Instructions to Wives
September 29, 2019
Commentary
Wives are to submit (Col. 3:18). It is easy to fake a spirit-filled life for one or two hours a week in church, but it takes a real work of the Holy Spirit to exhibit genuine godliness in everyday relationships in the home. Paul explains how this works with the wife (vv. 22-24) and with the husband (vv. 25-32). Wives are to submit to their husbands (v. 22). The reason for this submission is because God has made the husband responsible for the leadership in the home (v. 23). However, real Spiritual leadership involves service. A wise and Christ honoring husband will not take advantage of his leadership. As with any position of responsibility, there must be authority given to carry out the responsibility. Anything that is two headed is a freak.
However, submission does not mean inferiority. It simply means that the wife recognizes that her husband is the head of the home and then she responds to him accordingly. The example for her to follow is Christ’s headship over the church (v. 23). Just as the church needs to be in submission to Christ, so should the wife be in submission to her husband so he can carry out his responsibility of leadership. It would be foolish to think of the church telling Christ what to do and the same is true in the husband wife relationship. Wives should always put their husbands first, as the church puts Christ first (v. 24).
The independent spirit and the stress on equal rights that is promoted in our society today, does not make it easy for a wife to be submissive to her husband. Never the less, God’s way is always the right way. The fact that this teaching is not popular in our day is no reason to discard it.
Application
What are the things that I do that makes it hard for my wife to be submissive. If I expect my wife to be submissive I must first of all be submissive to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:22– 24 (NET)
22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church (he himself being the savior of the body). 24 But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Illustration: Value Of a Wife’s Services
Bob Greene (in the Detroit Free Press) cited a study by attorney Michael Minton on the monetary value of a wife’s services in the home. First he listed the various functions she performs: chauffeur, gardener, family counselor, maintenance worker, cleaning woman, housekeeper, cook, errand runner, bookkeeper/budget manager, interior decorator, caterer, dietitian, secretary, public relations person, hostess. Using this impressive list of household duties, Minton figured the dollar value of a housewife’s work in today’s labor market. He came up with the amount of $1570.14 a week. That’s $81,647.28 a year! (Source unknown)