Submission And The Word "Wife".

Submission And The Word "Wife". 

  There has been so many issues on submission lately and most of the time I respond with 'I don't know what submission is and won't practice what I do not know.' However, this is not absolutely true. I say that to avoid some unnecessary arguments. But, I have finally decided to write about it. Not many people will like what I will put here but that's life hey!!

  Submission is one of those words in the bible that people use as they please. One of the most used words I reckon 😂. With the way it's viewed by most people, it seems to favour a particular gender. So is God then partial? (definitely not!). Both Christians and non Christians like the word, especially when it favours one person. To face the truth, majority of people that it favours have refused to actually pause and learn what exactly it means i.e. Submission in God's way. 

What does submission really mean?

  In oder to understand the word, we need to define it appropriately and then use it in its proper  context.

The Greek word for submission is 'hupotasso' which means 'to get under and lift up' or 'to put in order'. Submission is not synonymous with obedience. Obedience in Greek is 'hupakoe' which means 'to listen to' or 'to hearken to.' These two are different.

  Submission in the bible context is really to describe relationships for CHRISTIANS - those who believe in Jesus. It's not for everyone to practice. It describes the Christian grace of voluntarily giving ones preference to another. It's not forced, neither is it demanded. It has nothing to do with traditional principles and it's not the assertion of one person's right!

  We have come across different kinds of submissions in homes, churches and society at large. Most times, women have been told to focus on a single thing in their marriage and that is to always submit to their husbands. There has been lots of lies that it's the responsibility of the woman to sustain her marriage and this is by yielding to whatever the husband says 100%, regardless of how she feels about it 👈 wrong. 

There are homes where submission is not practiced and they have fantastic marriages!

 So, this submission issue in the bible is from Eph 5:21-23. I'm using NIV here 

I'm sure most people don't read verse 21 which says 'submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.'

  

Submission is a voluntary act and it's purpose is to reflect Jesus. Submission has nothing to do with gender, age, sex, economic status or nationality. Being submissive in the real sense of it means mutual respect for one another. It's not the loss of a woman's right or ability to make choices. It's not an action needed only for women in relation to their husbands or any male figure they come across. 

Most people overlook the part that says 'submit in the Lord.' Submission is as unto the Lord. 

  

A Christian woman is subject to a higher authority than her husband and that authority is God. A woman should never disobey God's law or civil law in the name of submission. 

The bible does not support submission to any form of abuse. Abuse is not right, neither is it lawful. Abuse does not bring honour to God. Submitting as unto the Lord means things that are right and lawful and things that bring honour to God. This is why I get annoyed when I hear people use the principle of submission to justify abuse. This is twisting scripture and promoting evil! One said the other day that's it's better to die in an abusive marriage, than die divorced 😳I'm not sure when divorce became a gate pass to hell fire and when marriage certificate became the ticket to heaven. These people play too much. 

  Matthew Henry wrote "the woman was made out of Adam's side. She was 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 loved." Kindly spare me the talk of how men and women are not equal!

  Submission of the wife to the husband in Eph 5 is not a licence for the husband to be domineering or selfish. In all honesty, when a wife is absolutely loved by her husband as Christ loves the Church, submission is not that hard. Christ died for the church! What a sacrifice! 

Submission in marriage is a position of honouring and respecting your husband. Please ladies, don't marry someone you can't honour or respect. It just makes things harder!

Bible never teaches that women are inferior. Patriarchal society did that! It's time to stop mixing Christianity and culture. 

  I was talking to a friend the other day and she said she was taking a Sunday school class at church. I asked her to talk to me about her topic so I can learn and we can rub minds. I love talking about Jesus I tell you. Anyway, she said she was talking on 'the obedient wife.' I was beyond shocked! I asked where that was in the bible and what bible passage she is using to back up her topic? She said she was using the church manual. I then asked her if there's a part in the manual where the writer talked about obedient husbands and she answered no. I asked her if she is conceived in her inner self that God actually asked women to be obedient to their husbands in all ways! She had no response to that. Well she did hear it from me that day, as I told her she is teaching heresy. 

  Go and preach the gospel is the command and not go and teach about submission! I do not like when Christians twist scriptures to favor one gender. Stop using manuals that don't have biblical backing or those ones that they have culturally twisted what the bible actually says. Nothing beats having a one on one relationship with God himself, because if you do, you won't be easily swayed by all these doctrines that people are passing around as the word of God. Sorry, I digress!

Because this post is getting too long 😜 and I do not want to bore you any further, I will like to  mention some things that I will not term submission 👇

  - submission has nothing to do with wife not having an opinion 

  - submission is not the woman keeping quiet every time the husband is talking (anyone can decide to be quiet during an argument).

  - submission is not being compelled to drop your pay check for your husband while you have no say in how it is used. 

  - submission is not keeping quiet while he slowly isolates you from family and friends.

  - submission is not being compelled to drop your dreams and aspirations on the alter of marriage 

  - submission is not obeying your husband 100%

  - submission is not the key to heaven. 

  - submission is not for unbelievers or Christians by birth.

Lots of the things we term submission these days are modern day slavery 😂

  To my dear Christians, let's focus more on preaching the gospel, which really is all about the love of Christ. Let's stop being enablers of patriarchy and evil against women in our society. 

Don't let your good be evil spoken of. Don't be a reason another woman dies (literally or mentally) in the hands of a man. Preach the gospel of Jesus and not your culture. Don't just read other people's manuals, read the bible. Don't see Jesus through someone else's understanding.

  Finally, don't let the devil or your village people use you with regards to this post! ✌️ 

  

Source: Unknown. 

Image source: animalia-life.