The concept of respecting the husband is deeply rooted in biblical teachings and is often discussed within the context of marriage and family life. This principle is primarily derived from the New Testament, where the relationship between husband and wife is likened to the relationship between Christ and the Church.

Biblical Foundation

The Apostle Paul addresses the issue of respect within marriage in his epistle to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 5:22-24 , Paul writes, "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." This passage underscores the idea of respect through submission, drawing a parallel between the marital relationship and the divine order established by God.

Furthermore, Ephesians 5:33 reinforces this concept: "Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Here, respect is presented as a reciprocal duty within the marriage, where the husband's love and the wife's respect are both essential for a harmonious relationship.

Theological Implications

The call for wives to respect their husbands is not an endorsement of inequality but rather an invitation to embrace the distinct roles within the marriage covenant. The biblical model of marriage is one of mutual submission and love, where both partners honor God through their relationship with each other. Respecting the husband is seen as an act of obedience to God's design for marriage, reflecting the order and harmony intended by the Creator.

Practical Application

In practical terms, respecting the husband involves recognizing his role as the spiritual leader of the household. This respect is manifested through support, encouragement, and a willingness to follow his leadership, provided it aligns with biblical principles. It also involves open communication, where the wife expresses her thoughts and feelings while maintaining a posture of honor and esteem.

Respecting the husband does not imply blind obedience or submission to ungodly behavior. Instead, it calls for a discerning and respectful partnership, where both husband and wife seek to glorify God through their interactions and decisions.

Cultural Considerations

In contemporary society, the biblical call for wives to respect their husbands can be met with resistance, often due to misunderstandings of the concept of submission. It is important to approach this teaching with a clear understanding of its biblical context, recognizing that it is part of a broader framework of mutual love and respect within the marriage.

The principle of respecting the husband remains a vital aspect of Christian marriage, encouraging wives to honor their husbands as part of their commitment to God and to the marital covenant.Ephesians 5:22-24
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
Topicalbible.org

Ephesians 5:33
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Topicalbible.org

1 Peter 3:1
Likewise, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;
Topicalbible.org

Christ the Believer's Husband
... who are married to Jesus Christ? See to it that you reverence and respect
your husband. I say, see to it. For the devil will be ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/christ the believers husband.htm

Maximian, Having Thus Forfeited the Respect Due to an Emperor and ...
... Maximian, having thus forfeited the respect due to an emperor and a father-in ... by
entreaties as by the soothing of flattery, solicited her to betray her husband. ...
/.../of the manner in which the persecutors died/chap xxx maximian having thus.htm

Whether a Sacred Order Cannot Supervene to Matrimony?
... But it does not dissolve the bond in respect of the other party, since the husband
is bound to pay the debt to the wife if he cannot persuade her to observe ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether a sacred order cannot.htm

Whether one who is under Another's Power Can Give Alms?
... from ours that "sponsus" is no longer accurately rendered either "husband" or
"betrothed ... another's power must not give alms of anything in respect of which he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether one who is under.htm

Whether it was Lawful for a Divorced Wife to have Another Husband?
... Reply to Objection 1: It was lawful for a husband to have several wives at one ... Our
Lord shows the superabundance of the New Law over the Old in respect of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether it was lawful for.htm

Christ the Best Husband: or an Earnest Invitation to Young Women ...
... chosen you, then, and not till then, you make choice of him for your Lord and Husband. ...
I do not mean in respect of your bodies; you may have less of external ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/christ the best husband or.htm

The Birth of Cyrus.
... what could have occasioned so sudden and urgent a call, had to bear, all the day,
a burden of anxiety and solicitude in respect to her husband, in addition to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter ii the birth of.htm

On the Union of Believers with Christ
... With respect to a husband and wife, it is a participation of flesh and bones;
or, it is flesh of the flesh of Christ, and bone of his bones. ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation xlv on the union.htm

Whether Matrimony is a Kind of Joining?
... and upbringing of children, and again to one family life, it is clear that in matrimony
there is a joining in respect of which we speak of husband and wife ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether matrimony is a kind.htm

Explanation of the Preceding Chapter.
... eyes only to see it, mouth to kiss it, breast to give it suck, care to bring it
up; and one would think that her husband was nothing to her, in respect of her ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter vii explanation of the.htm

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