Scripture says wives are to submit to their own husbands. Why do most churches

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   celafoeposted 9 years ago

   Scripture says wives are to submit to their own husbands.   Why do most churches not teach this?
   
   Scripture says that Christ is head of the church and that the husband is head of the wife in like manner.   Why do the majority of churches and those professing Christianity not teach, believe or follow this scripture?
   Eph 5:22-24  22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

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   gmwilliamsposted 9 years ago

   
   
   Oh boy are you living in the Middle Ages when women had no rights at all.  This is the modern times where women are human beings with rights equal to that of men.  Women are not inferior to men nor are they submissive vassals. Get real man. 
   
   Most churches realize that these are modern times with the exception of some backward fundamentalist ones who still proclaim that nonsensical drivel of female submission.  This is no longer me Tarzan, you Jane.  That premise has disappeared.  You must have been asleep or at least dormant during the 1970s when women fought for & obtain their rights.  The era of the submissive woman is LONG GONE.  It is suggested that you keep up with the times.  In other words, be there or be......SQUARE. 
   
   Growth & evolution are parts of life.  Change is part of growth & evolution.  In fact, they are co-mingled.  People who live in & adhere to things that past & irrelevant go by the way of the dinosaur & do-do bird.

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      celafoeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      properly understood and applied this is a protection for women.
      yes the "churches" have laid aside scripture and no longer teach scripture, but a mix of worldly ways and doctrines of men.  that is why God has left the "church system"

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      Misfit Chickposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I'd guess that most churches have stopped teaching this ideal for this reason - because it is out-of-date and offensive to many women, now. Clergy don't really want to alienate anyone. Also, the flip-side is also true - men are often NOT the provider

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   Annsaloposted 9 years ago

   Definition of Submit: Accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person
   I'd say probably because it is idiotic and sexist. I mean I can't think of anywhere in the bible where it says a husband must submit to his wife, though I may just not remember. So it isn't equal. You mention in a comment that this is for protection. My question to you is why is a woman considered unable to protect herself?
   Now don't get me wrong, I am not a believer, but I believe in a very traditional type marriage. As in if one person isn't working and is staying home they should provide the basics when that person comes home from work. I believe in taking care of my husband. Making sure he has a warm meal when he gets home, but it is equal. As much "submitting" I do to him, he does for me. Because no matter what both people in the relationship need to feel equal in what they are giving in the relationship versus what they are getting.
   No matter what your bible says relationships depend on many things and one of those things is both people feeling like they are treated equally as good as the other. The second you use the word submit for just one you are losing any equality. A relationship is not about having a superior!

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      celafoeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      you just cannot use a regular dictionary to interpret scripture.
      wonderful worldly answer but not applicable if you are  a Christian who are of another kingdom and not of this world
      Christians are to confirm to scripture not the way of man

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      Annsaloposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Why would anyone choose to conform to something that violates basic decency towards the person they love. Definitions are what they are. Not really interpret able. Please inform me what submit means if it doesn't mean what definition says.

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      celafoeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      since you have no scripture knowledge there is not room in 250 words to explain.   suffice to say men are to love and care for wives.  Eph 5:25-26
      25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
      NKJV

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      Ericdierkerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I wonder on this concept of submission. When I hear it I always think of "whoever is first is last". There seems to be a connection between submission and being a servant. I try to be of service to my wife. Does that mean I submit to her?

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      Annsaloposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Why do you assume I have no knowledge of scripture? Because I don't interpret the same way as you? I've studied both the bible and the Torah in great depths over the years. Do you have a link to what you think submit means? Or is this just ur opinion

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      Rich kelleyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
      Eph 5:28  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

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      Annsaloposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Not in my opinion Eric. Being a service to your spouse is what all marriages should strive for!  But I'm sure I must not be knowledgeable enough to be right on that.

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      celafoeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      eric--  loving her is not submitting to her.  you are not to submit to her.  see
      what happened to Ahab when he submitted to his wife.  see Eph 5:25-33

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      SonOfSkyrim201posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Charlie the Church does teach that wives must submit to their husbands and it ALSO says the husbands must submit to their wives.

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       celafoeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       fard-  A  "church of men " may teach husbands to submit to their wives.  But THE CHURCH (EKKLESIA) does not.   The scriptures do not say this they teach  to LOVE you wives and how to do that.

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       gmwilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       GREAT ANSWER, ANNSALO!!!!!

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       celafoeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       gmw--- that is only your opinion which has NO eternal value, so is worthless to those to whom this question has value.   that being Christ followers who wish to please God.

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   Rich kelleyposted 9 years ago

   "Scripture says wives are to submit to their own husbands. Why do most churches not teach this?"
   
   The institutional church wants the clergy laity divide fully in tact and if the pulpit were to teach that women should be listening to THEIR OWN husbands that is power they really don't want to relent and turn over to anyone. If this actually happened it would also require THEIR OWN husbands to become knowledgeable on the scripture and not rely on their paid hireling. If they should teach this then you normally find a strong control of the men which indirectly keeps the laity in charge regardless.
   
   The other side of the coin is perfectly displayed by the answers from Grace Marguerite Williams and Annsalo, both comments are from worldly educated people. The funny part is that the institutional church is so much like the rest of the world that their opinions are common in the majority of the buildings with signs out front saying church.
   
   I've seen the man in charge syndrome. The problem is most don't know how to apply what the scripture is calling for so they rely on what they see others doing. The scripture doesn't say wives submit to a dictator. Biblical structure can be very rewarding however when tainted with the worlds teachings you end up with a bad example. The church is today nothing but a worldly meeting hall that has tax deductions for members. The scripture discussed inside the walls is to support all the false doctrines and ways of man. It is a feel good psychology gathering that plucks scripture to keep things 'churchy'.

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      celafoeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      excellent answer Rich  I agree completely

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   KingdomComeposted 9 years ago

   celafoe- I agree 100% in what you have stated with regards to Ephesians 5:22-24. But it must be said for the sake of both wives and husbands that it's not a one way street. Because it continues from verse 25 through 31 which states:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loves the church and gives of Himself for HER, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word. 27 the He might present her to Hisself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she might be holy and without blemish. So HUSBANDS ought to LOVE their own wives as their own bodies, he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourished and cherishes it, just as the lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of HIs flesh and His bones.31 " For this reason a MAN shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife; and the TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."
   
   This is why.
   
   God bless.

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      celafoeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      thanks for adding this .   I wanted to incude it but ran out of room;   I did address it  in a comment on the wives question.   Correct understanding is so important.

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      KingdomComeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for asking a great question celafoe. Blessings

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   Ericdierkerposted 9 years ago

   Most assuredly I cannot speak to "most churches" except from what I can gleam from my attendance and appearances in the broader spectrum. I do not hold to the often popular notion of Church = bad. Like a painkiller medicine church must be taken responsibly and we mustn't build a dependence thereon. Church serves a limited purpose which can be healthy if a full spiritual life is not reliant on the church - any church.
   The churches that my family is associated with do in fact hold true to the submission doctrine.
   Of course in understanding this doctrine we always must remember our two great commandments as a guiding light. Mathew 22: 37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself. 40 All the law and the writings of the prophets depend on these two commands.”
   Submission to one's husband must be secondary to the requirement to submit to the Lord with all one's heart, soul and mind. So who is a wife to submit to when the husband is contrary to the Lord? Clearly the Lord first. This requires an independent discernment by all wives. It is then through lifting up that the wife submits to the husband. Not as a slave to a master but as two parts to the same flesh. The hand submits to the brain but the brain is useless without a body.
   
   As we have seen right here there is a knee jerk opposition by many women to this notion of submission. That is clearly because they bring a man developed societal concept into the realm of the spiritual. One does not dictate to the other. But alas it happens all the same. So what is a preacher man with less than stellar talent to do? Risk alienating the hearers of his sermons because he fumbles when explaining submission? The answer is fear and less than a full trust in scripture and the Lord.
   That is what I suggest. If indeed most churches do not teach this, it is due to a fear of offending and losing followers. Clearly the road to understanding is not always easy. As for my family we shall follow the path rather than take an easier route.

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   Link10103posted 8 years ago

   They would probably lose half their congregation.
   
   And in turn, half their revenue.

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      celafoeposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      at least half maybe more.   agreed

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   roselinsojanposted 8 years ago

   scripture says another one too, that is love your wife.do husbands live like that.?

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      celafoeposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      real Christian men do.  but then sometimes love doesn't seem like love at the moment.   real Christian couples have COMMUNICATION and a desire to please God which make possible the scriptural admonition to become one in Spirit .death of self is neede

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   JohnHJamesposted 8 years ago

   You’re absolutely right. Scripture is pretty clear about the role of men and women in relationships and in the church. The reason that most mainstream churches don’t enforce that is two-fold. The first is the changing attitudes in secular society. The second is the church trying to stay alive.
   
   When the Bible was written women were pretty clearly the property of their fathers until they were married. Then they became the property of their husbands. In many societies around the world women were property.
   
   In today’s world women have gained a more equal standing. They aren’t considered property anymore in most cultures. As that’s changed, secular society has moved from submit to talk it out together. It isn’t just women wanting more power. Men are also enjoying more money coming into the house and less work and responsibility for the men.
   
   Now as secular society has changed, people want their church to change with them. They won’t go to a church that preaches ideas that are counter to their own beliefs. And remember most church goes only go to church once a week. The rest of the time they are in secular society.
   
   To keep their congregation churches have had to adapt. Churches are like businesses. If they want to keep their customers they have to not only give the customer what they need, but they have to give the customer what they want as well. Because of that churches have relaxed on the parts of the bible that imply that women are not equal to men in all ways. The passage you quoted are one of those.
   
   The Church has had to adapt constantly over the centuries. When the birth control pill became mainstream, many churches had to accept that people were going to control when they had kids. The Catholic Church lost a lot of followers because of its stance against the pill. Peoples’ attitudes changed so the church had to adapt. In the 1800s churches talked about how slavery was right, moral and Godly. Attitudes changed and now the parts of the Bible that condone slavery are ignored.
   
   Whether that’s right or wrong is outside the scope of your question. As attitudes and ideas in secular society change the church has to adapt or it will lose followers. In general, most churches decide it’s better to relax on certain issues, as long as the core teachings remain, to keep their congregation alive. Most church leaders live in the secular world as well. Their attitudes and ideas change with the times along with their followers.

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      celafoeposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      True but that does not excuse them from teaching truth.
      2 Tim 4:2   Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
      NKJV

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    Sam Shepardsposted 8 years ago

    Because the Bible and the Abrahamic relgions were written by men and the worldview in it is mostly patriarchal. Today we are leaving that men dominated view behind, still long strides to go. And it will be a difficult balancing act, how much state will we allow to interfere and not let the scales tip over? Because the male physical dominance we can only seem to control by outside power. But I guess you are going to say the Bible is truth, the word of God or absolute truth so I'll just stop here.

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