Read Ephesians 5:21 and tell us what it says in your own words.
And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21
Questions and Notes
-What do you think it means to submit?
Submit = Hupotasso = To place under
To place ourselves under someone else. To leverage our strength for the benefit of others. To prefer the other above myself.
-Why do you think it says to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ?
Read next passage and tell us what it says in your own words
For wives, this means to submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. Ephesians 5:22-24
Questions and Notes
-What do you think it means and doesn’t mean for wives to submit to their husbands as to the Lord?
-What does it mean that Christ is head of the church?
-Does Christ demand his own way?
-Does Christ get passive aggressive when we don’t submit?
-Does Christ pull away from us, when we refuse to follow?
Our submission to Christ and to our husband cannot be demanded, it can only be given. But just as our submission to Christ brings life, so does our willing submission to the husband.
It’s not a power thing, it’s an alignment thing.
Read the next passage and tell us what it says in your own words.
For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. Ephesians 5:25-30
Questions and Notes
-What does it mean to love your wife as Christ loved the church?
He gave up his life for her.
-What does that mean? What all did Christ give up for her?
His dignity, reputation, right to be seen as right, his time, his wealth.
-What does it mean to love your wife as you love your own body?
You take care of your body.
You feed your body daily.
You nourish it.
You take care of it when it’s sick.
You don’t expect more out of it than you know it can provide.
You protect it from harm.
You give it rest.
You cover it’s ugliness so others don’t see it.
-What do you think it means that a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself?
The two are one. When one hurts they both suffer. When momma ain't happy.......When we take care of our own bodies, our bodies take care of us. When we take care of our spouses needs, our spouse takes care of us.
Men don’t get excited, more is expected from you!
For Husbands
Here’s your task: Die for your wife and you will find LIFE.
The idea of this whole passage is not a hierarchical structure. It is describing mutual submission: Wives submit, husbands submit (die).
For Kids
Submit to your parents and to each other. That doesn’t mean you are less than, or that someone is the boss of you. It simply means that you choose to place yourself, your needs, your desires, your rights “under” that of the other! You offer what you have to help the other. What would change in our homes if we all did that?
Final Points
Christian families should be characterized by mutual submission.
The attitude of mutual submission is, I’m here for you.
The assumption of mutual submission is, You are of no less value than me.
The question mutual submission asks is, What can I do to help?
Extra Discussion Questions
-Talk about a time when someone in your family went out of his or her way to help you. How did it affect your relationship with that person?
-What is one thing you can do to improve the way you leverage your power, influence, and resources on behalf of your spouse, children, or parents?
-What is one obstacle to you practicing mutual submission in your family? How can you overcome that obstacle?
-Which member of your family do you need to ask, “What can I do to help?” What can the members of this group do to help you follow through?