Something to bless the women in your life.

[Titus2woman]

By Jon Zeus

Unfortunately almost every woman I have ever known either has been, or is currently, a slave.

I know that might be shocking or offensive to you, but please bear with me. No, I’m not talking about slavery to sin in the more general sense; I am talking about something much more specific. Just like any other form of widespread slavery, the slavery I am talking about is so prevalent that it has become an accepted way of life. When slavery becomes the norm, the slaves often lose their sense of freedom and accept their bondage as ‘normal’ life.

I have observed three major areas in which satan seeks to enslave a woman. While not all women are enslaved in all three areas, almost every woman I know has been, or is currently, enslaved in one or more of these areas. If you are a woman, you will probably be able to relate to one or more of these areas of enslavement. Sadly, many assume this ‘slavery’ is their God given destiny. Out of all the articles that I have written to date, This has been the most difficult for me.

I. The Physical Slavery Of Women

Make no mistake about it, Satan hates women. Yes I know he hates men too, but he has a very special hatred for women. The woman represents something very special, and Satan knows it. Before the foundations of the world were ever created, inside the very heart of God a Bride for the Son was being selected. This beautiful bride is a woman (church), and this ‘woman’ (church) will give expression to the very one who was destined to crush Satan’s head (Christ). I believe the physical ‘woman’ is a reminder to Satan of the nature of Christ’s heart for His bride, and of his own defeat. Consider this statement by the LORD to Satan from Genesis 3:15:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed (the world) and her seed (Christ)…

That ‘enmity’ between Satan and the woman can be seen all throughout history. As the scriptures tell us in Ephesians 6:12, the root of everything is spiritual. There is a spiritual darkness that seeks to enslave women. The seed (or offspring) of Satan is the world and all of its ‘systems’. A simple study of world society at any time or place throughout history will quickly reveal how the women of that society have been exploited or enslaved in some way. The enslavement and exploitation of women seems to be a never ending epidemic.

For all the anthropologists out there that have bought into the misconception that societies and communities are slowly ‘evolving’ regarding the treatment of women, nothing could be further from the truth. Aside from the political and economic strides that women have made in modern times, the slavery and exploitation of women is at a all time high. Without going into this subject, women are the chief victims of today’s pop and porn culture.

The sex slave and human trafficking industry is the largest form of slavery the world has ever seen. It goes on in front of us in our cities at this very moment. I have no doubt that you have unknowingly met and interacted with women who are enslaved in this way already. These women slaves are hidden from us in plain sight. While this is a huge problem today, astoundingly it is only an outward sign of a much deeper spiritual issue that can be traced back to the fall of mankind in the garden and the assault on a woman’s true identity. This brings me to my second point…

[Titus2woman]

II. The Slavery Of Sisters In Christ

By ‘sister’, I am referring to women who are in Christ. Believe it or not, I believe the slavery of our sisters in Christ is a much deeper epidemic than the slavery of women in pop culture because this kind of slavery is much more difficult to see. The lies that sustain this kind of slavery are widely accepted and continue to be taught by many well meaning, but mistaken, preachers and Bible teachers.

Satan’s offspring is the world’s system (Genesis 3:15). While most of us think of the world’s system as an economic or political system, there is a ‘system’ of the world that many have a hard time seeing. The world’s system that I am referring to is the world’s ‘religious’ system.

As I mentioned before, all the ‘systems’ of the world seem to have a special hatred for women because of what she represents. The world’s religious system is certainly no exception. Just like in global society throughout history, if you look at the history of the world’s religions, you will see this same pattern of enslavement and domination of women. Although Christ came to set His Bride free, even a casual study of church history will demonstrate that the reality of the world’s religious ‘system’ has unfortunately crept into the body of Christ and has deeply assaulted the identity of our sisters.

Upon closer examination, I have come to realize that most of what is taught and believed about our sisters in Christ have not come from Jesus Christ, but the author of the world’s fallen system.

The Role Of Sisters In The Church

There is a great promise in the Old Testament about a future day that was coming that was, frankly, quite radical for a Middle Eastern, patriarchal society to comprehend. Consider this passage:

It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28-29, NASB)

This promise, written before Christ, completely goes against the grain of the culture it was written in. This promise seems to indicate that God will reveal and express Himself through a group of people equally, irregardless of their age or sex. Again, this idea might not seem like a big deal to us, but to them it was a foreign thought as this promise was written to a male dominated patriarchal society.

When Jesus came on the scene, His treatment of women was revolutionary. Unlike any other religious figure or rabbi, the close community of people that lived and traveled with Jesus were made up of men AND women (Luke 8:1-3). In addition to this, Jesus seemed to go out of His way to break cultural traditions simply to engage women in conversation. In the gospels, some of the most profound conversations and demonstrations of worship were with women. The first person that Christ revealed Himself to after His resurrection was a woman! Remember, all of this was done in a patriarchal male dominated society.

When the Holy Spirit was poured out on Christ’s followers after the resurrection on Pentecost, male and females were equally affected in the same company. What was the explanation for what was happening? That’s right, Joel 2:28-29!

Without getting into an entire theological discourse about New Testament ‘prophecy’, there is one thing to keep in mind. Prophecy is concerned with the revelation and testimony of the person of Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:10). Once we understand this, we’ll see that most of what gets passed off as ‘prophecy’ is anything but prophecy. That is another subject for another day, however.

in light of Joel 2:28-29, we can see that it is the destiny and role of brothers and sisters in Christ to express and testify of the person of Jesus Christ. This is exactly why New Testament church gatherings were participatory. Both men AND women testified of Christ publicly during their church gatherings. Christ is so big that He must be expressed by all the members of the body! This is why prophecy is the only gift that Paul encouraged all the believers to engage in (see 1 Cor. 14:1, 24-31).

In addition to this, Paul also taught that the fleshly distinctions that formerly defined our identity are now null and void in Christ. Consider this passage:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:28, NASB)

Again, to us, this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but to Paul, this was a radical departure of everything he knew in his Jewish life. In Christ, our fleshly distinctions no longer prevent us from testifying and expressing Him. Throughout Paul’s letters in the New Testament, he publicly names prominent men AND women of influence in the church. Again, this is right in line with Joel 2:28-29 that is fulfilled in Christ.

With that said, Paul seemingly made some statements that seemed to depart from this. For brevity’s sake I’d like to look at just one passage that has been the source of much heartache for women and their ability to contribute to the body of Christ.

A Woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. (1 Tim. 2:11-13, NASB)

In all honesty, this passage has always made me cringe. It simply seems so out of character for Paul and the New Testament church. I have also come across several people who, because of this passage, have reduced their wives into second class citizens who can only express themselves behind closed doors with other women. This is very similar to the way women function in Muslim societies as well.

A biblical scholar named Jon Zens has written an entire book exclusively to address 1 Timothy 2. I can honestly say that this has been the most informative and eye opening book that I have yet to read regarding the New Testament role of women and the cultural background behind passages like 1 Timothy 2 and others that have been twisted and used against women.

The title of the book is ‘What’s With Paul And Women?’ You can order a copy on Amazon by clicking here or you can obtain a copy through Jon’s website by visiting www.searchingtogether.org

If we only knew the context and history of the New Testament, we would never be able to take a passage of scripture and use it to assume and teach a reality that simply did not exist in the New Testament. Because of this ignorance of the New Testament, preachers week in and week out stand behind their pulpits and preach from the Bible while at the same time promote a religious system that looks nothing like the New Testament church. Jon’s book on 1 Timothy 2 is very helpful in this regard.

The passage mentioned above in 1 Tim. 2:11-13, and a few others, have been used to assault sisters in two ways:

1. 1 Tim. 2 has been used to silence women from expressing Christ in corporate church meetings where both men and women are present.

This is very unfortunate, and is absolutely NOT Paul’s intention at all. Many translations badly translate or interpret ‘quiet’ or ‘quietly’ as silence. This is false. Sisters are NOT to be silent in corporate church meetings, rather they are to testify of Christ right along with their brothers in Christ.

Paul wrote the letter of 1 Timothy to Timothy who was spending time with the church in Ephesus. Timothy was an apostolic co-worker of Paul who traveled with him to plant churches. He was NOT the ‘Pastor’ of the church of Ephesus as many mistakenly assume. A simple understanding of the story and context of the New Testament makes this clear.

Paul left the Ephesian church after spending a significant amount of time with them, but he asked Timothy to stay there to help the church deal with some problems they were experiencing. There was a faction in the church that had introduced false teaching. As a result, there was quite a commotion stirred up. Paul therefore urges Timothy to instruct ALL the members of the church to live a ‘quiet’ life and to stay away from meaningless disputes. (1 Tim. 2:2).

Obviously, this did NOT mean that the whole church had to take a vow of silence. That would be ridiculous. How would they express Christ? The Greek word used in 1 Timothy 2:2 that was addressed to the whole body is the word ‘hesuchia’ which means ‘quietness’. Paul wanted the whole body to lead a peaceable and ‘quiet’ life.

There was, however, also an issue with a faction of women who had introduced false teaching into the church. They were refusing to mutually submit themselves to the body and were causing much commotion. As a result, Paul addressed the same instruction he gave to the whole body in 1 Timothy 2:2 specifically to those women causing issues in 1 Timothy 2:11-12.

The word used for ‘quiet’ and ‘quietly’ regarding his instruction to the women in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 is EXACTLY the same word used a few verses earlier to instruct the whole body in 1 Timothy 2:2. Again, it is the Greek word ‘hesuchia’ which means ‘quietness’. This applies to both women AND men as 1 Timothy 2:2 was addressed to men as well. Paul simply repeated this instruction to the women specifically because of what was happening in the Ephesian church, NOT because he was introducing a more severe form of ‘quietness’ on the women. That is simply a ridiculous assumption.

2. The passage in 1 Timothy 2:12 has been twisted to restrict women from teaching men or making leadership decisions in the church.

[Titus2woman]

1 Timothy 2:12 has been incorrectly translated from the Greek language. What we read in the English translations of the Bible are bad translations. There really is no other way to explain it. The traditional, but faulty, translation of 1 Tim. 2:12 is this:

But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. (NASB)

This is an outright incorrect translation of the Greek word ‘authentein’. The Greek word ‘authentein’ is mistakenly translated ‘to excersice authority over’. ‘Authentein’ has no history of ever being translated in such a way. In the common Greek, the word ‘authentein’ literally means ‘to dominate; to get one’s way’. It means ‘to dominate for the purpose of getting one’s way’. This is a very important distinction! 1 Timothy 2:12 should be understood this way:

But I do not allow a woman to teach for the purpose of dominating or getting one’s way over a man.

Wow, that puts things in perspective when we understand what was actually happening in the Ephesian Church! The city of Ephesus was the center of a religious system devoted to the goddess Artemis. The temple of Artemis is considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. In this religious system it was taught that women were superior to men because Artemis, the daughter of the mythical Greek god Zeus, was born before her brother Apollos (also a Greek god).

Temple life and practice devoted to Artemis worship was dominated by women. Artemis was considered the goddess of fertility and protection of women during child bearing, and a lot of the religious practices that occurred in that temple involved illicit sexual activity. In this system men were dominated by the women through the use of manipulation and sensual behavior.

Many of the people in the Ephesian church had come out of the Artemis cult and brought these tendencies into church life. The woman were used to teaching for the purpose of manipulating and dominating men. Because of their background, they were used to sensual religious behavior. This is why Paul addressed this issue head on by saying that women teaching for the purpose of dominating and having authority over men is not correct for church life, nor was provocative outward appearance to be used by women for the purpose of manipulation and control. All of this was regular practice by women in the temple of Artemis.

By Paul singling out women here, he was in no way asserting that it is conversely ok for men to teach for the purpose of dominating or getting their way over a woman, however. This is addressed elsewhere in scripture (Matthew 23:8-12, 1 Peter 5:1-3, etc…). I also wrote an article that specifically addresses the non-hierarchical nature of church leadership. You can read it by clicking here.

1 Tim. 2:11-12 is also commonly twisted and used as the ‘anti-women pastor’ proof text. What the ‘anti women pastor’ crowd doesn’t realize, however, is that the institutional concept of ‘Pastor’ that is based on hierarchy is not only not acceptable for women, it is also NOT acceptable for men as well! That is another subject for another day however.

Many mistakenly use the passage in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 to deny our sisters the ability to teach or make decisions along side of the brothers in church life. Sadly this is a major problem even in many ‘house church’ circles as it is in the institution. When this occurs in the church, it is simply a sign that specific group has not been built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and also does not understand the context of 1 Timothy. In Christ, male & female are one, and the church should reflect this New Covenant reality (Gal. 3:28).

To contrast the emphasis of the teaching within the Artemis cult that women were superior because Artemis (a Greek goddess) was born first before her brother Apollos (a greek god), Paul reminded them that Adam was formed first before Eve, and that she was deceived (1 Tim. 2:13-14). Paul was certainly NOT communicating the belief that women are second class or inferior to men, he was simply correcting the pagan mentality that was coming into the church from the prevalent Artemis cult in Ephesus.

Knowing the context in which scripture was written is vitally important. Because most believers in Christ are ignorant of the context of the New Testament, passages like 1 Timothy 2 are commonly twisted and abused to assume and create a reality that simply did not exist, and is inconsistent with New Testament church life. It is for this reason that I strongly urge you to obtain a copy of Jon Zens’ book that I linked to above. He goes into much more detail about this, and also examines other passages of scripture that are commonly abused to restrict sisters in church life. This brings me to my last point…

III. The Slavery Of Wives

What was meant to be a beautiful picture of Christ and His Bride has become a twisted picture of control, guilt, and manipulation for far too many marriages. How could what was meant to be so beautiful become so destructive and enslaving to women? Here are three reasons why:

1. The unwillingness of husbands to submit to their wives…

I know that you may be thinking ‘Aren’t wives supposed to submit to their husbands?’ The answer is yes, but husbands are likewise to submit to their wives as well! Scripture does not teach that this is a one way street. In Ephesians 5, Paul instructs the church to be filled with the Holy Spirit. What flows from that in Ephesians 5:21 is the command to be subject to (or submit) mutually to one another in the fear of Christ. The command in verse 21 to be mutually subjected to one another applies to the whole church. This obviously includes husbands and wives as well.

Remember, because of the context in the city of Ephesus regarding the cult of Artemis and the specific issues that church experienced with women, Paul repeats this command to wives in Eph. 5:22. In the Greek, the word for ‘be subject’ is not actually there in verse 22. The idea that wives are to be subject to their husbands is tied to the verb in Eph. 5:21 that says that the whole body is to be subject to one another. Just in case some women think they are exempt from this (as was the case in the Ephesian church), he also applies the command for the whole body to mutually submit to one another to the husband wife relationship as well. Ephesians 5:22 literally reads:

“Wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”

Again, this statement in verse 22 is simply a carry over from the command to the whole body to mutually submit (or be subject) to one another in verse 21. To think that there is an exclusive command for wives to only submit to their husbands, while husbands should not submit to their wives is a complete misunderstanding of the intent of the passage. Unfortunately, this is commonly taught with devastating affects for many wives.

2. A False Understanding Of Headship

For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church…(Eph. 5:23, NASB)

When many think of ‘Head’ they think of control, or ‘authority over’. The reason many think this is because that is the hierarchical system that we have always operated in. There is no hierarchy in the Godhead, however. The Trinity is a community of mutually submitted persons who exist for one another in the highest form of sacrificial love.

The biblical understanding of Headship is not about control or authority over, but about the giving of life and undergirding of the Bride. As the Head of the church, Christ does not manipulate or control His Bride. As the Head, He lays down His life for the Bride.

He, as a servant, comes to undergird her and to give her His life, expression, and prominence.

That’s what Christ, as the Head, does for His Bride. This is completely different than a hierarchical view of headship that seeks to control, manipulate, and restrict. Christ is not a controlling husband that squelches the life and expression of His bride.

While the husband wife relationship was meant to be a beautiful expression of Christ and His Church, a hierarchical understanding of headship keeps wives enslaved and does much damage to this picture of Christ and His Bride.


3. The Insecurity Of Husbands

If you have ever been around an insecure coworker or boss, you probably know that the person who is insecure feels they must overshadow you and ‘out do’ you. Because they feel threatened by you, these kinds of people will attempt to put a ‘lid’ on you. This is exactly what we see in regards to the religious leaders’ attempt to silence and kill Jesus.

In the same way, many Christian husbands have a deep seated insecurity. Much of this is rooted in an incorrect hierarchical view of headship. They feel they need to shine brighter than their wives in order to be the ‘head’ of this relationship. Unfortunately, this leads to many husbands literally putting a ‘lid’ on their wives through the use of guilt, manipulation, and sometimes even violence. Many times wives, who themselves have bought into a hierarchical view of headship, have put undue guilt on their husbands for not ‘out shining’ them spiritually. This is tragic, and is the opposite of Christ.

Christ is a picture of ultimate security. There is no competition between Christ and His Bride. Christ knows who He is. As a matter of fact, Christ is so secure in who He is that He specifically has chosen to put His Bride on display to the entire universe.


She is the one who expresses Him!

Christ, as the Head of His Bride, enables His Bride to be His expression by receiving His glory (John 17:22).

She, as His body, is the one out front and on display.

An insecure husband is simply not capable of this. Can you imagine the wives that would flourish and be put on display to shine brightly if only their husbands were secure in their own identity?

Conclusion

I would like to conclude this article by telling you the four reasons why I felt compelled to write this article.

1. Because women are suffering and are physically being enslaved because of a false identity. Women are a special picture of the Bride of Christ. The Lord desires to set the captives free. (Luke 4:18-19, Gal. 5:1)

2. Because the church cannot fully express Jesus Christ unless the sisters are fully functioning in the body of Christ. Sisters in Christ must reject the twisting of passages like 1 Timothy 2, and others that are mistranslated and taken out of their proper context. They must KNOW their identity in Christ.

3. Because I believe many women, like men, are called to the apostolic work of foundation laying and church planting. In the New Testament, there were women who functioned as apostolic workers as well as men.

It is estimated that in China today, 80% of all apostolic church planters among the ‘underground’ church are women. (this is not simply because men are not available). I’m convinced that there could be many women who are called to such work, and they will need to know that this is a very real possibility for them.

4. Because you are a beautiful and vital part of the Body of Christ, and Christ wants you to be His display!

[Amanah]

thank you for posting this, it is very encouraging

[Truthseeker]

He/she did some strecthing on the husband wife part. Bible clearly teaches women are to submit, revere and yes even obey.

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

He/she did some strecthing on the husband wife part. Bible clearly teaches women are to submit, revere and yes even obey.

Scripture?

I did a study on headship a while back. I found it amazing that the word used for head (as between husband/wife or man/God) is actually a word that means 'source of life' more than 'authority over' which is how it is usually used in the church today.

[Truthseeker]

What does submit to your husband in everything mean?

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

What does submit to your husband in everything mean?

Here is a study I liked about it.

by Betty Miller

SUBMITTING TO GOD FIRST

What is the definition of submission? It is yielding to another's desires without resistance. Submission to another's wishes is an attitude of the heart done willingly, while surrender is yielding by being forced to do so. Our first submission should be unto the Lord. "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'' (Matthew 22:37). God never forces someone to follow Him nor does He want us to be forced to follow or yield to another human being. He wants us to lovingly submit to Him and to each other. However, because of the evil in some men's hearts a person under their authority can be abusive and a submissive person can be asked to do things that they do not believe is right. That is why the Bible also gives perimeters to submission. There are Scriptures that give us a guideline as to how far any human being is to submit to another. We need to understand the proper role of submission in marriage so that our homes will be harmonious and free of contention.

The Bible teaches that, in the Spirit, women are equal with men, and each must submit unto Jesus as their spiritual head. In the flesh, in the marriage relationship, women are to be subject to their husband's headship. The Lord ordained that the man be the one that would make final decisions in the home because in any relationship involving two people one must be the final authority. In the marriage, or fleshly relationship, the man is the head and should guide his home and family. In the spirit, Jesus Christ is the head of His family and He guides each member according to His headship. Men are to love their wives like Jesus loves the church. He laid His life down for her. Men that are demanding that their wives submit to them have not learned the right way to win them and that is to love them with the love of the Lord.

"Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband" (Ephesians 5:21-33).

Submission to a husband does not mean a woman is to be a slave in bondage to that man, but rather it is to be a mutual submission in love. The above scripture says we are to submit unto each other. Submission means to yield or "to set yourself under." From this definition we see we are to yield to one another instead of demanding our own way. Love should be the rule in our homes, and we should "prefer one another." Not only should this be especially true in our homes, but in our church family as well.

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" (Romans 12:10).

Both husband and wife should be submissive and loving. The love of Christ should be the rule in the home. When wifely submission is over-stressed we find it can lead to many problems that cause the husband-wife relationship to be thrown out of balance. Some even stress it to the degree that a wife must obey every command her husband dictates to her. They arrive at this conclusion because of the Scripture, "Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything" (Ephesians 5:24). The word "everything" here is not inclusive of evil things. Women are to submit to their husbands as the church is to submit unto Christ. Christ would never ask anything of the church that was not according to God's Word. Women are never to submit unto things that do not line up with God's Word.

A perfect example of this is the New Testament account of Ananias and Sapphira. Chapter 5 of Acts records the story of how this couple conspired to hold back what they had agreed to give unto the church. The church had not asked them for anything; it was their own decision to contribute the money from the sale of their land. When the land sold, they conspired to keep back a portion of the money. However, when Ananias gave the money to the apostles, he lied and told them it was the full amount. The Holy Spirit revealed this evil lie to Peter and showed him that Satan had entered Ananias' heart. Because he lied to God, he instantly fell dead at the apostle's feet. Sapphira, Ananias' wife, later came along and upon telling the same lie, also fell dead. If she had not submitted to her husband and agreed to this evil, her life would have been spared. However, she followed in her husband's evil; thus she suffered the same fate. This should show us clearly that to submit to the evil in a husband's life will only bring destruction upon the woman.

TRUE SUBMISSION

If any man, husband or otherwise, would ask us to do something that Jesus would not sanction, then we must refuse to do it. We should also do and apply those things that the Holy Spirit would speak to us to do. We must obey Him over what man would say to us. If it is truly the Lord speaking to us, He will deal with the one who is wrong.

And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard'' (Acts 4:18-20).

If we are submitted unto the Lord and our husband is requiring things of us that we feel are not of the Lord, we should take the matter to the Lord and ask for His wisdom on how to deal with it. We should pray for our husbands and ask the Lord to speak to them if they are in the wrong. However, we should also be willing to be corrected if we are in the wrong. We should ask the Holy Spirit to resolve the conflict and to deal with the party who is wrong, and both should be willing to change an opinion.

The Holy Spirit generally will not ask a woman to do something that would cause her to disobey her husband and thereby cause conflict in her home. Most women who have a problem submitting to their husbands have the same problem submitting to the Lord. Our relationship with the Lord will reflect in our attitudes with not only our husbands and children, but with all others as well. If we please the Lord and obey Him, we will find we will have favor with the people in our lives. And, to those who do not understand us and spitefully use us, we shall have God's grace to bear their persecution and God's love toward them to forgive them.

There are several accounts in the Word of God that plainly teach submission to God over submission to husbands. One familiar story is that of Mary, the mother of Christ (Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25). She yielded to what God asked her to do without asking Joseph what he thought about it. In fact, he wanted to put her away when he found out she was pregnant. Surely Mary tried to explain to Joseph that this child was conceived by the Holy Ghost, but he could not receive her explanation until the Lord sent an angel to confirm to him that she indeed had heard the Lord. This is a case where a woman submitted to God first, and then the Lord dealt with her husband showing him she had heard the Lord.

All through the Bible we find accounts of God speaking to women before speaking to their husbands. The Apostle Peter speaks of Sarah as a model wife in I Peter 3:5-6, "For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement."

Genesis 16:5-6 gives us another side of the picture, for we have here an account of a disagreement between Sarah and Abraham. On this occasion, Abraham conceded and allowed Sarah to have her way. We notice that God justified her for this in Genesis 21:10-12 when the question came up again. God told Abraham to obey Sarah: "...Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called."

When the Scripture speaks of wives obeying and submitting to their husbands, it cannot mean that every wife must obey her husband always in everything. She, as well as he, is responsible to obey what the Spirit gives each to do. The husband does not lead the wife into all truth since this is the work of the Holy Spirit. This does not license a wife who has a domineering spirit to do anything she wants simply because she says she is only subject to the Lord. The Lord is displeased with any person who tries to dominate and rule another's life, whether that person be male or female. There is nothing worse than a domineering, nagging wife. Proverbs 21:9 expresses it this way, "It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house."

[Titus2woman]

Some women preachers have become very overbearing and bossy; thus it is very distasteful to hear them preach. It is not necessarily what they are preaching that is wrong, but their domineering and dictating spirits are wrong. This kind of spirit is not of the Lord, whether it be in a man or woman.

The main thing for women to do in regard to following and obeying what they feel the Lord is telling them to do is to be sure it is the Lord. If it is the Lord, He will justify them as He did Sarah and other women of the Bible. If it is not the Lord, they will create for themselves a lot of problems, not only with their husbands, but with others as well.

Women who are single are not under any earthly man's headship since they do not have a flesh relationship with a man. Their head is Jesus Christ and it is this union to which they are subject. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God"(Romans 7:4).

Most Christian women experience two marriages. They are married to Christ and they are married to their husbands. The first is a spiritual marriage, the other an earthly or fleshly marriage. They are to be obedient to both. If they obey their spiritual head, they will not be disobeying their physical head, even if it is against what their husbands command because God will deal with their husbands. Some women are unequally yoked and have difficulty submitting to the desires of their ungodly husbands. They are to obey them as long as it does not mean disobedience to Christ. They are not to obey them if it would be morally or spiritually wrong.

A Biblical account of this can be found in I Samuel 25:4-42. Abigail was a woman who knew God. She was the wife of Nabal, an ungodly husband. She realized her husband's refusal to give gifts unto David's men endangered her whole household. On her own initiative she took food and rode to meet David. She was a wise woman--by disobeying her husband, she saved his life, for David would have slain him. She saved not only her husband's life, but also her own and her household's lives and possessions. She also found favor with David and with God. Her wicked husband Nabal died shortly after this as his heart was cold toward God. He was a son of Belial (another name for Satan).

"Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him. Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal...So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and be became as a stone'' (I Samuel 25:17-19 and 35-37).

Another account of a woman who moved in faith and was responsible for the salvation of her whole household was the harlot Rahab in chapters 2 and 6 of Joshua. There were men in her household but none of them had the faith and boldness to seek deliverance.

"And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho" (Joshua 6:25).

Women today who move in faith and obedience to God can be responsible for the salvation of their households. Prayer can bring whole families to the Lord, even if at first the family members object to spiritual things. Later, they will be eternally grateful that someone stood and believed for their souls. It would be quite a revelation to take an inventory of how many men came to know the Lord Jesus as a result of the faith of some woman. We've heard thousands of testimonies of men who were saved as the direct result of a praying mother, grandmother, wife or girlfriend. The first woman, Eve, may have led her man astray, but since then God has used many women to bring men back to Him. What a privilege to believe for our entire families. Allegiance and submission to the Lord bring miracles of deliverance.

SUBMISSION OUT OF BALANCE

Submission has been out of balance in both directions, thereby causing much confusion in the body of Christ. Those who refuse to submit to any authority are just as out of balance as those who submit to every dictate of those who they feel are their superiors, regardless of the mandates. We must have the leadership of the Holy Spirit in all areas of our lives. Legalistic approaches to the Word of God always bring bondage. Paul's letter to the Galatians was a reprimand to the people who were leaving the simplicity of the gospel and reverting back to strict rules and regulations.

We have the same problem today within the church as some are becoming hard and dogmatic in dealing with the truth and with people. Submission is required of God's people, but never to the point that men begin ruling other men's or women's lives. This has been abused greatly in regard to church authority. Some pastors have become dictators, while others have become so permissive (all in the name of love) that order is lost in the church. With no order in the body of Christ there is chaos. There has to be respect for the pastor and the other offices in the body of Christ. Any legalistic approach to this, however, brings bondage and does not carry out God's wishes. God's true pastors lead His flock in love and by example.

"Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock" (I Peter 5:3).

These kind of church leaders and pastors are the ones the Lord has chosen to guide His people.

If you are in an area where this kind of ministry does not exist, you can pray for the Lord to send someone who will have a heart like His heart. In the meantime, He can furnish you with good books and taped teachings that can bring life to your spirit. He can bring the five-fold ministry to you as you sit under these teachings and learn through them. We are blessed in the hour we live to have the availability of books written by ministers throughout the ages. We can learn much through their writings. Of course, our greatest teaching tool is the Word of God, and the greatest teacher is the Holy Spirit.

God's plan is for all of His people to be part of a local body. If your heart is truly crying for a good shepherd, the Lord will move you to one or raise up one where you are. It may be a small group, but size is not the issue with God; the issue is relationships and submission. Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

SUBMISSION TO TRUE ELDERS

God's true ministers are the ones to which we are to submit as the Scripture says, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account..." (Hebrews 13:17).

"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble" (I Peter 5:5).

The command here to submit unto the elder is not referring to what we generally term as elders in the church, but rather to those who are older and more knowledgeable in the Lord. Elder women are used of the Lord to help guide young Christians, male or female, as it certainly does not make sense for a young male convert to instruct a woman who has walked with the Lord for many years, simply because he is of male sex. The Word of God demands respect for the elders, male and female. "Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity" (I Timothy 5:1-2).

It is the economy of God to use those vessels who have matured in Him to help others come to maturity, regardless of their sex--or even their age.

"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind" (I Peter 5:1-2).

Excerpt from the book Neither Male Nor Female by Betty Miller. Betty has written several books on other topics as well. To view titles or purchase those books click here: http://store.bible.com/

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[Titus2woman]

I do not believe that a woman's submission to a husband will ever look like anything but her being a shining example of a strong Christian. If it does than something in the relationship is out of balance.

I think it is a huge stretch to try to believe that a woman would ever submit to her husband's will over God's will for her life. Yet how many times do we see that in the church? How many sisters do I know that practically steal money to give. They feel led, they are workers in the home and raise the children, clean, cook, and bottle wash... but the MAN has the J.O.B. and the authority and HE will decide if any giving is to be done... Huh??? This is an example of an imbalance that is out of God's will. I can think of many more but I don't want to write a book.

This was meant to encourage women to be all that they can in the Lord, not to start a debate on us against them, him verses her, or whatever... If you knew me at all you would know that I am no womens libber.

Just a a question and not meaning to be rude to anyone but...Do you people ever share anything without a fight to the death?