The Truth about Submission

I read about a man who walked into a library and asked the librarian for a copy of the book Man, the Master of Woman. Without looking up, the librarian pointed and said, “Sir, the fiction section is in that corner.”

Beginning in 1963, which oddly enough was the year Southern Baptist put together the original seventeen articles of faith contained in The Baptist Faith and Message, there was another publication in America’s secular society called The Feminine Mystique. During this time of revolution and rebellion against every form of authority, there also began a re-examination of the numerous passages in the Bible regarding woman, her femininity, and the woman’s role in the home.

Particular scorn has been heaped upon the word submission. Depending how you look at it, it is either amusing, interesting, surprising, or sad, at all the reaction to Southern Baptist’s first amendment to The Baptist Faith and Message in thirty-five years.

The XVIII Article added to emphasize Southern Baptist’s view on the family has caused more reaction and misunderstanding than all seventeen of the articles of the Baptist Faith and Message.

For instance, (Read the article by Gwen Daye Richardson, editor of Headway Magazine and the quote from The Biblical Recorder)

“Reba Cobb, a member of Crescent Hill Church in Louisville, Ky., and former director of the Center for Women and Children there, told the Louisville Courier-Journal that the position taken by the SBC is similar to the justification used by some men who beat their wives.” (Now we’re being compared to wife-beaters!)

She went on to say, “to focus only on the language about wives submitting sends women a terrible mixed message about what to do when a husband batters them and lends some women to think they have no choice but to submit. And we send a message to the husband that he can do whatever he needs to because he is the head of the household.”

That’s a small sampling of what misinformed and uninformed people are saying about our new Article XVIII “Concerning the family.” But what does the Article actually say?

“A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to graciously submit to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.”

Now what does the Bible say? (Open to Ephesians 5:22-33)

I. IT IS A COMMAND FOR THE WOMAN TO BE SUBMISSIVE TO HER HUSBAND, Ephesians 5:22 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”

This is the imperative tense meaning it is a command to submit. The word “Submit” in the Greek is hupotasso (hoop-ot-as’-so). See Strong’s Greek explanation.

Contrary to what many of you wives think today, your husbands didn’t get together and write this up. God wrote it. God wrote it through the personality of the Apostle Paul. And Paul was not a first Century chauvinist pig.

This commandment to wives “to submit” to their husbands speaks to roles and responsibility not to equality.

The role or the responsibility of the wife is to submit to the “headship” or the authority of her husband.

The role or the responsibility of the husband is to sacrifice for his wife by “loving her as Christ loves the church, as gave Himself for it.” v. 25., and “love their wives as they love themselves.” (see vv. 28 and 33)

Another passage that teaches the same commandment of submission is

1 Peter 3:1-7 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (NIV)

Now why don’t wives want to be submissive to their husbands? Linda Dillow in her book Creative Counterpart speaks of four fears of submission.

1. She is afraid of what he might do or ask her to do.

2. She is afraid he will fail.

3. She is afraid of his irresponsibility.

4. She is afraid of God’s will.

When can a wife disobey her husband?

When her husband asks her to do something directly contrary to the teachings of Scripture. “We ought to obey God more than men.”

I do not believe God expects you to submit yourself or your children to battering and abuse be it either physical, verbal or emotional.

II. SUBMISSION FOLLOWS THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST HIMSELF, Ephesians 5:32 “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”

1 Corinthians 11:3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,(no argument there) and the head of the woman is man, (a lot of argument there) and the head of Christ is God. (NIV)

How is Christ our example in submission?

1. Christ is our example in co-operation. Jesus said, “My Father is working and I am working.” I am co-operating with the Father.” (Although Jesus is co-equal with the Father, and co-eternal with the Father, He willingly subjected Himself to the will of the Father!)

2. So Christ is our example in function. Jesus said, “I do nothing on my own authority.”

3. Christ is our example in submission in honor. He said, “I honor my Father.”

4. Christ is our example in identity. “I and my Father are one.”

Now how does this apply to the wife being submissive to her husband?

1. In Cooperation she says, “I will work with my husband. I choose to complement him not to compete with him. We are a team.”

2. In Function she says, “I do nothing on my own authority. The final decision rests with my husband.” In this function the wife recognizes her husband’s God-given role of leadership in the home. She knows her husband will give the greater account to God for his decisions.

3. In Honor she chooses to honor her husband.

4. In Identity she understands her role in relation to her husband. (He’s the President and I’m the Executive V.P.)

III. SUBMISSION IS MADE EASIER THROUGH THE SACRIFICE OF THE HUSBAND, Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,”

28-29, “28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,”

33 “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

1 Corinthians 11:7 A man ……is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. (NIV)

The major problem of women being submissive to men is not with the woman.

The major problem of submission lies with the man or the husband.

One of the chief problems in America today is the unfaithfulness of men. Men are failing to fulfill their God-given responsibility as men, as leaders in the home, as leaders in their marriage and as leaders for their children.

Listen to me men. God demands more spiritually from the man then the woman. God places a bigger responsibility on the man than on a woman. We will give a greater account to God. And yet the very place we are failing is in the arena of spiritual leadership from men!

Drop out dads and failing fathers are destroying America. One-third of America’s children are not living with their fathers. Over 15 million kids are growing up in homes without fathers. 70% of the men in prison grew up without a father. 70% of African-American children are being raised in a home without a father! Since 1920 the divorce rate has risen 1400 percent!!!

Wives don’t know how or refuse to submit to a man who refuses to lead. Now the Bible says, “The husband is the head of the wife and Christ is the head of the church. Now some would say, quoting verse 21, “We believe in mutual submission.” That’s a contradiction of terms and it confuses matters. There can be mutual caring and mutual sharing but not mutual submission. How could Christ submit Himself to the church?

Christians in general are to be mutually submissive to one another, but in the home there is headship. Anything without a head is dead and anything with two heads is a freak!

Husbands, you help your wives be submissive when you take up the mantel of spiritual leadership in your home and lead! If the wife has a problem with that then I’ll tell you what it’s due to. One half is due to her sinful nature and the other half is due to your sinful nature. Her sin nature wants to rebel and your sin nature wants to rule.

God called you to lovingly lead your wife and children. I don’t know of any wife who would not gladly submit to her husbands leadership when he consistently practices the teachings of Ephesians 5. So the biggest barrier to submissive wives may not be rebellious women. The biggest hindrance to submissive wives could very well be failing men.

(Share the quote from Stu Weber)

So what’s the truth about submission? Does the Bible teach submission? Does a Baptist like to eat? Oh yea!

What have I said? 1) Submission is commanded. 2) Submission is exampled by Christ. 3) Submission is complemented by the sacrifice of the husband.

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