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As to the Lord
Marion Clark
Ephesians 5:22-24
Introduction
The matter of submission, which this passage presents, is a controversial subject in our society. And even for those of us willing to submit to Scripture, the matter of wives submitting to their husbands still presents difficulties in understanding how this is to be carried out. We are going to give our attention to these three brief verses that have led to so much controversy and uneasiness.
Let me alert you to my system. When I taught English literature in high school, I told my students that before they gave me their opinion about a particular poem, they had to first tell me what the author was actually saying. That is my intention here. We will examine what the text actually says; only then will I reflect on it. All we want to know, first, is what the Apostle Paul is communicating in these three verses. Once we understand his meaning, then we can move to understanding how it plays out in marriage.
Text
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Let's look at this word ''submit.'' It means to place oneself in a subordinate position. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament notes, ''Originally it is a hierarchical term which stresses the relation to superiors.'' It is commonly used to denote the relationship between officers and those under them. So then, the implication is that the submission is based not on superiority of character or power in one person over another, but on the position that each possesses in a given context. So, for example, an employee submits to a supervisor; a student submits to a teacher, an athlete to a coach, a citizen to police officer or a judge, a private to a sergeant and a sergeant to a captain, all because of the position that each holds.
Did you know that the term for ''submit'' does not even appear in this verse in the Greek manuscript, at least not for all manuscripts? There is actually no verb in verse 22. ''Submit'' appears in ...
Marion Clark
Ephesians 5:22-24
Introduction
The matter of submission, which this passage presents, is a controversial subject in our society. And even for those of us willing to submit to Scripture, the matter of wives submitting to their husbands still presents difficulties in understanding how this is to be carried out. We are going to give our attention to these three brief verses that have led to so much controversy and uneasiness.
Let me alert you to my system. When I taught English literature in high school, I told my students that before they gave me their opinion about a particular poem, they had to first tell me what the author was actually saying. That is my intention here. We will examine what the text actually says; only then will I reflect on it. All we want to know, first, is what the Apostle Paul is communicating in these three verses. Once we understand his meaning, then we can move to understanding how it plays out in marriage.
Text
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Let's look at this word ''submit.'' It means to place oneself in a subordinate position. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament notes, ''Originally it is a hierarchical term which stresses the relation to superiors.'' It is commonly used to denote the relationship between officers and those under them. So then, the implication is that the submission is based not on superiority of character or power in one person over another, but on the position that each possesses in a given context. So, for example, an employee submits to a supervisor; a student submits to a teacher, an athlete to a coach, a citizen to police officer or a judge, a private to a sergeant and a sergeant to a captain, all because of the position that each holds.
Did you know that the term for ''submit'' does not even appear in this verse in the Greek manuscript, at least not for all manuscripts? There is actually no verb in verse 22. ''Submit'' appears in ...
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