24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
The premise of verse 24 is that the church’s submission to Christ is the model for the wife’s submission to her husband. This verse is an extension of the comparison between Christ and the husband.
Therefore [very strong adversative],
There is a strong contrast to Christ and the husband, although there is also a parallel between them. Although there are differences of headships in verse 23, nevertheless they are one. The headship of Christ to the church is the prototype of what the husband is to be to his wife. Christ’s headship is different from the husband’s headship—He is not only the head of the church but He is her Savior.
just as
The words “just as” show the comparison between Christ and the husband.
the church is subject to Christ,
The church’s submission to Christ is the model for the wife’s compliance to her husband. The wife is to act like the church does to Christ.
so let the wives be to their own husbands
The wife recognizes her husband as the head of the home. She is to submit to that idea.
in everything.
“Everything” here pertains to anything that relates to her husband that is not contrary to God’s will. The husband cannot demand his wife do anything contrary to God Himself. The wife should not submit to physical abuse from her husband.
The Holy Spirit does not address here the issue of a Christian wife who is married to an unbeliever (1 Peter 3:1f does speak to this issue). Follow these studies beginning with this one: http://versebyversecommentary.com/1-peter/1-peter-31/
PRINCIPLE:
The Christian home should operate under divine establishment.
APPLICATION:
Humanism assaults Western culture with the attempt to make all human beings the same with a classless society. Egalitarianism accepts no sexual differences. Everywhere man seeks autonomy from the biblical worldview. This is why society has fallen prey to perversions in society such as lesbianism and homosexuality. Some churches even ordain homosexuals. Biblical interpreters allow culture to dictate to the passage rather than the passage determining what the meaning is of itself.
Submission does not mean slavish obedience, inequality to the husband (Ga 3:28). Headship of the husband does not mean domineering leadership or passivity toward his wife. The command for the wife is not conditional on her husband loving her.
The idea of biblical submission is neither subservience or servility. The idea is to have function in the home that operates under divine order or establishment. In no way is the exhortation of this verse for the wife intended to stifle her person.
