Alison

Exactly, gengwall. Didn’t Jesus say on multiple occasions that whoever wants to be a leader is to be the servant? That’s a needed reminder since sometimes my ego goes nuts and those words help me come back down to a more realistic perspective.

Thanks, Kay. I was afraid that for as many times I’ve read those passages, I had completely missed something. I’ve read NRSV, TNIV, NIV, and the NKJV, and nothing’s been in any of those translating the original Greek as “leader”. Quite honestly, I think that’s an attempt to hold on to the world’s ideas of the man as the dominant one, and the woman as the meek follower, and attach submission to fleshly notion of power and authority.

However, I think the best definition of submission in general is found, not in any of the marriage passages, but in Philippians 2:3-4, where Paul tells us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (NIV). Working from that, then, I define submission as a willingness to put the other before myself, and let go of my agenda in order that the mutual agenda (such as building a God-glorifying marriage) is fulfilled. From that perspective, then, submission doesn’t have anything to do with authority whatever, but rather is an outworking of Christ’s nature as Servant in me. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but it’s what’s bouncing around in my brain right now.