Submission in Christian Marriage, A Biblical View
Independent Fundamental Baptists are known for their doctrine that women should be, “in subjection” to men in a marriage. The poignant and unresolved question for many is whether this belief can pass biblical muster. Here are the biblical facts.
1 Peter 3:1 says, “wives be in subjection to your own husbands.” What does that mean? First, it means that wives are to have this relationship only with their husbands, not any other man. But the crux of this matter lies in the word SUBJECTION. What doe it actually mean? This is the Greek word, HUPOTASSO. It is a compound word: HUPO, a primary preposition meaning UNDER, and second part of the word TASSO, a verb meaning, “to arrange in an orderly manner.” Thus together, this word means that a marriage and family is to have an orderly arrangement with the husband as head. But there is more …. much more.
This is to be done while the wives, “behold your chaste conversation.” This is not only a directive to the men, but can clearly be viewed as a conditional element for the wives. The word chaste is HAGNOS in the Greek, meaning, “clean, innocent, modest,” guarding the wife against the abuses of the tyrannical spouse.
The husband is further directed to, “dwell with them according to KNOWLEGE, giving HONOR to the wife.” (1 Peter 3:7) Knowledge here is the Greek word, GNOSIS, a word meaning, “general knowledge and understanding,” and in this biblical context we can rightly add, “through a deeper, more perfect and enlarged knowledge of the Christian faith.” (Strong’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, word #G1108). To fall short of this standard means to have one’s prayers hindered according to this verse. Hindered is the Greek word EKKOPTO, meaning, “frustrated.”
Fundamentalism has been described as, “No fun, all dam, no mental.” Perhaps we have seen this illustrated through a proper understanding of submission, not the simplistic demands of weak men and unrespectable tyrants.
Jerry D. Kaifetz, Ph.D.
Feb. 2024
