A question of mine

[johnnycatholic7]

Hey all, I have a question my fiance` and I were discussing the other day and I couldn’t answer her fully. We were discussing where St. Paul says, in I believe one of the Corinithians that “women should submit fully to their husbands,” because men are “head of the household,” what does that mean? Are we to take that to mean that households were the wife tends to be head of the household is unBiblical? I told her that St. Paul was more of making a personal comment on what he thought and what the prevailing thought of the day was due to the time period. But she countered that “well if that part of the Bible changed, what else has changed, what should we apply to today and what should we regard as advice for the contemporary of the verse being written?” I couldn’t really answer. Also, she asked, and has asked before, why does appear to have “changed” from the Old Testament, to the New Testament? Any help would be great, thanks.

 

[Ferdinand_Mary]

Moved from Sacred Scriptures to Family Life - I’m hoping you kind folks can help a little better than my Scripture scholars.

Mane Nobiscum Domine,
Ferdinand Mary

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

**Very quick answer as I’m short on time. Read the rest of the verse. It says something like women submit to your husbands as your husbands submit to Christ. I probably really butchered it, but it’ll get you thinking in the right direction **

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As for things in the bible "changing"
…nothing has changed, but certain things from the OT have been fulfilled by Jesus. For example, baptism repalced circumcision…etc.

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Malia

 

[queen_anne78]

**Very quick answer as I’m short on time. Read the rest of the verse. It says something like women submit to your husbands as your husbands submit to Christ. I probably really butchered it, but it’ll get you thinking in the right direction **

Yes the rest of the verse is crucial. I think you are actually talking about a verse in Ephesians Chapter 5, where it says “Wives, submit to your husbands, and husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the Church”

So, yes, wives are to submit to their husband, BUT we must understand the word “submit”…coming from “submission” which means “to put oneself under the mission of.” OK. So we’re supposed to put ourselves under the mission of our husbands. What is the mission of husbands?

St Paul, in the rest of the verse, says husbands are instructed to love their wives as Christ loved the Church…and how did Christ do that? He died for her, to sanctify her, and He is a servant to her. So, while us ladies must submit, we are submitting to our husbands dying for us and serving us. Sounds good to me!!

Our priest spent a lot of time on this concept during our marriage prep, emphasizing that while the man has a special authority, he should not take advantage of it, rather he should be servant-like to his family, as Christ “came to serve.” Understood this way, the verse in Ephesians 5 is one of my favorites, so much so that we had it as the second reading at our Nuptial Mass.

 

[chevalier]

Basically, it means you should wear the breeches but you shouldn’t wave the belt around too much.

 

[drafdog]

The passage is “Husbands, love your wives…”
We are looking here at a culture in which women were in a much more subservient position than we have today. By insisting that the men be considerate of their wives he was trying to bring the non-Jewish members closer to the Jewish family structure. Can you imagine the “good wife” of Proverbs 31 being subservient to her husband? She manages well without constant oversight. Read the chapter and think about cottage industry. Note that from her own income she buys the field and plants a vineyard.
Don’t think that the Bible wants women subservient to men. It just isn’t so. When there are important decisions to be made, they should be made together. That is the meaning of the two become one.
God forbid that I should ever think that I am in charge of my wife or that she should look to me for every decision.

Matthew

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

Yes the rest of the verse is crucial. I think you are actually talking about a verse in Ephesians Chapter 5, where it says “Wives, submit to your husbands, and husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the Church”

Great post!!! You came across beautifully. Have you considered assisting/teaching marriage prep?

Oh, and thanks for posting exactly what I wanted to say in my post. I guess I was more tired than i thought…I really did butcher that wonderful verse In my defense, I was up since 3am with a cranky baby. In a couple of weeks you might find yourself in the same position and be laughing at yourself when you reread a post you made thinking it sounded ok, lol. I’m praying for a safe and healthy birth for you and baby

malia