I was reading Colossians Chp 3 today morning. I use the life application Study Bible. I was reading about Wives submitting to the Husbands and Husbands loving their wives. The commentator insists that submission mentioned here is mutual. I must say that no where in the Bible I have read that the submission in mutual in marriage.
Yes, this idea of mutual submission is extremely popular and endorsed by the Church Leaders of the Born Again- Spirit filled churches across the globe. The idea is that if Husband and wife are both walking in the ways of the Lord then wife will submit to the Husband and the Husband will put aside his own interests and cherish his wife.
I have a problem with this idea.
This idea is very Utopian. Before meeting Christ, I have been a fan Utopian thinking and I have always desired for the perfect world to come by and it was this hope that brought me to Christ. Were my hopes dashed? No, I realised that as Christians we are preparing ourselves or training ourselves to be part of the perfect world..the heavenly Jerusalem which will appear with Christs second coming. This helped me get rid of the frustration of the failing political system, corruption and other social problems in this world and the problems in my life as well. Have we earned our place in this new world?? No..It is a gift of God in form of salvation.
Similarly it is not right to expect a newly married couple to walk in ways of GOD from the day they get married. This means that idea of mutual submission perhaps can only be applied to a couple which has spent several years (Good & Bad) together.
So how then do we establish order in an institution ( marriage) which is very young and is not fully developed themselves in the nature of Christ?
Lets look at examples from the society we live in. In any organisation - corporates, NGO, Army, Government, there is always a superior authority which directs/implements/manages/develops/corrects their respective units. The team members (subordinates) in each of these form of organisations have varying level of freedom of will and freedom of expression.
Most of us work in large companies. Can we imagine being a part of a unit which has no boss? Any organisation however big and small has one boss. No organisation can function without such an order.
This is because someone has the have the last word.
What I don't understand is why does this concept change when it comes to marriage? Why do we becomes super spiritual,philosophical and hypothetical when it comes to establishing order in the institution of marriage. Someone may argue and say ..Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world..but brother or may be sister..this pattern of governance is GOD ordained which is successfully adopted by the "evil" world.
That's why Paul has chosen to use to 2 separate instructions in the passage in Collosians. To the Wife he says to submit and to the Husband he says to love. Only then we have can practically viable governance in marriage. Paul could have very well chosen to say.."Husband and Wife, love and submit to each
other".. but he didn't.
"Mutual Submission" is a very diplomatic and "all pleasing" idea, but it is totally impractical.
Yes, this idea of mutual submission is extremely popular and endorsed by the Church Leaders of the Born Again- Spirit filled churches across the globe. The idea is that if Husband and wife are both walking in the ways of the Lord then wife will submit to the Husband and the Husband will put aside his own interests and cherish his wife.
I have a problem with this idea.
This idea is very Utopian. Before meeting Christ, I have been a fan Utopian thinking and I have always desired for the perfect world to come by and it was this hope that brought me to Christ. Were my hopes dashed? No, I realised that as Christians we are preparing ourselves or training ourselves to be part of the perfect world..the heavenly Jerusalem which will appear with Christs second coming. This helped me get rid of the frustration of the failing political system, corruption and other social problems in this world and the problems in my life as well. Have we earned our place in this new world?? No..It is a gift of God in form of salvation.
Similarly it is not right to expect a newly married couple to walk in ways of GOD from the day they get married. This means that idea of mutual submission perhaps can only be applied to a couple which has spent several years (Good & Bad) together.
So how then do we establish order in an institution ( marriage) which is very young and is not fully developed themselves in the nature of Christ?
Lets look at examples from the society we live in. In any organisation - corporates, NGO, Army, Government, there is always a superior authority which directs/implements/manages/develops/corrects their respective units. The team members (subordinates) in each of these form of organisations have varying level of freedom of will and freedom of expression.
Most of us work in large companies. Can we imagine being a part of a unit which has no boss? Any organisation however big and small has one boss. No organisation can function without such an order.
This is because someone has the have the last word.
What I don't understand is why does this concept change when it comes to marriage? Why do we becomes super spiritual,philosophical and hypothetical when it comes to establishing order in the institution of marriage. Someone may argue and say ..Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world..but brother or may be sister..this pattern of governance is GOD ordained which is successfully adopted by the "evil" world.
That's why Paul has chosen to use to 2 separate instructions in the passage in Collosians. To the Wife he says to submit and to the Husband he says to love. Only then we have can practically viable governance in marriage. Paul could have very well chosen to say.."Husband and Wife, love and submit to each
other".. but he didn't.
"Mutual Submission" is a very diplomatic and "all pleasing" idea, but it is totally impractical.
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