What It Means to Submit

Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

–Ephesians 5:21

I once received a letter from a woman that read: “There are a number of people who disagree with your viewpoint that women should be submissive to their husbands. I fail to understand how you could advise any group of individuals–in this case, women–to submit to another person merely on the basis of some biological characteristic–in this case, sex. It is sentiments and ideas such as those you prescribe that ultimately turned me away from organized religion.”

I’m surprised how many Christians are willing to jettison their belief that all Scripture is inspired by God when they come to a verse like Colossians 3:18: “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” Suddenly, in their eyes, Paul’s status changes from God’s chosen apostle to a male chauvinist pig. Unfortunately, their attitude may be due to the fact that many men, including pastors, have twisted God’s Word to say that women are inferior to men or should obey men. Nowhere does the Bible say that. In fact, the Bible was revolutionary in its teachings about the role of women. The fact that Paul would even address women was a radical concept; that he addressed women first showed the honored position they have in God’s eyes.

The Bible is clear that men and women are equal before God. So how do we explain Paul’s command that wives are to submit to their husbands? The Greek word for “submit” is a military term that means to place under rank. Submission has nothing to do with worth or value; it has to do with position. For example, my brother is a police officer. When he pulls up behind somebody with his lights on, why does the motorist pull over? It has nothing to do with my brother’s personality, intellect, or worth; it has to do with his position. That’s what submission is about. A wife is under the authority of her husband, not inferior to her husband.

It’s important to understand that a wife’s submission to her husband is not unconditional. Submission is limited in sphere–not every woman is to submit to every man. Wives are to submit to their own husbands. There is nothing in the Bible that keeps a woman from being the CEO of a company, a general in the military, or the president of the United States. Submission is also limited in scope. If a husband asks his wife to do something that violates the clear teaching of God’s Word, she must refuse. In Acts 5:29, Peter said, “We must obey God rather than men.”

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Today’s devotion is adapted from “Does Your Home Work?” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2012.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.