Many say that authority flows from the head down. I submit that authority flows from lower to up. It depends upon your perspective. Is God the head? Oh, yes. Is Jesus the head of the church? Emphatically, yes. Does God have all authority? Without doubt! Has all authority been given to Christ both in heaven and in earth? No argument if you believe the Bible. So, why would I say that authority flows up instead of from the head down?
To understand why I stated authority flows up, we must look at Ephesians 5:22-24:
�Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
For the husband is 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.�
In the military there is a chain of command starting with the President of the USA right on down to the lowest private grunt soldier in the hell, fire, and living color of combat. Even in human events it bears out that there must be a line of authority. When the chain of command or the line of authority breaks down, it has disastrous results.
God has ordained His authority to flow from Himself to Christ to the husband in all things. In the King James Version, the word power is translated from the Greek meaning- authority. This authority is similar to the authority we give our elected officials to act on our behalf. The Father has given the Son authority to act on His behalf. The Father has given husbands authority to act on His behalf also. So, who gave the Father His authority? He does because He is Sovereign, Supreme, and Almighty. He is the highest authority; there is nothing or no one higher than Him.
Upon the special day when we celebrate special relationships between husbands and wives, sweethearts, and even lovers, I think it is appropriate to look at some of the most basic elements of authority. Before God established His church or even human governments, He established an institution called marriage. He made the man, husband, and fathers to be head of families or marriages. Sorry ladies, I didn�t do it, God did. He also later founded His church which He placed His Son as the head. In each head-ship, God has given authority to Christ concerning the church and authority to husbands concerning marriage for acting on His behalf.
On the other side, God has commanded husbands in Ephesians 5:25, 28-33a:
�Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
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...�
This is the basis of authority - LOVE. The message is clear to the husband here as it is to the wife in the previous scriptures. God is so great in understanding our needs; the very basic of the human element. The greatest need of a wife and even women in general is to be loved. This is the command to the husband.
Sometimes we get confused about commandments. They are not dependent on what someone else does or doesn�t do. They are not optional. We can�t take them or leave them. They are COMMANDS. When God says to the wife to submit, that is not dependent upon whether they are loved. Wives are to submit to God�s ordained line of authority. And husbands are to love their wives no matter whether they submit or not.
Yet at the same time love cannot be forced. However, it can be nourished. In other words, you feed it by acting, speaking, and being thoughtful in the relationship with the wife. In other words, be kind and considerate. I remember a time when men respected women to such a degree that they would not even say something to dishonor another man in the presence of his wife. Regardless, if you nourish love it will grow and bear fruit. In the case of the husband and wife relationship, an awesome, beautiful, God-ordained love affair will result.
Husbands, like Christ are to give their lives if necessary for the wife if we carry the scriptural example of Christ to the church and husband to the wife out to its natural conclusion. Too often, husbands pay a lot of lip service. Oh, honey, I love you�I love you�I love you. Yet they live their lives void of the verbalization of their love. Yes, your love for your wife should be verbalized. Yet I believe the adage applies here also, �Actions speak louder than words.� So, this Valentine�s Day, make a reservation if you can afford it at a nice restaurant she likes not that you like. Get her some flowers or candy and a card that expresses your true feelings. Let her know, she is loved.
One last scripture to prove my point Ephesians 5:33b:
��and the wife reverence her husband.�
This is where the authority breaks down. And this is why I say that authority flows up. We understand that the greatest need for a wife is to be loved. Well, the greatest need for a husband is to be reverenced. I didn�t say obeyed or submitted to. I said reverenced, esteemed, and honored. I believe this is the greatest need in men - to be reverenced or in other words honored. As the need for love is with women, so is the need for men to be esteemed, honored, or reverenced. It is inherent in each man to be honored or held in high esteem just as women�s need is to be loved. That is the way that God made us because He preordained the line of authority and the needs in each man and woman are met when God�s pattern of authority is met.
The world has this so wrong. They have tried to put men in the same mold as women. But the basic need of men is so different than women it is almost like night and day.
When basic human needs are not met, the authority breaks down and often with disastrous results. As Christians, do we hold Christ who is head in esteem? We should. Does Christ love us? Certainly, his love is evidenced by the Cross. Does Christ have all authority? Again, yes. Is Christ powerful enough to force us to submit to Him? Absolutely! Does He force us to submit to Him? NO!
As individuals, we chose to submit to His authority. We accept His authority in the church and in our lives but He does not force us. We choose to do it. Then why do wives have trouble submitting to their husbands. Husbands if you have to remind your wife that you have the authority then you are not the one in authority. The reason wives have trouble submitting to their husband�s authority is a TRUST issue. The church submits willingly to the authority of Christ because they know He loves them and they know they can trust Him.
People erroneously believe that just because they are married there will be trust. Not necessarily. Trust takes time to build. People fall in love but they don�t fall in trust. It is easy for Christians to accept Christ�s authority because they trust Him to always to the right thing. However, wives do not always trust their husbands to do the right thing because usually there is a history of them doing the wrong things. Trust must be built over time in relationships. This Valentine�s Day may be a good time for you husbands and men in general to start building the trust that allows your wives to accept the husband�s authority. That is why I stated at the beginning that authority flows up. The wife must choose to accept the husband�s authority as believers accept the Savior�s authority in His Church.
I know this article is more for husbands and wives but I think it applies to men and women who hope to someday be married. I believe the best way for men to build trust in their marriages and relationships is not only to be fine Christians, but good cowboys. You will build trust if you follow the Cowboy Creed which contains many of the essentials of good godly Christian character
Cowboy Creed:
(1) Your word is your bond. (Truthful in all things)
(2) You ride for the brand. (Faithful at all times)
(3) You eat when there�s grub. (Patience and Appreciation for those providing sustenance)
(4) You sleep when you can. (Giving of your time especially time for communication and intimacy)
here's some things you might want to consider frist adam when they where created was a THEM gensis 1 and gensis 5. they where spiritual beings they where male and female just as G-d is male and female for G-d is ALL things. G-d said let US make man in OUR image. now to say he was talking to his son would be an act of perversion two males do not produce a child .No, Adam was male and female.
second, the man made of clay and his wife (who is never called female but woman only) for eve is othe mother of all living being which means flesh and blood, for she is not the mother of adam, selah!
with that in mind; the man. which is the spirit being in a person is to rule over the women, the flesh part, of the same person. it is not meant to be read as female under male but flesh under spirit!
for it to be female under male that would mean we would all have to be married to be saved . also the verse that says the woman will be saved though child bearing is the flesh bring froth fruit of the spirit in ones life
Thank you for your feedback. I fail to follow your logic which is typical of spiritualizing the scriptures. I am one who takes the scripture literally where possible thereby avoiding confusion and reading more into or taking away from the Word. When one spiritualizes, there are many possible interpretations and usually other scriptures on the subject must be twisted to make their theology work. So it comes down to who decides the correct interpretation.... you.....me....the pope....... an ecumenical council.... who? Maybe we should consider the expert Bible scholars who made the translations from the copies of the original languages that have been preserved for hundreds of years.
I think it is great you are searching for spiritual application of the Word. It makes things relevant but we must be careful not to read to much into it. I think you missed my point on authority since you did not address the New Testament scriptures on the subject.
Another problem with spiritualizing scriptures is that not only are scriptures twisted but also taken out of context as you did I Timothy 2:15. It is ridiculous you said to prove your point. Of course, childbearing does not save a soul. One only has to read Eph. 2:8,9, Rom. 10:9,10,13 to understand this. It is referring to godly women have no fear of death in childbearing if they continue in faith, and charity and holiness with self control.
Women in the Bible have all the promises, blessings, and warnings as do all human beings. When the Bible talks about man in general, it is referring to mankind which includes both men and women. "Man" in the Bible is both man and woman because woman is just man with a womb therefore it could be said she is a womb-man. At my age, I know the difference physically, emotionally, and culturally between men and women so don't start.
I attempted to talk about authority but I think there is confusion of men/women and husband/wife. The chain of authority as I see it flows in marriage. I am not trying to diminish women's role in the marriage. Traditionally they have been the glue that holds the family together. They are the nurturers Prov. 4:3 and teachers of their children Prov. 6:20-23. The Bible talks about prophetesses and although remotely referenced a case might be made for apostles and deacons in the church.
References to scriptures that talk about women being silent or teaching men, I believe refers to marriage and in the church under certain conditions. When was the church the "church?" The church was the church when they were meeting in relationship to business or in a general assembly.
In God's plan in marriage, wives have great influence on husbands speaking positively in their lives making such great impact they influence, not boss, but influence every segment of the husband's life. The proverb says, "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: (Prov. 12:4). One wearing a crown has been given (1) authority, (2) protection, and (3) wisdom. Guys who have read this far, if you are looking at a woman for a wife consider these questions with respect to her being your crown: (1) will she accept your authority or will it be a source of contention? (2) Will she be a protection for you to defend you against all others or will she be one who attacks? (3) Will she be a source of wisdom to influence you as your trusted counselor or will she be a foolish woman who pulls her house down? If you cannot answer yes to those questions, then my advice to you is mosey on down the trail until you find a virtuous woman.
