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To: LearsFool

“What about women who aren’t blessed with such wonderful husbands? Are they released from the command to submit?”
In a biblical marriage, submission is an acknowledgement that the husband is the head of the household. It does not mean that a woman has to do things that are ungodly or criminal. It means that she defers to his authority in matters that affect her household. The problem you bring up has more to do with marrying an unbeliever, being unequally yoked. Husbands are commanded to love their wives like themselves as Christ loves His church. That means a husband is willing to give his life for his wife if he is a Christian. Men who boss their wives around and seek to degrade her are not Christian men. Women should be very diligent in selecting a husband, a bossy, jealous man does not love you more, he simply wants to control you. This has nothing whatsoever to do with biblical submission.


18 posted on 08/15/2011 9:35:28 AM PDT by sueuprising (The best of it is, God is with us-John Wesley)
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To: sueuprising
The problem you bring up has more to do with marrying an unbeliever, being unequally yoked.

I hope you're not suggesting that such a case would be an exception to the command to submit to one's husband. That a woman who is "unequally yoked" to an unbelieving husband is exempt from the command to submit to him.

(I'm not talking about the case where he might order her "to do things that are ungodly or criminal", as you said. The answer to that case is clear.)

The original article makes it sound like a wife's submission to her husband's authority is an easy thing, when I'm sure it's quite difficult in many cases. Paul likens the relationship of a wife to her husband with that of the church to Christ. Christians submit to Christ not because He doesn't ask much of us, but because He has authority over us. Not because "I can count on one hand the number of times (Christ) said no", but because His "no" is the final decision. Not because we get our way 99% of the time, but because His way trumps ours 100% of the time. Anything less is not submission.

I am happy to hear that the original author's husband is easy to submit to. After all He did for us, Jesus is often easy to submit to as well - as is a husband who imitates Him. But submission to the authority of another is determined not just when it's easy, but when it's hard as well.

This is why I object to the author painting it as "I get to do what I want 99% of the time". I imagine most women live in far different circumstances. For them, submitting to their husbands is more difficult - but just as right, honorable, and laudable.
22 posted on 08/15/2011 10:24:42 AM PDT by LearsFool ("Thou shouldst not have been old, till thou hadst been wise.")
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