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EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 1

Outline of the Book I. The Glorious Position of the Body of Christ (1:1-3:21) A. Greetings (1:1-2) B. The Believer’s “Astounding Station” in Christ, to the praise of His glory (1:3-14) --- The Grace of the (1:3-6) --- The Grace of the (1:7-12) --- The Grace of the Spirit (1:13-14) C. Paul’s Motivated Prayer & Praise 1 (1:15-23) D. The Believer’s Collective Transport (2:1-10) --- Dead in Trespasses (2:1-3) --- Made Alive with Christ (2:4-10) E. Unified in Christ (2:11-22) --- Brought Near by the Blood (2:11-13) --- The Cross Creates One New (2:14-18) a. By Abolishing the Law (2:14-15) b. By Reconciling Us to the Father (2:16-18) --- Fellow Citizens in the of God (2:19-22) F. The Mystery of the Gospel (3:1-3:13) --- Prayer Interrupted (3:1) --- The Dispensation of God’s Grace (3:2-5) --- The Gentiles are Fellow Heirs (3:6-13) G. Paul’s Motivated Prayer & Praise 2 (3:14-21) II. The Glorious Practice of the Body of Christ (4:1-6:24) A. A Worthy Walk that Promotes Unity (4:1-6) B. Measures of Grace for Equipping the Body (4:7-16) C. Exhortation to Put on the New Self (4:17-24) D. Conduct that Benefits the Body (4:25-32) E. Serious Calling/Serious Consequences (5:1-21) F. Serious Calling Explained (5:22-6:20) --- The Example of (5:22-33) --- Parental Relationships (6:1-4) --- Occupational Relationships (6:5-9) --- Spiritual Opposition (6:10-20) G. Closing Statements (6:21-24)

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Ephesians 5:22-24

The subject of a ’s submission to her is not readily accepted in today’s society, but this should not cause us to sidestep the issue with the hopes of avoiding a fight. This concept is in the Word of God for a very good reason; a reason which has found alarming paucity among the myriads of contemporary Christian books and sermons that one regularly hears regarding the husband and wife relationship today: that the marriage relationship was intentionally designed by God to communicate the profound truth of the union that is found between Christ Jesus our Lord and the Church which has been purchased by His blood (Eph 5:32). It is important that the of God see herself as God sees her, as a blessed representative in divine communication, rather than how society portrays her, which only takes one stroll through the supermarket line and a glance at the latest magazine covers in order to get the point. Since self-image is a matter that finds repeated entertainment within the mind, the opinion and design of the Creator is a vital basis for overshadowing the blaring criticisms and critiques of the woman who her Lord and Savior, and who also loves her husband (both of which are not shameful in the least). Hoehner provides us with some helpful words before looking into this passage:

Unfortunately, all too often this section of 5:22-6:9 is isolated from the previous context. Interestingly, no conjunction introduces this section, which may indicate that this is not a new section but a continuation of the thought of walking in wisdom which began with 5:15.1

With this I would wholeheartedly agree. In reading through these passages, one cannot consider the context enough, both before and after the passage in question. If we had to narrow it down (which I would prefer not to do), we would see that a proper understanding of this entire passage is contingent upon three verses:

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, (Eph 5:18).

…submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph 5:21).

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church (Eph 5:32).

We will quickly notice that each of these verses serves as a pivotal portion of the context of Ephesians 5:22-24, but we may need to readdress the reasons for these particular verses as being considered indispensable in properly interpreting this passage. First, regarding one being “filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18), we must remember that this is something that is passive in nature. God is pouring out His Spirit for His children to be filled with it, but to do so would mean that one must allow it to take place. This may mean that a precursor must occur, such as ridding ourselves of foolish endeavors (Eph 5:17) and rearranging our schedules so that we are making the best use of our time on Earth (Eph 5:16); meaning that we would need to assess our current lifestyle, reevaluate our sacred cows, and forsake those things that are not beneficial to our growth in the Lord. When dealing with a concept like one human being submitting to another, it can be easy to

1 Hoehner, Ephesians, p. 720. Hoehner also documents a wonderful section on the Ephesians household code on p. 720- 729 that would beneficial for our understanding. EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 3 see that the filling of the Spirit becomes even more necessary, for it is only by the Spirit that one is able to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8:13) and voluntarily place themselves under the headship of another person. To proceed in submitting to another, and seeking to do so in the flesh, will either require a grand exercise in self-discipline, or will entail manipulating oneself, or the situation, in order for it to exude the semblance of a God-glorifying relationship. As we can imagine, such a scheme is the epitome of foolishness.

Second, in the setting of the Body of Christ, we are called upon to be in submission to one another (Eph 5:21). The use of the Greek hupotassō speaks to a voluntary placing of one’s self in subordination to their and in Christ. Couch notes that “the verb is in the form of a present middle participle which could be translated ‘be continually submitting yourselves to your own ,’”2 signifying something that is repeated, with the use also signifying a voluntary submission. It cannot be repeated enough that such an attitude is only possible by being filled with the Spirit, but oh, how the Spirit would illuminate the Body of Christ if we were all being filled and all submitting to one another. Such godly, Spirit-filled relationships would serve as a brilliant and radiant testimony in the darkest of places and would attract the masses to Christ! Apart from being filled with the Spirit, this end will never be reached, for we are powerless in the flesh to conjure such a perspective so that submission is genuine. Our mindset can easily become skewed in concluding that the reason for such mutual submission is because “this is how good Christian folks act” and should conduct themselves in the world, but this misses the motivation that the Scripture gives. We are told to submit to one another “out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21) and it is this theme that is to carry the Christian into the joys of submission in every relationship (Eph 5:21, 22, 25; 6:1, 5, 6, 7, 9). Ephesians 5:21 is also important because the verb “submit” is not found in Ephesians 5:22, but is implied from the context, which is something that is common in Greek, and does not warrant the translation to be considered as “questionable.”3 If we were to remove the “submit” that has been added in Ephesians 5:22, we would still have a clear understanding. Notice the negation of “submit” in Ephesians 5:22 in the following:

…submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. , to your own husbands, as to the Lord (Eph 5:21-22).

It is clear that there is still no question as to Paul’s meaning that the submission relationship that exists between brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ is to be found exemplified and amplified in the marital relationship. But before addressing this verse in detail, we must examine the third verse under consideration.

With Ephesians 5:32, the Apostle Paul is clear that this entire passage is a relationship that speaks to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Church that He has purchased with His own blood. The intimacy that is seen in a marital union has its intentions of design in displaying the oneness of Jesus

2 Couch, Biblical Theology of the Church, p. 70. Hoehner (p. 730-732) notes that the inclusion of hupotassō in 5:22 is found in later manuscripts as an addition for the sake of better clarity. Its exclusion in the original manuscripts is something that I address briefly above, but Hoehner brings a scholarly, yet readable depth that I am incapable of doing.

3 Again, see Hoehner, Ephesians, p. 730-732 for a better understanding of how the manuscripts were handled and translated regarding this verb. EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 4

Christ and His Church (His Body). This provides a greater understanding of what is meant in Ephesians 1:22-23, where Paul writes:

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Just as a head is connected to a body, so Christ our Lord is seamlessly connected to His Church, just as a husband cleaves unto his wife and the two become one flesh (Gen 2:24; Eph 5:31) so Christ has become “one flesh” with His Body, the Church. The idea in these concepts is clearly the absence of any such notion of separation whatsoever. These relationships are unified, whole, and complete. One cannot afford to make the hermeneutical mistake of reading Ephesians 5:22-33 and concluding that everything within this section rests solely on the responsibilities of the role fulfillments of the husband and wife, or even that the husband and wife relationship is the central focus of this pericope. It goes much, much deeper than this, looking unto Christ and the Church’s relationship with Him.

Beginning with Ephesians 5:22, the word for “wives” is gune ̄ which is commonly translated as either “woman” or “wife” depending on the context.4 As noted above, the verb “submit” is not included in this verse, but is implied from the previous. The ESV has translated idios in 5:22 as “your own” which can be more properly understood as “one’s own.”5 The word for “husband” is aner̄ which is commonly used for “man” or “husband,” again depending on the context. It is important to notice that the call to submission is not one that forces every woman to bow down to every man. Paul is specific in noting that the boundary in place is the marital bond and that this relationship has an intentional design, thus squashing any notion of inferiority on a wide scale regarding the sexes. Maybe without initially recognizing it, we have missed a crucial point: namely that Paul has provided a relief from a common form of idolatry that can often be found plaguing many today. By shoring up this sentence with “as to the Lord,” the apostle has redirected the focus of the marriage relationship for the wife unto the Savior instead of her partner. Lenski describes this attitude nicely when he writes that, “She subjects herself, we may say for the Lord’s sake: his will is hers.”6 This immediately provides a pathway for understanding the boundaries of a wife’s submission, namely that a wife is to submit to her husband in everything (Eph 5:24) unless she is called upon to sin. Martha Peace notes that “Even though a husband has God-given authority over his wife, only God has absolute authority over her. In other words, God’s authority is higher. So, if her husband asks her to sin, she must ‘obey God rather than man’ (Acts 5:29).”7 Godliness is of great importance on both ends of the relationship. While a godly husband would be ideal, this is not always the case, and even a godly man can fall into sin to the point of asking his wife to sin (think of Abram and Sarai, Gen 12:13; 20:2). The wife’s directives are ultimately mandated by Christ in His Word. The very standard of “as unto the Lord” (Eph 5:22) is the Word of God itself. The wife is not to fall into the

4 This can be seen most readily in the Greek translation of Genesis 2:23-25 where the same word (gune)̄ is used (“gunaika” in 2:24) and is translated as “woman” in 2:23 and as “wife” in 2:24-25.

5 BDAG, p. 466.

6 Lenski, Ephesians, p. 626.

7 Martha Peace, The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective (Bemidji, Minnesota: Focus Publishing, 1999), p. 140. EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 5 mindset that her husband is her savior, nor is she to exalt him to a supernatural status. This would be idolatry, and the view for the wife being “as unto the Lord” serves in preventing this idolatry because she is ultimately serving Christ.

How common today to find a couple who idolize one another, looking to please one another regardless of the cost. A wife can easily have a nervous breakdown and accumulate a small mountain of debt in seeking to please her husband because his opinions and demands have captured her heart and have captivated her self-worth. This focus is what makes the husband’s failures especially devastating to the wife when they occur, causing her to question her value and leaving her with a distorted view of her efforts in the relationship. Ladies, to be blunt, men will fail you. Each one (especially myself) has flaws that will eventually find their way to the surface of your marriage. Every man has carnal desires, a need for achievement, a want to be useful in some way, and a rebellious streak that causes him to act like a baby. Disappointments will come and frustrations will occur. Sometimes trivial things like football will get in the way of your “perfect day,” and his meetings will often run long.8 If your hope and identity is resting in your ’s approval and personal performance, you will find that disappointment and depression are right around the corner. When we idolize our spouse, or even our marriage, we are setting ourselves up for a fall.

Before delving into the subject of submission, it must be stated in no uncertain terms that the husband has been mandated by the Lord God to be the leader of the (Eph 5:25-30; 1 Tim 2:12-14) and to be doing so under the headship of Christ his Lord (1 Cor 11:3). This means that the responsibilities for the successful upbringing and direction of the family toward the Lord rests upon his shoulders. This does not thrust the woman into a lesser position, as if her calling were in contingency with her gender, for God has always promoted a high view of women. “The throughout emphasizes the dignity of womanhood,” writes Foulkes. “And it is an indisputable fact that the example and teaching of Christ have lifted woman in one country and society after another to a position that she did not occupy before.” He goes on to elaborate:

Whereas in many great religions, not least in and Islam, woman has a far lower place than man, the New Testament emphasizes that man and woman have a perfect spiritual equality (Gal. 3:28). Moreover, as we see most notably in 1 Corinthians 7:3-5, Paul also ‘pleads for a true mutuality in the physical sex relation’ (Allen). Nevertheless in the family, for its order and its unity, there must be leadership, and the responsibility of leadership is that of the husband and father, and his authority must be accepted.9

There is perfect equality between the sexes as far as God is concerned, but within this perfect equality as joined in marriage, there stands varying responsibilities that should be upheld by each party involved. Graham notes that:

There is never anywhere any instruction for husbands to be submissive to their wives. It is also true, however, that nowhere is a husband instructed to force his wife to submit to him. The submission of a wife to a husband has been described as a ‘voluntary yielding in .’

8 I cannot help but to be autobiographical in these examples.

9 Foulkes, Ephesians, p. 155. EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 6

The submission of a wife to her husband is out of respect for the one to whom God has given the responsibility to lead, in a relationship of two people who are equal in creation and equal in redemption.10

This level of weighty responsibility that the husband has been commissioned with will be examined in Ephesians 5:25-33, but for now, this fact of male leadership must be clearly understood.

So what is the nature of a wife’s “submission” in a marriage context? How should this be understood? If we are to compare Scripture with Scripture, we will come across Colossians 3:18 which states:

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord, and 1 Peter 3:1-6, which tells us:

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

While this is not a commentary on either of these passages, it cannot be denied that each one speaks to the matter of a wife submitting to her husband. In Colossians 3:18, the prescription is nearly identical to what is seen in Ephesians 5:22 with the exception of “as is fitting” which can also be understood as “that which is proper,” with both pointing toward the Lord. However, in 1 Peter 3:1-6 we have the most detailed and revealing passage regarding a wife’s submission to her husband. Our understanding of “submission” is clearly seen in Sarah’s example in that she “obeyed” Abraham (1 Pet 3:6). “Obey” in this passage is “hypek̄ osen” which means “to follow instructions, obey, follow, be subject to,” or “to grant one’s request, hear,”11 while Louw and Nida understand this word to mean “to obey on the basis of having paid attention to—‘to obey, obedience.’”12 Humorously, you may be thinking, “it is one thing to consider doing what is said, but she also has to pay attention to him?” Regarding the relationship between submission and obedience, Schreiner writes:

The comparison demonstrates that the word “submit” includes the idea of obedience (cf. Luke 2:51; Rom 8:7; 10:3; 13:1; 1 Cor 14:34, etc.). Some object that obedience is an example

10 Anne Graham, Womanhood Revisited: A Fresh Look at the Role of Women in Society (Great Britian: Christian Focus Publications, 2002), p. 175.

11 BDAG, p. 1028.

12 Louw and Nida, p. 467. EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 7

but not a definition of submission. Surely submission includes more than obedience, for the right spirit and attitude are also commended in v. 4. What must be noticed, however, is that nothing less than obedience is required. In other words, submission does not merely involve being considerate or adapting to one’s husband. It is crucial to note that obedience and submission are different in various spheres. Peter was hardly suggesting that wives submit and obey in the same way as children, for the relationship is between two adults. We also learn from Paul that mutuality also characterizes the marriage relationship (1 Cor 7:3–5). Reading the whole marriage relationship through the lens of submission is liable to distort significantly the Scriptures. Nevertheless, what cannot be washed away is the responsibility of wives to follow their husbands’ leadership.13

Sarah’s obedience was one way in which she demonstrated her submissive attitude toward Abraham. Schreiner’s understanding makes the phrase “as unto the Lord” that much more important to a proper understanding of the text. Can a wife submit to her husband and yet be amiss in having a “gentle and quiet spirit?” Absolutely. This is easy to do, especially if the husband is not reciprocating the relationship by the words and actions that should be communicating his selfless love for her like the love that Christ has for the Church (Eph 5:25), to which many wives wrongly use as an excuse to relieve themselves of submitting to their husbands. Therefore, we are not looking at the superficial, exterior mechanics of this relationship, for this would be the very definition of “religion.” Rather, submission entails the inward motivations that encourage a wife to voluntarily position herself under the husband’s leadership, regardless if he is fulfilling his role as a husband or not (which is addressed by Peter in 1 Peter 3:1-2). This is why Christ as the focus of her duties is paramount in a wife’s understanding. Butterfield addresses this when she writes:

Submission refers to the inner attitude of the heart. It is therefore invisible and secret. Obedience is the outward expression of submission seen in the behavior of the wife. A wife may outwardly obey her husband and yet inwardly despise him. She is, therefore, not in submission to him in spite of her outward behavior. If this is the case, then the picture presented is no different from those who go through the motions of religious activities and yet have no regard toward Christ in their hearts.14

If submission is anything, it must be genuine. Again we can see the necessity for the filling of the Spirit in living out the “new life” obedience that we have been called to in Christ. This notion of genuine devotion to the submission of a wife unto her own husband should also eliminate any thoughts of slavery or servitude that often accompanies the mental images conjured from the word “submission.” Keep in mind that submission is voluntary and is done so with a view unto the Lord Jesus Christ and His matchless grace that coats our lives. A wife’s view of her husband should be one that looks through him to Christ. This “voluntary yielding in love” is not just out of a love for him as a husband, but more importantly a love for Christ.

However, it is plain from reading this verse that Paul’s intentions do not fall upon a wife submitting to her husband on the basis of some intrinsic value that is found in the husband. We

13 Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, Vol. 37, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), p. 156.

14 Butterfield, Secret Thoughts, p. 101. EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 8 need not bother ourselves looking for a reason within the husband that a wife should voluntarily place herself under him. You will not find one, and Paul does not waste his time trying to determine a reputable quality that provides the wife with motivation. This attitude in the relationship springs from looking unto Christ, not “Carl,” for there is nothing in “Carl” worthy of meriting a woman’s hand in marriage, much less her submission. Paul does not deal with this matter in contingencies, but rather as serving out the model relationship for the Church and her Savior. Now, there is something to be said about a husband’s understanding of the nature and motivation of his wife’s submission being unto Christ and not unto him, for it will serve in humbling any prideful uprising and should arouse sympathy in seeking to aid his wife in wanting to be obedient to the role in which she has been called. It is the Lord Jesus, and Him alone that is to be the bullseye in this submissive endeavor. William Kelly writes:

The Christian wife may have a husband; and it may be very painful and hard to bear all. Perhaps he makes nothing of you, and asks often what is unreasonable. But what will make the burden light, though felt? "Submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." I am to submit unto my husband as unto the Lord: let me only see the Lord in the matter, instead of his inconsiderateness and bad temper, and my path is plain. It is made a matter, not of mere duty, but of confidence in the Lord as above everything in His love, care, and government. This is what the Holy Ghost first starts with, and makes to be the basis of all the various instructions that He is about to bring forth.15

Since we live in a “What If?” society; a society that constantly entertains the hypotheticals, it is important to address the common question of an unjust marital relationship. It should be safe to assume that any relationship which involves should be separated as soon as possible. Abuse in a marriage is not a form of persecution for being a Christian, it is violence that should be avoided. In fact, it is telling that Peter has written 1 Peter 3:1-6 right after 2:13-25 which deals with unjust relationships in which suffering is involved. Again, the surrounding context serves in bringing a greater understanding to the author’s original meaning in writing. In particular, 1 Peter 2:15 is a main point that Peter is seeking to drive home among his audience. It states:

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

Notice that the functionality of the relationship is not found in words, but in works! In a personal pursuit of God in seeking to do your best in all situations, a solid reputation squelches the slander of the opposition. This understanding is further enhanced by Peter in the example of Christ when he writes:

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly (1 Peter 2:21-23).

15 William Kelly, Ephesians 4-6, [online], Accessed on October 22, 2015 at http://www.stempublishing.com/authors/kelly/2Newtest/EPH_PT2.html. EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 9

This principle is now related to the husband and wife relationship with the use of “likewise” (homoiōs- “in the same way”) which begins in 1 Peter 3:1. The notion here is submission, regardless of the husband’s “worthiness” for such submission. Peter notes that even if some are not in obedience to the Word of God, they may be won (kerdainō- “gained”), either to the obedience of Word or to faith in Christ if they are an unbelieving husband, by the conduct of their wives. Peter is implicit in communicating that words are not the answer in these types of situations, works are. Butterfield understands this when she writes: “God’s word is clear. Even if your husband is an unbeliever, your purpose is not to make him submit to you, but rather to win him to submission to the Lord through the example of your own humble conduct so that he is won ‘without a word.’”16 Obedience to such biblical guidelines would serve to dismiss the notion that women are capable of “nagging” their husbands regarding anything and everything. The female objection will often be “but you don’t know my husband,” or “I can’t go on like this for too long.” It would seem that both Paul and Peter’s replies would be “as unto the Lord, not Carl.” It is a settled devotion to Christ stemming from a consistently abiding relationship that provides the strength to trust His commands. Jesus “entrusted” Himself to the Father in the most trying times of His life. A troubled wife should entrust herself to the Father as well.

Moving into Ephesians 5:23, Paul starts with the conjunction hoti which is used to mean “because” or “for” (as in the ESV) with the purpose of providing a reason for the previous statement. God has designed the husband to serve as the head of the wife. Again, the role of “headship” does not imply inferiority to the one who is in submission, but authority in leadership and responsibility. This is clear from 1 Corinthians 11:3 which states:

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

Just as we would not consider Christ as inferior to God the Father, neither should we consider a wife as inferior to her husband. Rather, roles are in place for the fulfillment of God’s purposes, and as such, we should seek to embrace them, understanding that greater things are accomplished for God’s glory when we are diligent in them. The comparison is found in 5:23 with the phrase “even as” pointing to the relationship between Christ and the Church. Paul’s elaboration here focuses on that of Christ being the Savior of the Body, His Body, which is the Church. Again, the emphasis is on the original design and structure of the relationship and what God sought to communicate to an unregenerate world, but also to believers whose concept of “church” may have been tarnished with rituals and legalism. While some have held that the designation of “savior” could also be referring to the husband, this would push the meaning of the text into questionable territory. The only semblance that we are given from the context between Jesus and the husband is that the love exercised for the Church and demonstrated in the act of the cross is to be the same attitude of love that the husband exercises for his wife at every turn (Eph 5:25). This in no way calls the husband to serve in the way of “savior,” but is an imperative to the husband to constantly communicate and exemplify the imperative of selfless, sacrificial love for his .

Paul then concludes in Ephesians 5:24 that “as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” This should be a wake-up call to both husbands and

16 Butterfield, Secret Thoughts, p. 102. EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 10 wives, and to the Church as far as their relationships go with Christ. Great imagery comes pouring forth from such an example. Imagine for a moment what a local church body would look like if it were not subject to Christ’s teaching and leading. What would we see? Think about the greeting that one would receive when approaching the church building. Would it be warm and friendly, or would you even be noticed? How about the nursery or children’s events within the building? Would your be welcomed with a genuine concern for their care and growth, or would you be presumed upon to be a burden simply by your presence in the room and the “little bundle” that rolled in with you? Making your way to a seat in the sanctuary, would you be asked to move if you were sitting in another’s “usual spot,” or would you be welcomed warmly by 3 or 4 others who have taken the time out of their conversations to get to know you? When the music begins, would your feet be moved, or your heart? Would the lyrics that you are reciting cause you to contemplate the greatness of God or would it center around how you are going to do better, try harder, and add to God all of the things that He does not need? How about the message? Would the pastor use the Bible? Would the contents of the message be a sound message from the Scriptures in proving a scriptural point, or would the Scriptures be considered an “add-on” used to reinforce the subject that the pastor has spoken on? Would you walk away feeling comfortable about your place in life, or would you be contemplating the greatness of Christ’s death on the cross and your current lifestyle in light of all that He has secured for you by the giving of His life? Could you participate in communion after confession of sin with a clear conscience through the reestablishment of fellowship with the Father, or would you take communion without thinking at all? Upon exiting the building and entering your vehicle, would you drive away the same person that you were when you arrived? With grief, today’s Christianity has just been largely described. We have forgotten three simple truths both in the church and in our husband and wife relationships. First, God matters. Second, He has something to say about how you live your life. Third, we are encouraged, implored, and prodded to respond to His great grace as found in His Word. But is this what is happening? A.W. Tozer has been quoted as saying:

If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95% of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 % of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.

If the Church does not submit to Christ, we have a factory of religion that keeps its wheels churning, offering up the product that people want, but not the antidote that people need. Ultimately, God has called the wife to a role of divine representation in the bonds of matrimony to represent His design for this relationship between the suffering and triumphant Savior and the blessed and needy Church. The Church is in need of leadership, and Christ serves as her leader. The Church is blessed to be in this relationship, and the blood of Christ makes it possible. The Church is to march forward in obedience to what has been mandated in the Word of God, and Christ is the Word of God that is plugged directly into the Body, without seam or separation. Likewise, the wife is in need of leadership and the husband is called upon to serve as her leader. The wife benefits from this relationship, and the husband loves selflessly to make this possible (Eph 5:25). The wife is to march forward in obedience to what God has called the family to, and the husband is to wash the wife with the Word of God (Eph 5:26), which serves as the divine directive that leads him as he leads his family. A church can operate apart from the leadership of Christ, but the joys that are sought will not be found, the nurturing that needs to take place will be absent, and the effectiveness of God’s EPHESIANS.43 P a g e | 11 divine purposes will be vacant. So it is with the husband and wife relationship. A wife can operate apart from submission to her husband. But the joy that she seeks, the nurturing that she needs, and the fulfillment of God’s divine purposes to which she was created for will all remain elusive. Wives should submit to their husbands in everything (Eph 5:24), entrusting themselves to the One who has designed the relationship for the greater goal of God’s glory!