I was intrigued initially when I saw Ian’s sermon title for this Sunday, ‘The S word’. What could it stand for? Didn’t take long to find out. The passage he will be unpacking from 1 Peter 3:1-7 is all about ‘submission’ in the context of marriage.
In Australia, one in four women and one in fourteen men have experienced violence by an intimate partner since the age of 15. One in four women and one in seven women had experienced emotional abuse by a current or previous partner since the age of 15. Finally, one in five women and one in 16 men had experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.
80% of women report that their ex-partner had replaced physical abuse with financial abuse via child support as a means of control since their separation (extracted from ‘Unlocking the Prevention Potential: accelerating action to end domestic, family and sexual violence’ report released on 23 August 2024).
Most disturbingly and shockingly, a research in 2021 (National Anglican Family and Domestic Violence Research Report, NCLS) found that rates of domestic abuse in the church community are about the same as in the broader community – that’s about one in four women in their lifetime and about one in 13 men!
There are those who have attempted to link domestic violence to the Biblical teaching on submission or the doctrine of headship in which the husband is seen as the primary leader of his family and wives are to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:23). However, it is a gross distortion of this passage and others for that matter (e.g. 1 Peter 3:1-7) to teach that this gives husbands control and authority over their wives.
No where does the Bible give the husband authority to coerce and demand submission. Instead, the husband needs to solely concern himself with the bit written to him which is, that he is to love his wife in the same manner Christ loves the church sacrificially. The bit about submission is written to wives. In other words, the wife is called upon to voluntarily affirm and submit to the leadership of her husband expressed in loving sacrifice and a desire to provide, protect and nurture. There is nothing in the Bible that compels a woman to submit to abuse and coercion.
Therefore, a husband who abuses his wife whether physically, emotionally, financially or otherwise is blatantly sinning against her and against Christ. This also means that any church that do not protect the abused are sinning against Christ.
Every follower of Jesus has a mandate from him to serve and not lord it over others. This is true in the home, in the church and in our workplaces. Let’s never forget that we follow a Lord and Saviour who washed the feet of his disciples.
Following Christ,
Mark
Recent Comments