Gender and the Chuch- The Submission of Wives

 OK folks, let’s start to get into some real issues here.  The first issue I want to tackle is that of authority.  This will be the first time we wrestle with some major contradictions.  I want to start in Ephesians 5:21-33.  First, you will notice that many Bibles divide verses 21 and 22 into different sections (which I believe to be a mistake).   Verse 21 says, “…and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”  Every other mention of subjection that follows stems from this verse.  The call is for the members of the church to submit to one another, to yield to one another, to not insist on getting your own way.  This is serve and not be served kind of language.  However, the part of this passage that gets the most play time is verses 22-24 which says that “wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”  The reason is given in verse 23, “for the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church…”  Repeated again in verse 24, “but as the Church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.” 

If we stop reading here we are left with a sense that husbands hold authority over their wives and wives are called to submit to that authority… right?  For now let’s just skip the issue of what unmarried women should do and just jump right to the issue of mutual submission.  We started with submit to one another and landed on wives submit to husbands just as the Church submits to Christ.  So, how does the Church submit to Christ?
 
Do you recall those parts of the gospel where Jesus came, established himself as supreme ruler, defined levels of hierarchy, and demanded that the Church be subservient to him?  Me neither.   As I recall Jesus emptied himself, became nothing, took the form of a human infant born to a woman, served all, put himself last, established the Church, elevated and enabled the Church to his equal, and put everything into the hands of the Church.  Through this amazing act of love and selflessness Christ won the hearts of humanity to himself.  Or, as Ephesians 5:29 says, “…for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church.”
 
Review the gospels and you will see that Christ is touched by the woman with issues of blood (Luke 8:43-47) an act that would technically make him ceremonially unclean.  How does he respond?  Does he put her in her place for this bold, controversial, and unorthodox event?  No, he praises her for her faith and sends her on her way.  Read the gospels and consider how Christ interacts with women.  Men, begin to understand how Christ loved the church and you will never, NEVER have to ask for submission or respect.  How did Christ lead the church?  How did Christ assert his authority?  Is this how we lead today?  Do the policies of our churches reflect this type of leadership (especially regarding women)?