What are your thoughts on this passage?

[thecrucifiedlife]

:scratch:
Ephes. 5:22 (KJV)
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Ephes. 5:22 (NASB)
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.


Ephes. 5:22 (NASB-U)
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.


Ephes. 5:22 (GW)
Wives, place yourselves under your husbands' authority as you have placed yourselves under the Lord's authority.


Ephes. 5:22 (YLT)
The wives! to your own husbands subject yourselves, as to the Lord,


Ephes. 5:22 (NIV)
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Ephes. 5:22 (LBLA)
Las mujeres estén sometidas a sus propios maridos como al Señor.

[New_Wineskin]

:scratch:
Ephes. 5:22 (KJV)
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Ephes. 5:22 (NASB)
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.


Ephes. 5:22 (NASB-U)
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.


Ephes. 5:22 (GW)
Wives, place yourselves under your husbands' authority as you have placed yourselves under the Lord's authority.


Ephes. 5:22 (YLT)
The wives! to your own husbands subject yourselves, as to the Lord,


Ephes. 5:22 (NIV)
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Ephes. 5:22 (LBLA)
Las mujeres estén sometidas a sus propios maridos como al Señor.I look at in in conjunction with a passage on submitting to one another which would include husbands submitting to their wives . But , since people consider that submitting to one another is no longer in play since people become members to groups at the exclusion of being with those in others groups , I look at it as Paul discussing things to wives of the Ephesians at that time .

[Anduron]

For wives to be submissive to their husbands. To submit unto someone does not mean becoming a slave to them.

[twistedsketch]

I put it in context.Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
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, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

- Ephesians 5:21-33
Wives are to submit, but husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. We are to give ourselves up for our wives as Christ gave himself up for the church. Look at what Jesus did for the Church - He gave Himself up alright, on the cross. If you were to ask me who got the better deal out of it all, I'd say the church. This is how God commands it to be with husbands and wives. Which is one reason I am glad that I am single. I don't love anybody anywhere close to that much.

[WesWoodell]

The greek definition of the word used in that passage for submit is defined as "blend with" or "adapt to"


The Bible makes it clear that men are the spiritual leaders over women. That doesn't mean a husband should lord over their wife though.

[New_Wineskin]

I have heard many a sermon on husbands ruling their wives . Along with the continual pounding of males over females was the idea that women were incomplete without a husband ( that was more of an implied idea ) . In that way , as many women as possible were under the thumb of someone .

Yet , I have never heard a sermon on spousal abuse ( physical or verbal ) . I have never heard of any "church discipline" on those who committed such actions and no excommunications . I have heard of no group encouraging spouses to find shelter in the group if they were abused nor have I heard of a group help people to leave their spouse with legal assisstance . While there may be groups that do such things , I have never heard of any . Perhaps , it is because most of the money going to the pay of the "leader(s)" comes from males ( going to males in such groups that place a lot of stress on the subject ) .I have also noticed that "husbands , love your wives" type sermons are usually a side issue ( just to appear to be somewhat fair ) or an issue reserved for Mother's day .

[Tavita]

I think Paul is talking to women who are listening and submitting to other men (maybe Pastors, Teachers etc) instead of their own husbands. I believe he's saying the husband ought to come first place in their lives and to treat their husbands as they would treat the Lord. Submitting, serving, honoring and loving them. I don't think this verse addresses the husbands role at all.

Though in context of the other verses around it, if we all submit one to another, in love, there won't be a problem with men expecting women to be subservient. Subservience is not the same as submitting.

If a man lays down his life for His wife and loves and honors her as Christ does the church, she will have no problem whatsoever in submitting to him. He will simply cause her to love him. She won't be able to do anything else but love him!
The onus is on the husband. :) (this is why he's the head!)

[Rafael]

One verse can lead astray. All the verses about marriage have to be taken into consideration for the truth to be rightly divided, as Tavita said: context. The role of the man as head has to be functioning correctly for a woman to be able to fulfill her role as wife and follow. The verse certainly does not mean for a man to dominate a woman and subject her to abuse, which I've seen done and then justified wrongly with the scripture given.

[Iosias]

:scratch:
Ephes. 5:22 (KJV)
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
It seems pretty obvious to me...wives must submit to their husbands in everything as it saith in verse 24 "let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."

[Andyman_1970]

To put the whole book of Ephesians in it's proper context, do some research into what was going on in the city of Ephesus when Paul wrote this letter - specifically the Gnostic Eve cults, and Artemis worship...........

[New_Wineskin]

I think Paul is talking to women who are listening and submitting to other men (maybe Pastors, Teachers etc) instead of their own husbands. I believe he's saying the husband ought to come first place in their lives and to treat their husbands as they would treat the Lord. Submitting, serving, honoring and loving them. I don't think this verse addresses the husbands role at all.

Though in context of the other verses around it, if we all submit one to another, in love, there won't be a problem with men expecting women to be subservient. Subservience is not the same as submitting.

If a man lays down his life for His wife and loves and honors her as Christ does the church, she will have no problem whatsoever in submitting to him. He will simply cause her to love him. She won't be able to do anything else but love him!
The onus is on the husband. :) (this is why he's the head!)
Interesting take on that . I have known of leaders that have come between spouses .

[Flynmonkie]

IMHO These and other scriptures should always be reconciled with this"
Matthew 22
34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

and with this:

2 John 1
5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
Everthing we do is in love, no matter the scripture, we should always balance it with the greatest commandments, when we do, we realize a balance. A balance between man and woman. Equality. Women are shown ways of working with a mans talents and differences and men are also shown these things (vice-versa).:)