Ephesians | Session 15 | Husbands and Wives Big Ideas: • The hermeneutical perspective: (bible interpretation) • The Personal Perspective • Healthy Balance of Biblical Roles • Love and Respect The hermeneutical perspective: (bible interpretation) Two extremes: 1. This topic has caused a lot of undue pain and allowed abuse in many church circles for centuries. 2. The church has allowed the sinful world to shape this topic by setting scripture aside and giving way to cultural preference. Complementary and Egalitarian Complementary- The first tenet of complementarianism is that men and women are equal in personhood. There is no difference in worth. Proponents of complementarianism believe that men and women have separate, though equal, roles in marriage, family life, the church, and elsewhere. Egalitarian- In Christianity, egalitarians agree with complementarians that men and women are equal in worth. However, egalitarianism goes further to state that men and women are considered equal in role capabilities as well; there are no gender restrictions on what roles men and women can fulfill in the church, home, and society. The personal perspective: • Are you saying that a woman is not as worthy as a man? • Not as gifted? • Not as filled with the Holy Spirit? • Are you by implication suggesting that her sense of calling to the ministry is false? • This is the twenty-first century; how can you tell a woman that a choice she wants to make is not open to her? This is a justice issue! • We don’t have to understand why God does what He does or commands what He commands. Obedience is our desired response from God. Ephesians 5:22-23 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Submit-to give over or yield to the power or authority another. To place or rank under. To obey. (submission is not taken but given) 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 1 Peter 3:7 7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.