Colossians 3
18Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 21Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.
Showing posts with label Christ and the Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christ and the Church. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Ephesians 5:22-33
Ephesians 5:22-33
22Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30because we are members of His body. 31FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
22Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30because we are members of His body. 31FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
1 Peter 3:7, honor of a woman
1 Peter 3:7
7You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
This verse commands a husband to honor his wife. The Greek word for honor means to value. The husband is commanded to value his wife greatly, so that his prayers will not be hindered. This verse demonstrates the value associated with women. Proverbs 31 says, "An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. " and also "Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: ‘Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.’ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates."
I don’t think this is just applicable to husbands, but also to men in the church. If we as men in the church do not honor and value the women in our church, then we cannot expect God to hear our prayers.
7You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
This verse commands a husband to honor his wife. The Greek word for honor means to value. The husband is commanded to value his wife greatly, so that his prayers will not be hindered. This verse demonstrates the value associated with women. Proverbs 31 says, "An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. " and also "Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: ‘Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.’ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates."
I don’t think this is just applicable to husbands, but also to men in the church. If we as men in the church do not honor and value the women in our church, then we cannot expect God to hear our prayers.
1 Corinthians 11:7, "glory of man"
1 Corinthians 11:7
7For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
There is a sense that it is the duty of women to bring glory to men, not in the since as they do to Christ (although in Ephesians it does say to submit to your husband as to the Lord, but even this does not supersede obedience to the Lord), but in the sense of confirming and supporting manhood. In Proverbs 31, it says "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land." This whole chapter is about the woman, not the man, and I believe this verse is about her as well. I believe it is saying this woman is the glory of this man. Her role is to bring glory to a man. Men need this from woman. Yet this verse is even deeper than this. In Proverbs 12:4 says, "A wife of noble character is her husband's crown". This is more than just supporting her husband. She is her husband’s glory. She is a man’s crown. The woman blesses other men. She calls them out to be men. She calls out their dignity and honor.
- At this point I am not ready to make a definitive statement about head coverings, although based on these verses and the context it does seem to be cultural. And I can give a good argument for that. But it is scripture and I don’t want to be quick to explain it away without really listening and hearing from the Lord. However, either way, there are some rich truths in these passages and rich insight into the dignity of the roles that God has for both women and men.
I know that saying that woman is the glory of man is a controversial statement in our culture. However, the biblical concept of what these means does not come near our cultural ideas of what that means. We have to be willing to give up our concepts and come to it as it says in Romans 12:1,2 and allow God to show us His heart and the culture of the Kingdom of God.
7For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
There is a sense that it is the duty of women to bring glory to men, not in the since as they do to Christ (although in Ephesians it does say to submit to your husband as to the Lord, but even this does not supersede obedience to the Lord), but in the sense of confirming and supporting manhood. In Proverbs 31, it says "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land." This whole chapter is about the woman, not the man, and I believe this verse is about her as well. I believe it is saying this woman is the glory of this man. Her role is to bring glory to a man. Men need this from woman. Yet this verse is even deeper than this. In Proverbs 12:4 says, "A wife of noble character is her husband's crown". This is more than just supporting her husband. She is her husband’s glory. She is a man’s crown. The woman blesses other men. She calls them out to be men. She calls out their dignity and honor.
- At this point I am not ready to make a definitive statement about head coverings, although based on these verses and the context it does seem to be cultural. And I can give a good argument for that. But it is scripture and I don’t want to be quick to explain it away without really listening and hearing from the Lord. However, either way, there are some rich truths in these passages and rich insight into the dignity of the roles that God has for both women and men.
I know that saying that woman is the glory of man is a controversial statement in our culture. However, the biblical concept of what these means does not come near our cultural ideas of what that means. We have to be willing to give up our concepts and come to it as it says in Romans 12:1,2 and allow God to show us His heart and the culture of the Kingdom of God.
Genesis 2:7-25
It should also be noted here, that this is a picture of the Gospel: Christ and His church. When God made man and woman and the roles in their relationship it was a shadow and a looking forward to the full consummation of Christ and His Bride. The roles of a man and woman should not be taken lightly as the gospel should not be taken lightly.
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