Some of the fiercest conversations we’ve ever had have started with questions about headship, submission, and roles. You probably agree that biblical manhood and womanhood are among the most common and culturally confusing topics within marriage today. Wives struggle with what it means to submit while husbands wrestle with what it means to express loving headship like Jesus.
All of the pain, confusion, and frustration we feel around the ideas of headship and submission are the result of sin. In today’s episode, we go out on a limb and discuss one of the touchiest subjects possible: submission and headship in marriage.
Show Notes:
Verses:
“Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”
Genesis 3:16 NLT
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
Ephesians 5:22-25
In the above verses, the Bible is painting a picture of a distortion of a pre-fall truth of roles, headship, and submission. What examples do we have of healthy, complementary roles? The primary example of God-designed roles exists within the Trinity, where we see three distinct persons within one God. The Father is the head, the Holy Spirit is the helper, and the Son clearly submits to the Father.
In Christ, we see a perfect picture if headship as he leads the truth, and we see a perfect picture of submission as he submits to the Father.
BIG NOTE: Submission does not mean a woman should stay in harm’s way or in a way that causes her to sin.
Listen in for more… (there’s a ton more.)
Couple’s Challenge
Answer the following two questions in your own words and discuss:
- How has sin distorted or changed our views of headship and submission in marriage?
- How does Jesus display perfect headship and submission?
Mentioned in today’s episode:
- Preaching by Tim Keller
- Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
- The Systematic Theology Podcast (episode 56 on biblical manhood/womanhood)
- Husband in Pursuit by Ryan Frederick (Now available on Kindle!)
- Wife in Pursuit by Selena Frederick (Now available on Kindle!)
Thanks for listening!
Stay fierce,
Ryan and Selena
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