Topical Bible: Wives: Duties of, to Their Husbands: To Obey Them

◄ Wives: Duties of, to Their Husbands: To Obey Them ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The role of a wife in relation to her husband is a topic addressed in several passages throughout the Bible. From a conservative Christian perspective, the duty of a wife to obey her husband is seen as part of the divine order established by God. This concept is rooted in the understanding of marriage as a covenant relationship that reflects the relationship between Christ and the Church.

Biblical Foundation

1. Ephesians 5:22-24 : "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 is often cited as the foundational text for the duty of wives to obey their husbands. The analogy of the relationship between Christ and the Church underscores the spiritual significance of this submission.

2. Colossians 3:18 : "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." Here, the Apostle Paul reiterates the call for wives to submit to their husbands, emphasizing that such submission is appropriate and aligns with God's design.

3. 1 Peter 3:1-2 : "Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands so that, even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see your pure and reverent demeanor." This passage highlights the potential for a wife's obedience to serve as a testimony to her husband, particularly in cases where he may not share her faith.

Theological Context

The duty of a wife to obey her husband is often understood within the broader context of mutual love and respect. Ephesians 5:25-28 instructs husbands to love their wives "just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her," suggesting that a husband's leadership should be characterized by self-sacrificial love. This mutual relationship is intended to reflect the unity and harmony found in the Godhead.

Practical Implications

In practical terms, the duty of obedience does not imply inferiority or a lack of agency on the part of the wife. Rather, it is seen as a voluntary and loving response to her husband's leadership, which should be exercised with wisdom and care. The wife's obedience is part of a reciprocal relationship where both partners seek to honor God through their roles.

Cultural Considerations

While the biblical mandate for wives to obey their husbands is clear, its application can vary across different cultural contexts. The principle of submission is timeless, but the manner in which it is expressed may differ based on cultural norms and individual family dynamics. It is important for couples to seek guidance from Scripture and the Holy Spirit in applying these principles to their unique circumstances.

Conclusion

The duty of wives to obey their husbands is a biblical principle that reflects the order and harmony intended by God for the marital relationship. It is a call to live out the gospel within the home, demonstrating the love and respect that characterize the relationship between Christ and His Church.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Corinthians 14:34
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted to them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also said the law.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Titus 2:5
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Christian Home
... Paul says, "Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also ... Duties of Young and
Old.""That the aged men be ... women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love ...
/.../sell/studies in the life of the christian/study x the christian home.htm

Covenant Duties.
... to vow the performance of definite duties that may ... as unto the Lord." "Husbands,
love your wives, even as ... support, and govern, and bring up their families in ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iv covenant duties.htm

Ephesians v. 22-24
... He is no longer setting down the duties of love ... be very thoughtful both for our wives,
and children ... have not only received nothing of their husbands, but have ...
/.../homily xx ephesians v 22-24.htm

Christ the Believer's Husband
... I say, duties of love ... that they live so holy and unblameable, as to lay their wives
under no ... may be so mean as to impose some things upon their wives, merely to ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/christ the believers husband.htm

On Mutual Subjection {1} --(First Printed in 1744)
... it to humility, to the duties of charity ... Thus servants are directed to obey their
masters, children their parents, and wives their husbands, not from ...
/.../swift/three sermons three prayers/on mutual subjection 1first printed.htm

The Domestic Relation.
... about the fashions and society than the duties of home. ... The humble apostle, after
exhorting the wives to be in subjection to their husbands, commands them ...
/.../orr/the gospel day /chapter xiii the domestic relation.htm

Preface.
... and privileges are neglected; husbands and wives do not ... the heart of the children
to their fathers ... the responsibilities, the prerogatives, duties and blessings ...
//christianbookshelf.org/philips/the christian home/preface.htm

The First Epistle General of Peter
... Christian brotherhood and its duties, submission to ... obey even unreasonable masters,
wives if good and gentle may win their husbands, husbands must reverence ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter xxi the first epistle.htm

1 Cor. xi. 2
... "Because they for their part," you say, "used to love their own wives." I know ... But
when we are exhorting thee concerning thine own duties, let not theirs ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xxvi 1 cor xi.htm

Of the Loving of God in Ourselves and Other Creatures...
... and much more to husbands and wives, which are not ... reverence and gratitude, in providing
for their subsistence, as ... &c.; in the paying of which duties we are ...
/.../chapter v of the loving.htm