Marriage: a Biblical model of submission

A Dr. Craig Keener workshop.

Submission is a full concept explained in Ephesians 5 and 6. Be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18). Praise God (Eph 5:19-20). Submitting to each other included the following categories of people: Wives and husbands (Eph 5:22-23); children and fathers (Eph 6:1-4); Slaves and slaveholders (Eph 6:5-9).

Romans were suspicious of Jews and Christians and other Eastern “cults” like Dionysus and Isis, because they thought they subverted traditional Roman family values, and those groups worked hard to convince the Romans that was not true. Paul says that the wife should submit because everyone should submit. Paul used these “how to live” codes but subverts them. Part of Paul’s direction on this probably also included a missions emphasis as well; in other words, don’t offend needlessly so Christ can be explained and glorified.

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, [submit (word not there)] to your husbands as to the Lord” (Eph 5:21-22). Paul’s instructions to wives parallel those to slaves.

Gender roles varied greatly throughout the Roman empire. Views on this varied greatly among Jewish rabbis. Romans and Macedonians were more progressive, but the Greeks more conservative. Greeks wanted meek, shy, retiring women who avoided other men, not of higher class and not richer; Greek wives averaged 12 years younger than their husbands.

How does one change a culture when culture affects so much. But Christians can be salt in the world. Husbands and wives: submit to each other. That’s where the task gets difficult.