I recently left a ministry that I had been a part of for almost three years. This ministry consisted of myself and three other women. From the outside, they seemed to be walking according to God's Word. They are very involved in the community, with a bread ministry, a detention center ministry, as well as a sidewalk bible teaching ministry.
No matter how wonderful a ministries works are, if they are teaching things that are contrary to the Word of God, it is not a ministry I care to be a part of. One of the reasons I left the ministry is because of their submission to husbands teachings. (There are many more, but I would be digressing from the intention of this post.)
God's Word says to be submissive. There is no post script, there are no amendments, there are no exceptions (unless your husband asks you to sin against God.) God says what He means and means what He says.
Paul wrote to Titus and told him that the aged women should teach, "the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands that the Word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2:4-5
Colossians 3:18 says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord." The word "fit" in the Greek is anēkō which means duty. Meaning, it is your duty in the Lord to submit to your husband.
Ephesians 5:33b "...and the wife see that she reverence her husband." The Greek word for reverence is phobeō which means to fear, be afraid or to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience. It is the same word that is used in 1Peter 2:17, Revelation 14:7, Revelation 15:4, and Revelation 19:5 when the Word speaks of fearing God.
In fact, in Ephesians 5:22-23 it says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church..."
Peter even writes to the wives of unbelieving husbands (or at least those who don't follow the Word) to be in submission to them so that the husbands can be won by the conduct of the wives. Husbands can be won through submission! 1Peter 3:1-4.
That is five different verses from four different books in the Word of God! Think it's important to Him?
Some will try (as this ministry did) to use Esther as an excuse to push aside this commandment of God. They say she defied her husband. Esther risked her life to save her people from genocide! The only reason she succeeded was because she found favor with her husband.
In fact Esther 2:15 says, "Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her." Verse 17, "And the king loved Esther above all women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight."
When Mordecai told Esther of Haman's plot to kill the Jews she agreed to help by going to her husband. She didn't take matters into her own hands and have Haman arrested. Her husband dealt with the issue because of her appeal to him. Praise God that the king favored her and listened!
You see, if anyone came before the king without invitation, they were to be put to death, unless the king held out his golden scepter. (Esther 4:11) Esther knew this but approached the king's inner court in spite of this to save her people. Esther 5:2, she has entered the inner court and "she obtained favor in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter." Remember Esther 2:17? She obtained favor because of who she was to her husband. (In fact, Vashti, the original queen was dethroned because she was not submissive to the king, her husband.)
It's no wonder divorce rates are so high, even among Christians! God's people have laid aside, even forcefully pushed aside, His Word because it is often hard to swallow or it doesn't seem to make sense. Romans 11:33-34, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor?"
Acts 17:11, Paul was speaking to the Bereans and this was what was said of them - "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they receive the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
We should all be noble. When we receive a teaching, whether at a bible study, internet article, or sermon at church, we should search the scriptures. If it doesn't line up with the Word of God, it is not of Him.
Marriage is sacred to God. So much so that He calls the Church His bride and He is the bridegroom. (Matthew 9:15 and Revelation 19:7)
I find it fascinating that when Jesus is talking about how He didn't come to bring peace but division, He never says, "husband against wife" or "wife against husband." (Luke 12:51-53)
My prayer for anyone who reads this is that any teaching you receive is brought to God's Word to be challenged because that is what God desires. It is the only sure way to keep from being deceived. God's Word is infallible, unchanging, and utterly amazing.
In fact, I encourage you to take everything I just said to the Word. Challenge it. I want to know if I am wrong, and I don't want to lead you astray either. We all should desire to follow God's Word who is Christ Jesus.
John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Revelation 19:13 "And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God."
That is Who I follow.
I spent three years listening to false teaching. I wish I would have been a Berean! I now have to wade through every teaching I ever received to search the scripture to verify (or debunk) its validity. Don't make my same mistake. Open your bible. It's why God gave it to us. Lean on the Holy Spirit of God to guide you and open your understanding to what the scriptures mean. He is faithful. He will reveal it to you.
In Christ Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour, the Word of God,
Tami
