Disclaimer: I am not trained member of the clergy, these are just my thoughts.
With the release of the Netflix Documentary The Preacher’s Wife there has been lot’s of talk about certain sects of Christianity preaching biblical proof that wives should submit to their husbands. This is both wrong and of course dangerous to women in these churches. This sort of perversion of the world of God is why sometimes it’s easier to not identify as a Christian. How could God be such a misogynist? How could God subjugate half of his people?
God loves all his people. Man, Woman, and none of the above.
The problem is there are some men who are threatened by women. They see the strength women exude with all they do and are scared. These men see the women’s liberation movement in the early 20th century as a threat and not what it actually was: righting the wrong of history.
It seems to me these men hide behind a bible verse from Ephesians 5. Verses 22-24 instructs women to submit to their husbands as you do the Lord. It further states the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. These men are missing context, shocker.
Ephesians 5-21 says “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (NIV). Be subject to one another. Serve one another. The introduction to this section is telling us to serve each other in the name of Christ. Be subject to each other. This is a biblical way of saying “relationships are partnerships”, the writers of Bible didn’t have the world partnership to describe relationships.
Moving on to Ephesians 5:25-33 Paul tells Men to love their wives as Christ loved his church. Give yourself to your wife as Christ gave himself up for the Church. This once again instructs us to serve one another. Men here are instructed to give yourself fully to their wife.
Reading the bible and taking each word as literal instructions on how to live your life is not viable in this modern world. The Bible was written for it’s time, in that time right or wrong men were in charge. I would say it was just as wrong then as it is now. Paul wrote to an audience that knew nothing other than men being in charge. Also, this is just Paul talking. This is not Paul quoting Christ.
Unfortunately it’s easy for men with backwards ideas of what marriage is to pervert the word of God for their own gains. Making your wives submit in the name of God is nothing short of blasphemy and I pray the purveyors of this perversion repent and change their ways.
Living with your significant other as a partnership is the most Christlike thing you can do. Lean on each other. Be the biggest cheerleader of each other. Check your ego at the transom of your house. Submit to one another. Lead each other. A relationship built on this will allow each person to thrive. That’s what God wants for his people.
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