Question: "Does a wife have to submit to her husband?"

Answer: Submission is an important issue in relation to marriage. Here is the plain biblical command: “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:22–24).

Even before sin entered the world, there was still the principle of the headship of the husband (1 Timothy 2:13). Adam was created first, and Eve was created to be a "helper" for Adam (Genesis 2:18–20). God has established several types of authority in the world: governments to enforce justice in society and provide protection; pastors to lead and feed the sheep of God; husbands to love and nurture their wives; and fathers to admonish their children. In each case, submission is required: citizen to government, flock to shepherd, wife to husband, child to father.

The Greek word translated “submit,” hupotasso, is the continuing form of the verb. This means that submitting to God, the government, a pastor, or a husband is not a one-time act. It is a continual attitude, which becomes a pattern of behavior.

First, of course, we are responsible to submit to God, which is the only way we can truly obey Him (James 1:21; 4:7). And each Christian should live in humble, ready submission to others (Ephesians 5:21). In regards to submission within the family unit, 1 Corinthians 11:2–3, says that the husband is to submit to Christ (as Christ did to God the Father) and the wife is to submit to her husband.

There is much misunderstanding in our world today about the roles of husband and wife within a marriage. Even when the biblical roles are properly understood, many choose to reject them in favor of a supposed “emancipation” of women, with the result that the family unit is torn apart. It’s no surprise that the world rejects God’s design, but God’s people should be joyfully celebrating that design.

Submit is not a bad word. Submission is not a reflection of inferiority or lesser worth. Christ constantly submitted Himself to the will of the Father (Luke 22:42; John 5:30), without giving up an iota of His worth.

To counter the world’s misinformation concerning a wife’s submission to her husband, we should carefully note the following in Ephesians 5:22–24:1) A wife is to submit to one man (her husband), not to every man. The rule to submit does not extend to a woman’s place in society at large. 2) A wife is to willingly submit to her husband in personal obedience to the Lord Jesus. She submits to her husband because she loves Jesus. 3) The example of a wife’s submission is that of the church to Christ. 4) There is nothing said of the wife’s abilities, talents, or worth; the fact that she submits to her own husband does not imply that she is inferior or less worthy in any way. Also notice that there are no qualifiers to the command to submit, except “in everything.” So, the husband does not have to pass an aptitude test or an intelligence test before his wife submits. It may be a fact that she is better qualified than he to lead in many ways, but she chooses to follow the Lord’s instruction by submitting to her husband’s leadership. In so doing, a godly wife can even win her unbelieving husband to the Lord “without words” simply by her holy behavior (1 Peter 3:1).

Submission should be a natural response to loving leadership. When a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25—33), then submission is a natural response from a wife to her husband. But, regardless of the husband’s love or lack thereof, the wife is commanded to submit “as to the Lord” (verse 22). This means that her obedience to God—her acceptance of His plan—will result in her submission to her husband. The “as to the Lord” comparison also reminds the wife that there is a higher authority to whom she is responsible. Thus, she is under no obligation to disobey civil law or God’s law in the name of “submission” to her husband. She submits in things that are right and lawful and God-honoring. Of course, she does not “submit” to abuse—that is not right or lawful or God-honoring. To try to use the principle of “submission” to justify abuse is to twist Scripture and promote evil.

The submission of the wife to the husband in Ephesians 5 does not allow the husband to be selfish or domineering. His command is to love (verse 25), and he is responsible before God to fulfill that command. The husband must exercise his authority wisely, graciously, and in the fear of the God to whom he must give an account.

When a wife is loved by her husband as the church is loved by Christ, submission is not difficult. Ephesians 5:24 says, “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” In a marriage, submission is a position of giving honor and respect to the husband (see Ephesians 5:33) and completing what he is lacking in. It is God’s wise plan for how the family should function.

Commentator Matthew Henry wrote, “The woman was made out of Adam’s side. She was not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved.” The immediate context of the commands to the husband and wife in Ephesians 5:19–33 involves the filling of the Spirit. Spirit-filled believers are to be worshipful (5:19), thankful (5:20), and submissive (5:21). Paul then follows this line of thought on Spirit-filled living and applies it to wives in verses 22–24. A wife should submit to her husband, not because women are inferior (the Bible never teaches that), but because that is how God designed the marital relationship to function.

livingchrist:


A wife submitting to her husband is not a curse, it is that natural order God created from the foundation of the world, even before the curse in the garden, Adam was created first before eve, and eve was created for Adam not the other way round before the fall.

So because God created animals before man, we should submit to animals? Did you read the verse I quoted?

Please don’t irritate me.

nenyewrites:



So because God created animals before man, we should submit to animals? Did you read the verse I quoted?

Please don’t irritate me.

You can be irritated for all I care,
1.God place Adam as the head of all creatures but created the woman after to be a helpmate.
Genesis 2vv18

2. Adam was held responsible for the fall although instead of eve because God actually place the man as the leader not the woman.


1 Corinthians 11:3
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

cooooooks:
It's always funny when modern Christians try to justify this doctrine.

They can't come up with anything sensible and eventually run away from it.

There is this saying;
Can one fight with his or her maker?
Which is capital no

Even in the secular world submission is there, talkless of in Christianity where the Bible supports it.

The one quoting that submission is a curse. Paul made one statement in his epistle; the woman was made for the man

Also in the beginning
The woman was made from the man
The man came before the woman

So originally God has always intended for the woman to be submitted to the man curse or not

eyinjuege:


A person easily persuaded to do what is wrong should be ashamed. Such a person isn't fit to be in charge/lead.
For the records, Adam was with her when she ate the fruit and she also gave him from it. He definitely knew what was up.
He also prevaricated about with excuses, on why he shouldn't be blamed for eating the apple.
At least Eve decided to eat of the fruit because it was pleasing to the eye and she wanted the wisdom that came with eating the fruit.
What was Adam's excuse again?
"my woman made me do it". A very weak excuse of a person, placed in a position of high authority . Reminds me of many Nigerian leaders.

Jesus was the second Adam
Jesus died for his bride the church on the cross
He gave His Life

While Adam the first man
Died with the woman
Instead of dieing for the woman
Adam should have died for Eve


That's the difference

In the secular (and christian) world, partnership is what works.

Submission has not and does not work.

This lie is part of why some men believe they should be the sole provider (wives will not submit to a 'broke' guy)...and then die young.

djon78:


There is this saying;
Can one fight with his or her maker?
Which is capital no

Even in the secular world submission is there, talkless of in Christianity where the Bible supports it.

The one quoting that submission is a curse. Paul made one statement in his epistle; the woman was made for the man

Also in the beginning
The woman was made from the man
The man came before the woman

So originally God has always intended for the woman to be submitted to the man curse or not

cooooooks:
In the secular (and christian) world, partnership is what works.

Submission has not and does not work.

This lie is part of why some men believe they should be the sole provider (wives will not submit to a 'broke' guy)...and then die young.

In the home who is the head?
Even in our African culture who initiates marriage, pays the bride price
Whom does the children born in the marriage answer the name

See society already points to the issue

Man being a provider has always been a normal
Even in the west some decades ago women rearly worked
Everything was on the man

All these noise we are hearing started some decades ago

Even in the west when did women even start to vote?

nenyewrites:



Yeah. Think carefully. No one loves a slave. Submission is meant for slaves. When a master loves a slave he/she sets them free.

you can love a slave and not set him or her free. On a more serious note, what is the essence of being a leader if there is no submission to your authority. When God instituted marriage he placed man above the woman, therefore man is head of the family just as christ is head of the church.

Liposure:
you can love a slave and not set him or her free. On a more serious note, what is the essence of being a leader if there is no submission to your authority. When God instituted marriage he placed man above the woman, therefore man is head of the family just as christ is head of the church.

How can you love a slave and not set him free? If you don’t want to miss the slave, you can adopt him as your son or daughter. But he/she will no longer remain a slave.

djon78:


There is this saying;
Can one fight with his or her maker?
Which is capital no

Even in the secular world submission is there, talkless of in Christianity where the Bible supports it.

The one quoting that submission is a curse. Paul made one statement in his epistle; the woman was made for the man

Also in the beginning
The woman was made from the man
The man came before the woman

So originally God has always intended for the woman to be submitted to the man curse or not

So why did God have to add it to the curse?

livingchrist:
You can be irritated for all I care,
1.God place Adam as the head of all creatures but created the woman after to be a helpmate.
Genesis 2vv18

2. Adam was held responsible for the fall although instead of eve because God actually place the man as the leader not the woman.


1 Corinthians 11:3
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Ephesians 5:21

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.


When only the woman submits, it’s a curse. Submission should come from both parties for peace to reign and to remain in God’s presence. When submission comes from one party, it’s a master and slave scenario. Do you get it now?

CHoccolaTE:


Submission is for slaves

Very true

Submission is for all and sundry. You must submit to a position of higher authority or else there'll be conflict in the place.

nenyewrites:



Ephesians 5:21

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.


When only the woman submits, it’s a curse. Submission should come from both parties for peace to reign and to remain in God’s presence. Do you get it now?

That is to tell you submission is not a curse.
The submission of a husband to his wife and the submission of a wife to her husband is not the same.
That is why I told you wisdom is neccesary but you thought it was an insult.
While A wife submits to her husband headship, A husband submits to his wife by considering her opinions and responding to his wife's need.
And do you also know the wife is commanded to love her husband? But both love and submission from a wife and husband are in different dimension and but they are harmonious.
So a husband loving his wife actually include submission but it is not a submission to let the woman to become his leader.
Lol hope you learned and also rid that bitterness in you it is unhealthy.

livingchrist:
That is to tell you submission is not a curse.
The submission of a husband to his wife and the submission of a wife to her husband is not the same.
That is why I told you wisdom is neccesary but you thought it was an insult.
While A wife submits to her husband headship, A husband submits to his wife by considering her opinions and responding to his wife's need.
And do you also know the wife is commanded to love her husband? But both love and submission from a wife and husband are in different dimension and but they are harmonious.
So a husband loving his wife actually include submission but it is not a submission to let the woman to become his leader.
Lol hope you learned and also rid that bitterness in you it is unhealthy.

Get the point before you start throwing the word bitterness as inferiority complex men are known to use. When people submit to each other, it's a partnership. The curse is when only women are submitting, a master-slave relationship, which is what some so-called Christian homes are still living by. That is why I quoted that scripture. And who gave you the right to choose what kind of submission? Go and read the curse God placed on women maybe you'll get some clarification. I'll leave you with Proverb 26:12.

Ephesians 5vv21 was written to the generality of the whole church not specifically to marriages.

To be specific Paul had to give instructions to wives to submit to their husband, likening the Marital relationship between the husband and the wife to that between Christ and the church.

The submission of the wife to her husband is like that of the church to Christ and it is neither slavery nor a curse.

nenyewrites:


Get the point before you start throwing the word bitterness as inferiority complex men are known to use. When people submit to each other, it's a partnership. The curse is when only women are submitting, a master-slave relationship, which is what some so-called Christian homes are still living by. That is why I quoted that scripture. And who gave you the right to choose what kind of submission? Go and read the curse God placed on women maybe you'll get some clarification. I'll leave you with Proverb 26:12.

nenyewrites:


Get the point before you start throwing the word bitterness as inferiority complex men are known to use. When people submit to each other, it's a partnership. The curse is when only women are submitting, a master-slave relationship, which is what some so-called Christian homes are still living by. That is why I quoted that scripture. And who gave you the right to choose what kind of submission? Go and read the curse God placed on women maybe you'll get some clarification. I'll leave you with Proverb 26:12.

you didnt get the whole passage, men were exhorted to love their wives while women were told to submit to their husband leadership.
Do women submit to the government, is it a curse?
We all submit one way or the order and it is not slavery neither is it a curse, especially when it is an instruction from God.

This mindset of not wanting to submit to the word of God by many women in the name of feminism originated from lucifer.
Feminism is a luciferian ideology any woman or man practicing feminism is a satanist.

kapelvej:
what about the birth pain? Why did it not automatically disappear

So the curse is not broken then?

It’s funny how anyone can interpret the heck out of the Bible. However it pleases them

nenyewrites:



We are all trying to find answers right? Though I’ve heard of Christian women who deliver without the slightest pain. They prayed to be so. It’s all about faith. Which is why I’m asking the question, since we are free from the curse through faith, why are some men, especially men of God who should know better from constant studying of the Bible still hammering on women’s submission.

cooooooks:
It's always funny when modern Christians try to justify this doctrine.

They can't come up with anything sensible and eventually run away from it.

we are not alone okay? Other religions have their modern issues with their scripture that they can’t explain away. So they’ll dance around the explanations and then tell you that you have to be in spirit to understand

livingchrist:
lol, Dont also forget that death is part of the curse, lol so paul who wrote that verse died, same with peter, does that mean they were not redeemed from the curse?
Get understanding and wisdom above all things.

Explain how to acquire this wisdom you speak of

cococandy:


Explain how to acquire this wisdom you speak of

the source of wisdom is God, To get this wisdom we must humble ourselves, ask him in prayers and study his word to get knowledge.

cococandy:
we are not alone okay? Other religions have their modern issues with their scripture that they can’t explain away. So they’ll dance around the explanations and then tell you that you have to be in spirit to understand

gender stereotype which is backed up scientifically by millions of years of evolutionary facts leading to societal acculturation like Patriachy which is the best optimization for civilization

The invention of birth control, Feminism and the latest Transgenderism via social construct of which all just started over 70yrs ago think they can upset the natural evolutionary order of millions of years

I'm surprised coming from a medical practitioner who ought to be an expert in Biological gender differences between XX and XY chromosomes accepting Transgenderism as a norm


Delusional Progressives and liberals think we don't have scientific evidence and backings to justify our dominant religious ideologies with regard to traditional gender roles stereotypes, but yet they follow Egalitarianistic-Equalism ideologies which is debunked by the gender equality paradox in scandanavian societies like Iceland Norway and Denmark who have failed to achieve these after removing their Patriachal strongholds as gender differences between men and women have widen with more Egalitarianism


Lolzzz

cooooooks:
In the secular (and christian) world, partnership is what works.

Submission has not and does not work.

This lie is part of why some men believe they should be the sole provider (wives will not submit to a 'broke' guy)...and then die young.

These not facts
As a pragmatist that deals with statistics,data and evidence

Western Societies with more equal partnership than traditionally conservative Societies in Africa and Arab societies where Men are expected to be the breadwinners see a strong marital rate decline with divorce at 50% where 75 % of the divorce is initiated by the women , destroying family units and very counter-productive to any civilization

Western Societies normalized divorce by giving women incentives to do it like alimony , biased child support system , even making single motherhood the norm as 40% of children are born out of wedlock without fathers



Your model doesn't work

Best idealistic model
Husband- provisioning
Wife - Housekeeping

More realistic model
Male - provisioning
Women- assisting in provisioning with a societal mechanism to discourage divorce like religion and culture and curb women's innate Hypergamy

nenyewrites:


Don’t you think you’re mistaking partnership as submission? Love breeds partnership, equality, not submission. Think about it.

A woman can't love you until she shows respect and admiration for you
A woman love via adoration

Men love unconditionally women love conditionally

Men love sacrificially women love opportunistically

Men love idealistically women love pragmatically


These a Hypergamous proven Biological reality due to women menstrual and ovulatory cycle realities


Scientific facts that religious ideologies acknowledges

Religion does not prevent divorce.

Christians globally have a higher divorce rate (marrying early to avoid 'sin' is a big part of this).

These oppressive ideals you espouse don't even benefit the men. They work till they're dead, raise countless children fathered by other men and usually are loved less by their children than their wives.

Listening to Kevin Samuels (twice divorced) and other people in the manosphete does not automatically make you know about the west.

When these African marriages go abroad, they either adapt to equality (and in some instances preferential treatment in marriage disputes) or fail.

How many times has a man oppressed his wife here only to lament when he takes her there and she leaves him, starts making more money than him (nurse), or/and starts asserting her rights?

In this Nigeria you talk about, do you know how much a typical middle class divorce costs? Hundreds of thousands to millions! How many families do you know where the spouses live apart from each other? How many has the wife been sent packing from? How many homes are warzones?

My friend, don't act like we are enjoying our nuclear unit her in Nigeria. Why are Nigerian men GYOW if we love our family ideals so much? Why are we joining the stingy men association? Why are we dying young? (Life expectancy is under 50).

BLOODYSPERM:





These not facts
As a pragmatist that deals with statistics,data and evidence

Western Societies with more equal partnership than traditionally conservative Societies in Africa and Arab societies where Men are expected to be the breadwinners see a strong marital rate decline with divorce at 50% where 75 % of the divorce is initiated by the women , destroying family units and very counter-productive to any civilization

Western Societies normalized divorce by giving women incentives to do it like alimony , biased child support system , even making single motherhood the norm as 40% of children are born out of wedlock without fathers



Your model doesn't work

Best idealistic model
Husband- provisioning
Wife - Housekeeping

More realistic model
Male - provisioning
Women- assisting in provisioning with a societal mechanism to discourage divorce like religion and culture and curb women's innate Hypergamy

Islam too.

Any pious Muslims should look at the havoc Saudi Arabian clerics are wreaking in Indonesia.

They visit the country, do quick sham divorces, impegnate young girls and leave them with the burden of the children.

What's worse, I think Indonesia does not recognize the nationality of the children, neither does Saudi Arabia.

Smh.

cococandy:
we are not alone okay? Other religions have their modern issues with their scripture that they can’t explain away. So they’ll dance around the explanations and then tell you that you have to be in spirit to understand

Not, you are spouting Kevin Samuels logic here.

Kevin Samuels talks about people earning $500,000 a year.

Na you be that?

Even among those high earners, the majority of them are already married...to fellow high earners.

BLOODYSPERM:




A woman can't love you until she shows respect and admiration for you
A woman love via adoration

Men love unconditionally women love conditionally

Men love sacrificially women love opportunistically

Men love idealistically women love pragmatically


These a Hypergamous proven Biological reality due to women menstrual and ovulatory cycle realities


Scientific facts that religious ideologies acknowledges

cooooooks:
Not, you are spouting Kevin Samuels logic here.

Kevin Samuels talks about people earning $500,000 a year.

Na you be that?

Even among those high earners, the majority of them are already married...to fellow high earners.

Higher income warning don't typically date their equals working with generalizations as excemptions and outliers abound which deviates from the rule but doesn't disprove the rule

Look at the wives of high socio-economic status billionaires and even Top CEO executives they are typically not on equal earning with their wives

When I talk about religion, I use Islam as my reference because Christianity is a weakened and Bastardized religion since the decline of Catholicism allowing Progressivism ideologies like LGBTQ and Abortion , Islam is highly Patriachal even allowing polygamy and trains women to be potential wife's who would submit to the authority of their husband, women know their inferior roles and accept them , they don't complain they are oppressed unlike western women living in the most liberal civilization in history yet complaining about the Patriachy

cooooooks:
Religion does not prevent divorce.

Christians globally have a higher divorce rate (marrying early to avoid 'sin' is a big part of this).

These oppressive ideals you espouse don't even benefit the men. They work till they're dead, raise countless children fathered by other men and usually are loved less by their children than their wives.

Listening to Kevin Samuels (twice divorced) and other people in the manosphete does not automatically make you know about the west.

When these African marriages go abroad, they either adapt to equality (and in some instances preferential treatment in marriage disputes) or fail.

How many times has a man oppressed his wife here only to lament when he takes her there and she leaves him, starts making more money than him (nurse), or/and starts asserting her rights?

In this Nigeria you talk about, do you know how much a typical middle class divorce costs? Hundreds of thousands to millions! How many families do you know where the spouses live apart from each other? How many has the wife been sent packing from? How many homes are warzones?

My friend, don't act like we are enjoying our nuclear unit her in Nigeria. Why are Nigerian men GYOW if we love our family ideals so much? Why are we joining the stingy men association? Why are we dying young? (Life expectancy is under 50).

I never said Nigeria was had the best family unit model , but in it's imperfection it's far better than gynocentric westernized and Progressive Societies where Men are emasculated by the legal system who have destroyed the sacred institution of marriage via alimony, biased child custody laws, giving incentives to women to destroy their homes and ruin the lives of their husbands

Our culture ensures men are the dominant gender and unlike western Societies where men are shamed and masculinity is under attack, we do the opposite and shame women keeping them in check and curbing their instinctual Hypergamous nature via Culture and religion as dominant ideologies to control their feral nature to prevent chaos in civilization by the destruction of family units


Western Societies men were sold to the ideological myth of Egalitarianistic-Equalism thinking they would reduce the burden of their masculine burden of performance and share the burden with women who are innately Machiavellians, they were fooled and decieved by Feminists, but instead they became emasculated and reduced to online agitators on manosphere blogs and forums, Patriachal Africa Men are not stupid we will use Culture and religion actively as ideological tools to control women hence controlling society, unlike western men who are reduced to second class citizens, we won't be stupid like them

Yea that’s why I said other religions too. They all have issues.

We really need to be able to see the wrong in our own ways

cooooooks:
Islam too.

Any pious Muslims should look at the havoc Saudi Arabian clerics are wreaking in Indonesia.

They visit the country, do quick sham divorces, impegnate young girls and leave them with the burden of the children.

What's worse, I think Indonesia does not recognize the nationality of the children, neither does Saudi Arabia.

Smh.

Haven't we had at least 2 high profile murder trials of first wives who killed their husbands or the potential new wife in the last few years?

BLOODYSPERM:




Higher income warning don't typically date their equals working with generalizations as excemptions and outliers abound which deviates from the rule but doesn't disprove the rule

Look at the wives of high socio-economic status billionaires and even Top CEO executives they are typically not on equal earning with their wives

When I talk about religion, I use Islam as my reference because Christianity is a weakened and Bastardized religion since the decline of Catholicism allowing Progressivism ideologies like LGBTQ and Abortion , Islam is highly Patriachal even allowing polygamy and trains women to be potential wife's who would submit to the authority of their husband, women know their inferior roles and accept them , they don't complain they are oppressed unlike western women living in the most liberal civilization in history yet complaining about the Patriachy

In this Nigeria, you think men are controlling wine ?

I laugh in urgent 5k.

Nobody is controlling women here. We (think we) have a normalized prostitution economy where men expect to provide in exchange for starfish action and 'respect' from other chained (married) men.

If you want to see how Nigerian families are actually faring, go to a school. See which parent pays the fees, who the kids respect, etc.

BLOODYSPERM:




I never said Nigeria was had the best family unit model , but in it's imperfection it's far better than gynocentric westernized and Progressive Societies where Men are emasculated by the legal system who have destroyed the sacred institution of marriage via alimony, biased child custody laws, giving incentives to women to destroy their homes and ruin the lives of their husbands

Our culture ensures men are the dominant gender and unlike western Societies where men are shamed and masculinity is under attack, we do the opposite and shame women keeping them in check and curbing their instinctual Hypergamous nature via Culture and religion as dominant ideologies to control their feral nature to prevent chaos in civilization by the destruction of family units


Western Societies men were sold to the ideological myth of Egalitarianistic-Equalism thinking they would reduce the burden of their masculine burden of performance and share the burden with women who are innately Machiavellians, they were fooled and decieved by Feminists, but instead they became emasculated and reduced to online agitators on manosphere blogs and forums, Patriachal Africa Men are not stupid we will use Culture and religion actively as ideological tools to control women hence controlling society, unlike western men who are reduced to second class citizens, we won't be stupid like them