gengwall

Craig – I’m not sure you can get directly to “serve” from the Greek for “submit” but you are on the right track. I would note that the Eph 5 verses to husbands certainly contain the idea of service to the wife, wouldn’t you agree? Christ does serve us as well as we serving Him so the biblical concept is not lost.

I also would encourage you to not lose sight of the fact that head/body is a metaphor. Paul is asking us to look at the relationship between the anatomical head and body and derive from that how marriage should work. In other places through the same metaphor, Paul indicates the mutual honor and symbiotic relationship that head and body have. In keeping with your idea – head and body physiologically certainly do serve each other, need each other, and cooperate with each other for the good of the whole person. Marriage should mirror this relationship.