Role of the Wife in the Bible
"encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored." Titus 2:4-5
"get married, bear children, keep house" 1 Timothy 5:14
"But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint." 1 Timothy 2:15
Introduction and summary: Submissive homemaker
Responsibility Of Wives
1. A major denomination recently voted acceptance of a statement which watered down the responsibility of wives to submit to or obey their husbands. This is very bad and represents modernism.
2. Many preachers avoid subject or alter till message fits prevailing view.
a. Desire to be up to date, to be with it, is a powerful influence.
b. Disdain, scorn from otherwise faithful Christians can be intimidating.
3. I am amazed at denial of simple truths, outright defiance by preachers, elders, older mature Christians. Has become serious problem in Lord's church.
4. Reactionary "solutions" to problems patch over fundamental misunderstandings
causing God's ordained roles to be scrambled. Product is unscriptural, uneasy truce that all parties are afraid address; explosion waiting to happen.
5. In to many cases today, the explosion is not waiting; it is happening.
Result is tragic beyond imagination. Effect will be see for generations.
6. God ordained rules are not ambiguous. Wiser than human wisdom, II Peter 1:3.
7. Will begin with responsibilities of wives as H.S. consistently does. Why?
I. Marital Responsibilities Are INDEPENDENT!
A. The most difficult problem in counseling: "Contingent responsibilities." Keeping God's rules is not conditioned on mate's conduct. Unscriptural!
B. Remember, husband's responsibilities are non-conditional, Rom.5:8, 10.
C. Peter addresses problem for various submissive relationships.
1. Slaves, I Pet.2:18-19, 20.
2. Christ, the pattern for both, I Pet.2:21, 23.
3. Wives, "in the same way", I Pet.3:1, 5-6.
II. "SUBMIT" Ephesians 5:22 (Cf. Col.3:18; Tit.2:5; I Pet 3:1).
III. "HELPER" Genesis 2:18 .
A. Yes, Man Needs Help, "It is not good that man should be alone".
1. Purpose of woman's creation? Bible reveals; is to help husband.
Helper role lost, even ridiculed in modern marriages. Cf. Commercials.
2. Instead, women urged to actualize themselves, fulfill their own goals.
Not the Biblical picture. One is helper-One is helpee. Cf. Christ & Church.
3. In proper role, an unbeatable team. Out of role, inevitable problems.
Just look at how well modern view has "solved" marriage problems???
B. Wives, resolve to pour life into living for him AS church lives for Christ,
in spite of the fact that "modern" philosophy ridicules. God's way works.
C. How Help?
1. Love your husband, Tit.2:4.
2. Be a companion, Mal.2:14; Prov.2:16-17; 31:12.
3. Satisfy sexual desires.
a. Bible not prudish. Marriage bed honorable, holy, Heb.13:4; William's.
b. Consider instructions of I Corinthians 7.
v.2, Help husband avoid fornication. Are you really helping?
v.4, No authority over own body. (Exception to husbands authority, his body. Wife has authority over husband's body.)
v.5, "Do not deprive." No bargaining, motivating, paying back.
v.5, "with consent for a season, lest Satan tempt...".
Therefore, no unscriptural separation (indefinite, unconsenting).
(For same reason, no unscriptural divorce, I Cor.7:10.)
4. Childbearing, I Tim.2:15. (Husbands visit labor room and be grateful.)
5. "Rule," manage household, I Tim.5:14.
a. Thayer: "to be master (or head) of a house; to rule a household,
manage family affairs: 1 Tim.v.14." p.439
b. Wife's role is executive position; manage under authority of husband as elders under Christ.
c. Learn to be good managers.
1) Must not neglect primary responsibility, the home, Tit.2:5.
2) Cf. Virtuous woman, Prov.31:27, 13-16.
6. Summary, Prov.31:12, "Does him good & not evil...."
CONCLUSION:
1. Following God's Rules Produces Real Freedom, True Fulfillment.
a. Cf. Train & train tracks; Singing & Laws of Harmony; constrained & fulfilled.
b. Just as free as church is free in Christ. Is church second rate? Stifled?
c. Truly fulfilled woman, running on God's tracks, Prov.27-30.
2. Heart Of The Matter:
Husband, do you love wife enough to die for her?
Wife, do you love your husband enough to live for Him?
3. If answer is negative, realize that you are out of harmony with will of God.
There will be dire consequences, both for time and for eternity, unless
you repent and submit to God's divine wisdom.
4. Problems? Unfilled? Try God's Way. Both wise and necessary
Don Patton
