finds joy and fulfillment. This restoration is a testament to the transformative power of the gospel, which seeks to heal and restore what was broken. By aligning with God's design, couples can experience a renewed sense of purpose and harmony in their marriage, reflecting the beauty of God's original plan. [21:48]

Colossians 3:18-19 (ESV): "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them."

Reflection: In what ways can you seek Christ's restoration in your marriage or relationships today?


Day 4: A Countercultural Witness through Marriage
The biblical model of marriage offers a countercultural witness to the world, demonstrating the transformative power of the gospel. In a world where authority is often misunderstood, Christian marriages can showcase the beauty of God's design. By living out the principles of love, respect, and submission, couples can provide a powerful testimony of God's love and order. This countercultural approach challenges prevailing cultural norms and offers a glimpse of the kingdom of God at work in everyday life. [10:43]

1 Peter 3:1-2 (ESV): "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct."

Reflection: How can your marriage or relationships serve as a countercultural witness to those around you today?


Day 5: Voluntary Submission as a Reflection of Christ and the Church
Submission in marriage is a voluntary act of love and respect, mirroring the relationship between Christ and the Church. It is not about being a slave but about willingly supporting and complementing one's husband. This mutual respect and love create a harmonious relationship that reflects the unity and love between Christ and His Church. By choosing to submit voluntarily, wives demonstrate a profound understanding of their role and purpose within the marriage, contributing to a loving and supportive partnership. [36:23]

Ephesians 5:25-27 (ESV): "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."

Reflection: What does voluntary submission look like in your life, and how can it reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church today?

Quotes

Wives submit yourselves and your own husband because it is a part of your duty to the Lord because it is an expression on via submission to the mark wives submit yourselves to your own husbands well I'll do it in this way do it as a path of your submission to the Lord. [00:06:46]

If every Christian wife today is concerned above everything else to please the Lord Jesus Christ she will find no difficulty in this paragraph indeed it will be a greatest delight to do what the Apostle tells us here I would go further never perhaps have we as Christian people had a greater opportunity of showing what Christianity really means. [00:08:56]

The first reason that the Apostle gives the wives for submitting themselves unto their own husbands is that this is a part of the order on creation it is a part if you like of God's ordinance of God's decree of God's will of what God has stated with regard to this relationship of men and women. [00:12:39]

The emphasis is put constantly upon the fact that man was created first not the woman you notice how the Apostles use that argument men was created first from which they deduce a priority from it they emphasize the fact also that woman was made out of the men taken out of the men and meant to be a help for men. [00:15:38]

The fall has made a difference indeed Genesis 3:16 does establish that let me read it to you again and to the woman he said now because of what you've done I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception from which one can that adduce the childbirth would probably have been painless where it not for sin and the fall. [00:21:12]

The wife is in this position to be subject to her husband does not mean that she is the slave of her husband it doesn't mean that she is inferior to her husband as such doesn't mean that for a moment we shall see this still more clearly when we come to consider what the Apostle says about the duty of the husband to the wife. [00:29:02]

The woman is different that she is the compliment of the men and that what he does prohibit is that a woman should seek to be manly although the woman should seek to behave as a man or that a woman should seek to usurp the place in the position of the power which have been given to men by God himself. [00:29:35]

The husband is the head he always had to stake the decision she'd supplied him with the reasons she'd shown him what the decision inevitably was but she was acting as a help meet for him she'd got these qualities that he lacked she was complementing she was supplementing she was really doing this very thing and the husband was the head. [00:38:50]

The failure to understand and to implement this very teaching that is causing most of the problems in the world today what is the basic problem in the world today it is the problem of authority the chaos in the world today is due to the fact that people in every relevant Department of life have lost all respect for authority. [00:39:36]

The appalling increase in divorce since the war is due to one thing only that men and women don't understand this scriptural teaching about marriage and about husbands and wives it is also the explanation of the breakdown in family and in home life which is again so obvious at the present time the family is ceasing to be the center that it was. [00:41:00]

The husband is deliberately the cating the position in which God has put him it's happening amongst Christian people but it's happening still more amongst the non-christian the husband is evacuating his own position leaving it in his laziness to the wife this is happening in many directions of course so many Christian people today won't touch politics. [00:43:20]

A matriarchal society with the women as the head and center of the home is a denial of the biblical teaching and is indeed a repetition of the original sin of Eve the problem is of course increasingly being recognized that is why you've got to have marriage guidance counselors and so on that LS how do they approach them they approach them in terms of psychology. [00:45:05]

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Transcript
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