170212 What Does Submission Mean?

Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Recently, there was a Women’s March in Washington DC. In fact, it was the day after the inauguration of President Trump. I did not watch the activities on TV except as they were shown as part of the news media. That was about all I could stand. There is so much confusion in our world about the whole concept of gender. At the same time there is a desperate need for our understanding God’s intent. I’m not trying to make a political statement but I do intend to take a biblical stand. I am not angry at, or afraid of, any group of people. I am compelled by the clear teaching of the Bible to take a stand.

The husband has responsible authority for his wife though they are equal with regard to their humanity. In the same way God the Father has authority over the Son even though they are equal in deity. Men and women have different roles in life at the same time they are equally important.

Peter instructs the wives under his ministry to be subject to their own husbands (1 Peter 3:1). And at the same time he instructs the husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way (1 Peter 3:7). A wife wanting to act biblically should be submissive to her own husband and agree that he’s a leader in their home. This should be something she can rejoice in not resent or be in fear of!

There are at least two dangerous errors in the matter submission. One is for the husband to be a dictator in the home. There is no biblical standard that allows that to be the way to operate. Corresponding to the husband’s dictatorship wives are sometimes too passive. Wives should be involved in the decision-making processes of the family and, when needed, speak words of correction. Biblical submission is not pretending to agree with everything the husband does.

The opposite of the husband/dictator is the husband who takes the passive role and allows, even encourages, his wife to make all the decisions. Remember, that was an attitude that seems to have gotten Adam in a lot of trouble! And us along with him! There are several other examples in the Bible such as: Ahab and Solomon. We need to look at the place of gender in our lives.

Gender began in the Garden of Eden. Let’s look at the beginning in Genesis 1:27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And, 5:1-2 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. ² Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.

In both these passages we find the words, “male and female he created them”. Men and women are made equally in God’s image! It’s not a matter of God creating Adam and then realizing that he had left out something of great importance and then creating Eve! No, the original creation of mankind involve both male and female. We should see aspects of God’s character in both men and women. Men and women are equally important to God and equally valuable to him. There is no room here for any feeling of pride, or inferiority. There is no “better” or “worse” so far as gender is concerned. God thinks of us is equal and that settles the question. What God thinks is revealed in the Bible and that is what counts! There is no doubt that the beginning of mankind was affected by gender.

Gender is clearly spelled out in the Bible. Let’s look ahead to Genesis 1:28. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

When God said, “be fruitful and multiply” he obviously was referring to male and female. We need to remember that God created Adam and Eve and bound them together in the Garden of Eden. There is no room in the Bible for any kind of same-sex marriage! Such a relationship cannot meet the basic criteria that God laid down in the Garden of Eden. While there are differences in roles…

There is equality in mankind. Let’s look at Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:11-12. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; ¹² for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.

This passage certainly points out the weaving together of male and female in God’s order for society. Neither is independent of the other. Both are essential to continuing the race throughout history. Both sexes are worthy of honor because each depends upon the other for existence and procreation. Not only do we physically depend upon each other…

In Christ there is equality. Let’s look at Paul’s words in Galatians 3:27-28. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

It is very clear that there is no class of people who could claim any special privilege in the church. In this passage Paul says the Jews are not better than Greeks, slaves are not inferior to free men, nor are men superior to women in Christ Jesus. While there is equality in value there are different roles. We need to begin with the truth that…

Both men and women have spiritual gifts. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 12:4-7. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵ and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. ⁷ To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

On the day of Pentecost Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled. “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…” Both men and women are given spiritual gifts to minister to and strengthen the church. Every Christian is a valuable part of the body of Christ. No spiritual gift is superior to any other. No particular activity in the church is above any other — or inferior to any other! The manifestations of the Spirit were given for the common good. Every true spiritual gift will be designed by God to strengthen the unity of the church. Both men and women are valuable for the strengthening of the church. However…

There are differences in roles. Let's look back at Genesis 2:18. Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” & 22-24 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³ Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” ²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

God created Adam first and then after a period of time took Eve out of him. I believe there is an explanation for this. When God created Adam he was put in charge of everything in the Garden. All the various animals were brought before him for him to name them. It must’ve been very obvious to Adam that these animals came in pairs! As they came by the man he observed that these animals were alike and at the same time different. I believe this gave the man a deep sense of loneliness. Oh, I know that he had God with him and had a unique relationship with God but somehow that did not quite fill the gap created by the absence of someone like him, yet different! There is no indication of time passing in the Garden of Eden. I do not know if the naming of the animals was followed by a period of reflection or not. The point is made that “for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him” and spending time naming the animals certainly pointed that out.

Once the man understood that he needed someone like himself God was prepared to take action. There must’ve been a need within the consciousness of man that had to be settled before he could be introduced to “a helper fit for him”.

I remember in my boyhood my understanding of this story was that men must have one less rib than women. Well, the Hebrew word here is usually translated “rib” but I understand that it simply refers to something taken out of man’s side. When God created Adam he clearly created him “male and female” and God waited for the right time to separate them and introduce them to each other.

Once Adam realized that he was in desperate need of someone like himself, but entirely different, God performed the first surgical operation. An operation that incorporated anesthesia since “the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man” and in that sleep God took something out of his side. The “something” was then taken and fashioned into a woman and God brought her to Adam.

Now I’m going to take a personal liberty with the text at this point. I believe Moses wrote the words found in Genesis 2:23 exactly as they are translated in our English Bibles. But before Adam spoke these philosophical words, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” I believe he said something else. I think it was more like, “Wow where if you been all my life? I believe his first sight of the “something” taken out of his side would have left him breathless. People may laugh at the concept of “Love at first sight” but I have no doubt that Adam passionately loved this one made “fit for him” not inferior to him but corresponding to him.

A long time ago someone said, “The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; 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 beloved.”

I admit that I don’t know who wrote those words but I believe they are true and every man should consider this truth as he thinks about his wife.

I don’t believe any man who treats his wife with love and consideration will ever have any problem with her submissiveness. It is very much to the man’s advantage that he act responsibly and lovingly. There is no question that…

God looked to man as responsible. Let’s look at the record in Genesis 3:9.  But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

Adam and Eve hid themselves from God because they had sinned. He gave them one rule to follow and they broke it! Then for the first time Adam and Eve felt shame. Up until then they had no need of clothing. They did not need to be protected from heat or cold and they certainly didn’t need ornamentation. They were living an easy life happy and content!

Then Satan came into the Garden determined to separate the creatures from the Creator. It was to Satan’s advantage that he found the woman alone. It was the woman who was deceived and first took the fruit that God had ordered them not to take. God knew what was happening and allowed it to go ahead because he had a greater plan for the redemption of man. Notice that God did not say, “Eve, where are you?” Eve was not the person responsible to God in the Garden. God had left Adam in charge and it was Adam who was responsible not Eve.

Having begun with a discussion of the role of women in God’s economy we will move forward next week to the responsibility of men. A great deal of the social problems we find in our world today would be solved if men stood up and took responsibility for their part. It is extremely important that men act in a loving manner. The loving relationship of a man with his wife and children can give strength and stability to society. In order to make this work men should first be Christian and then apply their Christianity to their world.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society