As demonstrated in my last blog post, I question some of the tenets of the Patriarchy Movement. Sadly, in this era of polarization, the assumption is that so much as questioning patriarchy means an embrace of feminism.

I think that’s a false dichotomy.

My husband will be the first to tell you that I’m far from being a feminist. True, I struggle to submit to him as well as I should. But even in confessing my struggles in submission, I agree with Scripture that my responsibility as a wife is to submit to John’s authority as my husband.

At our wedding, we chose Ephesians 5:22-33 as our Scripture reading:

²² Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶ so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. ²⁸ So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; ²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of His body. ³¹ For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ³² This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. ~~Ephesians 5:22-33 (NASB)

Did you notice that this passage begins and ends with the responsibility of the wife to submit.

Submission means bringing yourself under the authority of someone. It’s a military term, suggesting rank. So, while Ephesians 5:22-33 certainly charges husbands with the responsibility of loving their wives, it emphasizes that we must see our husbands as having roles of superior rank. Thankfully, a truly loving husband would never pervert that image into an excuse to be a dictator.

Male leadership extends to the church, where women have no business leading men.

¹¹ A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. ¹² But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. ¹³ For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. ¹⁴ And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. ~~1 Timothy 2:11-14 (NASB)

Although many good people think I wrongly extend the application of this passage to blogging, I prefer to err on the side of caution by asking men not to read The Outspoken TULIP. I may be able to teach men a thing or two, but God has prohibited me from doing so. Out of obedience to the Lord, I want to avoid taking authority over my brothers in Christ.

Spiritually, men and women are equal before God (Galatians 3:28). He values me just as highly as He values my husband. But He calls men into roles of leadership and women into roles of submission. Questioning certain tenets of patriarchy in no way means that I reject the role that God assigns to me.

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