QT 9/24/2026 Eph 5:22–24, A misused word, submission

Ephesians 5:21–24 (ESV) —

21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 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. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

 

NOTE: An interesting fact is that the word submit is not in the Greek text for verse 22. It is in the proceeding verse 21, where everyone submits to one another out of reverence for Christ. Verse 22 follows mutual submission with "wives to husbands as to the Lord." Also verse 24, in the Greek text, only has the word submits once in the statement "the church submits to Christ" followed by the phrase, "wives in everything to their husband." Even though the word submit is omitted in the Greek in both cases, it carries forward the thought of how women submit to one another in the church and how woman submits to Christ. Their specific role is to their husbands, but let's not forget the main rule, everyone submits to one another, and everyone in the church submits to Christ. This is not a "women-only" rule. It is a church-wide rule. The husbands submits to his wife by sacrificial love for her (verses 25-33). She is not his slave, she is precious and special and to be protected. She is his greatest gift from God. That does not make her an object, since she shares the same body with him as they become one.

 

In today's modern deconstruction trend, these verses are misinterpreted and maligned to the woman's hurt. Her greatest joy can be found in God's will for her life. Today, woman seek a cause and give themselves over to emotional rage because deep down they are hurting and out of touch with their savior. Deconstructing their faith will do them no good. It is a covering, a Band-Aid, that does not heal the wound.

 

PONDER:

1. Personally, as a man, I feel the husband's job is harder. And I also think husband's failure are much greater. In some ways, the woman's refusal to consider "biblical submission" is our (men's fault). I'm not sure I could always submit to myself. What are we, as men, doing to change our submission to make the women's submission one of joy?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to see where I am inconsiderate, quick to speak but not listen, and not appreciative of my wife. Give me grace to change.