Ephesians 5:24 Commentary and Bible Study

Just as the church will obey her Saviour and her Lord, so the wife is to place herself under her husband, though there is to be much mutual consideration of everything. You decide things together; and the husband's policy, ultimately – if it is right and proper, and it is agreed between them – is what is honoured. Spurgeon said: if two ride a horse, one must be in front.How strong is the ‘everything’? The church can be subject to Christ in everything because Christ is perfect. But for the husband we have to limit the word ‘everything’. It does not include every single whim. Christ remains head over both of them, so that if the husband asks things that are unethical, or improper, or unreasonable, or cruel or unkind, then of course the wife cannot submit to that, because she has to always submit to Christ, who is the supreme head. A husband only has a kind of delegated responsibility and so she cannot always obey him, because he may be quite seriously wrong, and wanting improper things, or reacting quite wrongly to situations. And her task is, with all the wit she can muster is to talk him out of it and bring him round; not simply to comply, because Christ, ultimately, is her supreme Lord. So, we interpret the verse in the context that is provided.We know how Christ secures this subjection. What are his methods? He persuades us and teaches us and educates us and brings us into clear understanding of what we are today. He does not just give terse commands. The Bible is a big book and God teaches us carefully in it. Some husbands do not share with their wives, just as vice versa. Christ persuades by love, by teaching.