Kerryn

Hi Tiffany, (and Cheryl…) (re #21)
Great questions and discussion. thanks.
Regarding the whole husband = Christ = head and wife = Church = Body… i think (apart from the whole ‘kephale’ meaning debate) that one of the biggest challenges is how ‘far’ do you take this metaphor? after all, we do need to remember that this is ‘just’ a metaphor. Yes, it’s a God-inspired one – but it’s just a metaphor – not a literal comparison on ‘all’ fronts. Is Paul saying the ‘husband’ is the ‘saviour’ of the ‘wife’? Few would argue so! Yet obviously Paul wants us to understand some similarities in the manner in which the Church/Christ and wife/husband are to relate to each other. What I’d like to ask you (as I ask myself too!) is what exactly is Paul (God’s!) ‘emphasis’ through the metaphor? I don’t believe that with metaphors like this that we are to ‘stretch it as far as we possibly can’ – but rather ask ourselves what is the critical point(s) being emphasised.
I’ll be brave and suggest some thoughts first but I’d love to hear your thoughts too Tiffany.
I believe that the metaphor is being used to emphasise the ‘unity’ of the husband and wife – just as the Church as the Body is to be unified with Christ. I don’t think (and pls do correct me if I am wrong cos I am still learning and studying all this stuff in a big way at the moment) that the other metaphorical uses of ‘kephale’ referring to Christ in relation to his church (Eph 1:22-23; 4:15-16; Col 1:18-19; 2:19); ever ‘emphasise’ his authority over his Church, but rather his unity and close relationship with Her and the way that Christ nourishes, supports (serves?) the Church. I love how Paul brings the focus of the metaphor back to God’s original pre-fall intent – that the man and woman be united and ‘one’ (Gen 2:24), even as Jesus does when he is asked about issues of divorce and marriage (Mt 19:4-6). In fact it seems to me that a key theme in Eph as a whole is ‘unity’ which lays the context for how we are to submit to one another – and specific examples that Paul uses for the husband and wife in Eph 5:21-33. Does Christ have authority over the Church? Yes. Of course he does – He is all-powerful. Yet I don’t see ‘kephale’ being used in Scripture to emphasise this authority or power over his Church/Bride.

What do you think?

How are we to submit to Christ? I believer absolutely and totally. His faithfulness and perfect sacrificial love for me inspires me to want to submit to him. If another Christian (who we are to submit to eph 5:21) or my husband (eph 5:22-24) was to ask me to do something contrary to Scripture I would not choose to submit to them (this is perhaps an over-simplification of what could be very complex issues!). But Jesus will never ask me to do anything contrary to Scripture. The wonderful thing about submission in this passage is it’s not demanded by the one we are submitting to – but offered by us to another. We ‘submit ourselves’ (middle voice of “huppotasso”).

Do you think Christ has also submitted himself to the Church?
what do you think?

Regards
Kerryn

PS – I began writing this entry 24 hours ago but have had my three little girls keeping me so busy – so sorry if I am joining the discussion a bit late to be ‘in context’…and if it’s a bit of a mixed/ incomplete bag of thoughts!