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Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church... (Ephesians 5:22-23)
So begins a Chicago Tribune article of September 27, 2000, entitled "To Love, Honor, and Obey," an article demonstrating probably one of the most "controversial" differences between the Word of God and society today.
The article discusses the submission of wives to their husbands and provides interviews of Baptists who believe in submission, contrasted with scholars in the world who make it abundantly clear that they do not approve of the practice. This article demonstrates one of the problems with our society today.
Over the past thirty years, we have seen a major decline in morality in our society overall. A loss of respect for and belief in the sanctity of marriage has produced an astronomic divorce rate (thought to be around 60% today), single-parent households, and higher rates of crime, depression, and a host of other societal ills. Does the media decide to begin to honor the family as God sees it (Hebrews 13:4)? No. They decide to denigrate God's plan and call it "archaic" and "not Biblical, but Greek."
The Baptist women interviewed for this article should be commended; they did a good job of demonstrating and defending God's plan for the household. They said that the husband is supposed to love them and care for them, and one of the women even said that the husband has the harder job, having to love the wife as "Christ loved the church, and gave Himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:23). They also noted that sometimes submission is not easy, especially when the husband seems to be making mistakes.
Even some people of the world showed that God's way is effective. Don Browning of the University of Chicago Divinity School commented,
levels of domestic violence among committed evangelical Christians are two to three times lower than those of the general public. Evangelical women...are a lot happier and a lot saner crowd than we tend to think in popular culture. The research indicates that they tend to be happier and have more fulfilling sex lives...You would be very, very wrong to think that these are crudely oppressed women, for the most part.
The main focus of the article, however, seems to be the dissenters to God's plan. One female psychologist from the Illinois Masonic Center, Dr. Nada Stotland, said first,
The ultimate danger of the interpretation of Scripture [as counseling female submissiveness] is domestic violence.Her words have some truth to them, but they do not become a consideration once one examines God's Word. Paul said in Colossians 3:19,
Husbands, love your wives, and do not be embittered against them.This, along with the commandment in Ephesians 5:28 to love her as your own flesh would show any true Christian husband that he is not to abuse his wife. Sadly, the tempter sometimes wins and husbands do beat their wives; they deserve to be rebuked and shown the way of truth. This does not mean, however, that we have the right to throw out God's plan based upon the deeds of those who would not follow it.
Dr. Stotland later says,
It is cozy to be taken care of, if you're the lucky one whose husband isn't beating you up under the pretense of spiritual leadership, or keeping you from a contribution to society that might have fulfilled you. It's like an eternal childhood.
This quote says it all. Had this individual known about Christian women, and God's plan, she would know that submissiveness does not mean "lie down and do nothing." Women have an obligation to support the husband and to assist in the decisions that impact their lives; after all, they are both equals in the eyes of God (Galatians 3:28). What are some of the qualities of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31? Not that she just sits and allows herself to be "taken care of," but that she worked for the profit of herself and her husbands without going beyond her authority. Furthermore, Titus 2:4-5 explains the role of the female, to love the husband and children, and to be sensible, pure, workers at home, and kind. This is far from "eternal childhood."
The chairwoman of the religion department of Mount Holyoke College, Jane Crosthwaite, speaks in a similar vein, asserting,
The women see it as a choice...That is a way of claiming a certain kind of power. It's a choice to give up power. So there's a real interesting contradiction and irony here. It may mean they can un-choose; it may mean that they're fooling themselves. That coin can go either way. My sense is that this is a slogan that is trying to keep women in a place where they don't grow fully.
Again, if she only knew! I hold fast to the belief that it is more difficult for a woman to submit than to exercise authority, just as it is more difficult (and more righteous in the eyes of our Lord) to be humble as opposed to arrogant (Luke 18:14). I commend every woman who has the strength to choose humility and submissiveness over the call of society, for she has most assuredly taken the narrower road (Matthew 7:13-15).
The article shows the commonly used argument against the text: that it is not "Biblical," but "Hellenic." Browning, who earlier showed support for God's plan, thus undermines it:
The Southern Baptists, I think, are more Greek and Aristotelian than biblical.
While Southern Baptists are not right about all things, but they teach correctly about submission. What is the accusation against it? "I think" that they are more Greek than Biblical. I am convinced that the difference between liberalism and the truth is in perspective. This individual "thinks" that they are more Greek. We should not be concerned with "I think," but with what "God says."
God says that His plan for marriage has always existed, and will always exist. As He says through Paul in 1 Timothy 2:13-14:
For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression.Hence, from the beginning, the man has been over the woman.
This article shows the difference between the truth and the liberalism of the modern "scholars:" "I think" versus "God says." I hope that we all know what is right and to take the path of God, for it leads to salvation. The road of "I think" leads to death (Proverbs 14:12, Romans 6:23).
Ethan R. Longhenry
ethan@thechristianexaminer.com
www.deusvitae.com
There are many who wear the name Christian and claim to call Jesus "Lord", but sadly most do not do the things which he says we ought to do (Matt. 7:21-23). In the religious world, some are teaching that one can be saved in a denomination just as in the church of Christ. They also teach that anyone who trusts in Jesus we should call them our brothers and sisters and that our doctrinal differences do not affect our salvation in terms of entering heaven. This is what the "unity in diversity" doctrine teaches. But is this really true?
The name Christian simply means one who is a follower of Christ. No one disputes this fact. Being a Christian involves more than trusting Jesus. It includes loving Christ and doing his commandments. Jesus says,
If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and We will come unto him and make Our abode with him (John 14:23).This command is very specific. Jesus desires that we keep all of His commandments, not just a select few or add to/subtract from what He has given. Furthermore, by truly loving Christ and keeping all that He commands us to do, we remain in fellowship with him.
When we say that we love Christ and do not keep his commandments we have become liars. For John says,
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked (1 John 2:3-6).
If we are truly following Christ as we should, thus calling ourselves Christians, then we should not follow after the "doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). There is a difference between a misunderstanding of Scripture and a belief in a false doctrine. One cannot find the doctrines and practices of the Baptist church, Mormon church, Christian Scientist church, Catholic church, Jehovah's Witness church, etc. in the Scriptures.
Unfortunately, the name Christian continues to be misused. Some refer to countries as being "Christian nations". Others use the term "Christianity" to refer to all religions.
In order for you to become a Christian, you must hear the word (Romans 10:14); believe the word unto righteousness (Romans 10:10, 17); repent of your sins (Acts 3:19); confess the name of Jesus Christ who was raised from the dead by His Father (Romans 10:9-10); and be baptized in the name of Christ (Romans 6:4). Baptism is administered by immersion. For example, in Acts 8:38 we read,
they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.These things must be done before you can be saved. Then the Lord adds you to his church (Acts 2:41, 47). After becoming a Christian, you should remain "faithful unto death" (Revelation 2:10).
Christians can only be found in Christ's church (Matthew 16:18). You cannot find Christians in denominations except those who have left Christ's church and have gone the way of "itching ears" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). This departure from the faith is known as apostasy which Paul warns us about in the previous chapter.
There are many reasons the church of Christ is the only church where Christians can be found. Let us examine a few of them.
There is only one true church, the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus says, "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). He did not say, "I will build my churches." He is talking about the church in the universal sense. Roman Catholics interpret "rock" to be Peter upon whom Christ would build His church. This is not true because Jesus is referring to the statement which Peter had made in verse 16, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
The word "church" comes from the Greek word, "ekklesia", which means a congregation, a gathering, or an assembly. In Ephesians 1:22-23, Paul teaches that the church is the body of Christ. He said, "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church" (Ephesians 1:22). Other names applied to the church include "the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 16:19); "the kingdom of God" (John 3:5); "the church of God" (Galatians 1:13); "the church of the first born" (Hebrews 12:23); and "churches of Christ" (Romans 16:16).
II. Only One Church Belongs To Christ
Christ claims ownership to only one church. Every other church which does not belong to Christ will be rooted up in the last day. Jesus said,
Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up, (Matthew 15:13).He often used phrases such as "my kingdom" (John 18:36), and "my church" (Matthew 16:18).
The Bible contains no mention of Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Christian Scientist, Catholic, etc. Hence, the church of Christ is the only church one can read about in the Bible.
It is impossible for anyone to be saved apart from the body of Christ because Christ purchased only the church with his blood (Acts 20:28). Christ redeemed man from sin by shedding his blood upon the cross. For without his blood there could be no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22).
Every denomination is founded by some man. But, the church is founded by Christ himself. It is when man interferes by placing himself between Christ and his church, thus substituting himself in the place of Christ as its head that it becomes a denomination. For example, John Wesley is the founder of the Methodist church.
Christ is the founder of the church because:
Did you become a Christian according to your church's creed or in accordance with God's plan of salvation? In other words, were you saved more or less than what God requires? If so, then you are still not saved.
Are the doctrines and practices of the church which you are a member more or less than what the Bible requires? If so, then you should leave it immediately and join the church of Christ who speak as "the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11), and where Christians can truly be found.
God desires that all men will be saved. It is not his will that any should perish, "but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). All we ask of you is that you will read and study the passages of Scripture that have been provided. It is our prayer and effectual desire that you come to a knowledge and understanding of the truth, not because of what man teaches, but rather what the Bible teaches.
Ira Mikell
ira@thechristianexaminer.com
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