Mutual submission, or mutual consideration?
Just so we're clear on our understanding of the Bible ~ Ephesians 5:21 does not say of Christians, "you submit to me and I'll submit to you". The Greek word used there is "hupotassomenoi", which translates into English as "being under-set" or "being subject".
Two people can no more be set under one another than two playing cards can both be under each other. Paul isn't some thug gangster touting "e'erbody submit to e'erbody else." He's in the process of gently describing how Christians should properly represent Christ, and prefaces the details in saying "Submitting yourselves one to another..." He is about to DEFINE what that looks like, and the first item addressed is the relationship between a married couple.
He isn't saying a husband is more important or has more value. He is saying there needs to be someone to take the responsibility, someplace for the buck to stop. A teacher isn't more important or valuable than her students, but she will have the final say in decision making in her classroom. She is the head of that room. In the Christian life, the husband is the head of the home, and Christ is the head of the church. We look to Him for that reason. "Mutual submission" isn't Biblical, and isn't possible, because it negates God's plan of authority. If we take the position of wives submitting to husbands AND husbands submitting to wives, then we must apply that paradigm everywhere. Parents must also submit to children. Masters must also submit to slaves...see, that doesn't work. There needs to be an authority, and if your primary desire is to honor God, then you must honor His principles. Yes, husband are to selflessly love their wives as Christ loved the church, but women - if you're expecting your husband to submit to YOU, then you are disobediently not in submission to him, plain and simple.
http://jorymicah.com/men-submit-to-women-in-the-home-church-a-series/?subscribe=success#blog_subscription-2
Two people can no more be set under one another than two playing cards can both be under each other. Paul isn't some thug gangster touting "e'erbody submit to e'erbody else." He's in the process of gently describing how Christians should properly represent Christ, and prefaces the details in saying "Submitting yourselves one to another..." He is about to DEFINE what that looks like, and the first item addressed is the relationship between a married couple.
He isn't saying a husband is more important or has more value. He is saying there needs to be someone to take the responsibility, someplace for the buck to stop. A teacher isn't more important or valuable than her students, but she will have the final say in decision making in her classroom. She is the head of that room. In the Christian life, the husband is the head of the home, and Christ is the head of the church. We look to Him for that reason. "Mutual submission" isn't Biblical, and isn't possible, because it negates God's plan of authority. If we take the position of wives submitting to husbands AND husbands submitting to wives, then we must apply that paradigm everywhere. Parents must also submit to children. Masters must also submit to slaves...see, that doesn't work. There needs to be an authority, and if your primary desire is to honor God, then you must honor His principles. Yes, husband are to selflessly love their wives as Christ loved the church, but women - if you're expecting your husband to submit to YOU, then you are disobediently not in submission to him, plain and simple.
http://jorymicah.com/men-submit-to-women-in-the-home-church-a-series/?subscribe=success#blog_subscription-2