EPHESIANS 5:22

“Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”

Ephesians 5:22-6:4 is a well-known passage about the roles of a family (wife, husband, child, father). I want to begin by saying that these are God’s words given to Paul through the Holy Spirit to pen for the Ephesians and future generations. You may not like all that is written here. Many people don’t. They claim these thoughts are outdated or irrelevant for today. But do I need to remind you that every single word in the Bible is inspired by God and is profitable? (2 Timothy 3:16-17) So, don’t get mad at me for what Paul is saying. Don’t get mad at Paul. He was just the messenger. Take it up with God.

Paul starts out these verses on family by instructing the wife. I mentioned in yesterday’s blog on 5:21 that some people don’t like the thought of women submitting or subjecting themselves to a man. Go back and read that blog for a further description about that word “subject.” I am not going to rehearse that thought today. Instead, I want you to look at some other verses God gives us on today’s subject. Before we do that, look at the last four words of today’s verse – “as to the Lord.” That is the parameter for the woman’s submission.

APPLICATION

I want to start this application with a quote from Barnes about this verse. Hang with me. It’s kind of long, but I think it is a great view of the text. “Where commands begin ‘in this relation,’ happiness usually ends; and the moment a husband ‘requires’ a wife to do anything, it is usually a signal of departing or departed affection and peace. When there are proper feelings in both parties in this relation there will be no occasion either to command or to obey. There should be such mutual love and confidence, that the known ‘wish’ of the husband should be a law to the wife: and that the known desires of the wife should be the rule which he would approve. A perfect government is that where the known wish of the lawgiver is a sufficient rule to the subject. Such is the government of heaven; and a family on earth should approximate as nearly as possible to that.”

That was pretty good, huh? It’s a mutual thing when it is done as the Lord commands. In 1 Corinthians 11:3, we read this, “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.” The Lord gives us clear roles in family. They are not to be ignored, for when they are, chaos rules. For more on this, read verses 4-12 in 1 Corinthians 11.

The Lord spoke through Peter on this subject as well. In 1 Peter 3:1 it says, “In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won over without a word by the behavior of their wives,.” The wife’s submission to her husband can be used by the Lord to win over an unbelieving husband.

Over in Titus 2:3-5, Paul gives these instructions to Titus for the church. “3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

I could go on and give you more passages on this subject of wives’ submission to their husbands, but I think you have the picture now. I encourage you to search the Scriptures yourself if you have doubts. Let the Lord correct you, not me. Do it all as to the Lord.

Father, I thank You for wives everywhere who see the benefits and rewards of following Your plan for the home.