Pondering A Portrait of Marriage
Still on the theme of marriage and the church:
Ephesians Chapter 5:
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. [1] 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Now that we have read some scripture on the matter, consider the following quote I found over the weekend. I long for your thoughts and discussion afterwards.
It is possible (but not right) for baptized believers to act in their lives as though the gospel were not true. How many conservative husbands are outraged if some liberal preacher says that Jesus did not rise from the dead, when their daily treatment of their wives makes the same statement? At least the liberal only states his heresy occasionally. (Douglas Wilson, Reformed Is Not Enough, p. 168)
Tags: Christianity, church, culture, Family, marraige Posted in Christianity, Uncategorized, marriage
June 1st, 2009 at 11:51 am
I have actually been in the church populace of a pulpit minister whose treatment of his wife negated the testimony he gave of Christ’s love for the church. It’s not pretty. Of course, those who teach *SHOULD* be held to a higher standard–their overall lives shoud not only echo but compliment the messages they bring to their pupils.
Teachers/ministers aside, though, you’re right–our society does have a bit of a double-standard about Christ’s love for the church and the roles within marriage. Possibly backlash from the feminist movement, maybe, that left many men a bit emasculated and afraid to lead? The ripples from that mess are far more prevalent and powerful than we care to admit, I’m afraid. “Modern” men and women have a very skewed view of marraige, and it affects families and the church as a whole in dangerous ways–certainly not the least of which being that it distorts and waters down the image of Christ’s love and care of His church!
Kris’s last blog post..Got something on your mind?
June 1st, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Ouch….
I reckon this observation is sad but true.Feminism is indeed an anti christian life style for a woman but when misogynism rears it’s head, it is ugly. The distorted “patriach” whose headship is without love and self sacrifice (as Christ for his church), and claims some sort of biblical backup, using it to totally squash and demoralize his bride.
The beautiful picture of Christ and his Bride, the perfect union of love and submission…… so hard for us to replicate because we are weak and sinful, but none the less, our failure to do so reflects poorly on our profession.For those in the pew but especially those in the pulpit as Kris has experienced.
This is a really challenging subject. I look forward to you posting further on it.
Ruby’s last blog post..Pondering the Essentials
June 4th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
What you write, I am witnessing right now in some marriages of people who are in my life. Not me and my hubby but some others. It is a hard thing to watch and makes me so sad.
Mommy Reg’s last blog post..Walking with Daddy