I have a very hard time passing up cheap potted flowers. Show me a plant in a pot with a $1 price tag, and I’ll show you an impulsive buyer! And so, when ShopRite had these little miniature daffodils on sale for $1.99, I bought one! It has taken up residence on our living room coffee table, in front of one window and a bit off to the side of another.

When I came down this morning, every single one of the little blooms has managed to turn itself around so that it’s pointing toward the windows. Toward the sunlight. Even the little floppy one that I thought was dead.

Isn’t that amazing? A plant, a thing with no brain or eyes or consciousness, knows what it needs (sunlight) and is wholly dedicated to getting it. I’m amazed at the science of it, in wonder at God’s amazing creation, and also astounded at how relentlessly the daffodils pursue their single task.

I was thinking, as I passed them by, that we should be more daffodil-like. What an amazing example they are! They “look” at the sun, every last one. That’s what they need to survive, and so they do it! Our eyes, too, should be trained on our “sun”–God–without exception and without wavering! God is the one Who fulfills all our needs, and nothing else should distract us.

To limit the metaphor, though, I do wish that they were fed by something else! Because in turning towards the window, they’ve turned away from the room, and all you see is the backs of them, which aren’t nearly as pretty as the blooms!

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.
[Ephesians 5:23]

So why is it that God has called one-half of all the people in the world to go against their rebellious natures and put themselves under the authority of the other half of the world? Does God think women can’t make good decisions on their own? Are women just not emotionally stable enough to lead? Are we stupider than men? Or, conversely, does the idea of women being in control just bother men so much that God knew they couldn’t handle it?

I’ve heard these sorts of arguments, and I think that many times when we’re struggling with submission–when we know we should and just find the desire lacking–these questions come to our minds. Submission doesn’t always seem fair. It’s easy to be resentful and think that joyfully submitting must be like asking a slave to be patriotic. And the world doesn’t help. They think we’re nuts. I went to a secular university, and let me tell you, my non-feminism didn’t always go over too well! I’m very sure that it cost me a few grades and made me a few enemies amongst the professors, especially in the English department. This is the world in which we live. “Women can do anything men can do–and do it better,” they insist.

Then there’s the standard legalistic reaction to the world’s errant philosophy, which takes a dollop of true misogyny and mixes it with broad generalizations, missing the beauty of femininity in an attempt to avoid feminism. Women were made in the image of God (Genesis 5:1-2 ): rational, emotional, soul-imbibed human beings. God didn’t decree that we would be the submitters because we’re dumb, irresponsible, and over-emotional! There are so many women in the Bible and throughout history that completely disprove that notion.

So why submission? Because God had a bigger, beautiful purpose to accomplish.

Paul equates the husband to Christ, and the wife to the Church. That’s the “for,” the ultimate reason why we are to submit. In creating marriage, God made sure that His divine love for us would be obvious everywhere we turn, lost or saved. We see marriages around us, and we see how God loves us faithfully! We see marriages, and we see what our relationship with Him is supposed to be! As wives, we have a solemn and joyful duty to illustrate in our daily lives the way that the Church adores and serves and is faithful to her divine Husband. As husbands, they have an equally solemn and joyful duty to illustrate in their daily lives the way Christ unrelentingly and selflessly loves and protects the church–a taller order than submission, if you ask me!

We are called to submit to our husbands specifically as a witness of the submission of the Church to Christ. Wives all around the world at this very moment are displaying in the universal language of action the way that the Bride of Christ submits to her Bridegroom! By His grace, God has written all over the world a great display of redemption and obedience, and this is our part to play. It’s exciting, not inhibiting. It’s part of our created purpose, not a millstone around our necks! God has planned this from the foundation of the world.

There is nothing less dehumanizing than godly submission. Submission is a very real part of what our humanity is at its very essence! God could have created us all to be alike, and left the world to flounder with no idea of how He works amongst humanity, but instead, out of grace alone, He made an illustration and put it in the middle of marriage–the world’s oldest and most abiding human bond–and then, adding grace to grace, He gave us the privilege and duty of carrying it out!

Every time we joyfully submit to our husbands, it becomes a little clearer in our hearts how the Church is designed to submit to Christ. And every time a non-believer sees us being submissive, they see beautiful truths in action that they haven’t seen firsthand. Our submission should be a continual lesson for us as well as a witness to the world!

The beauty in this transcends the merely theological: it affects our day-to-day living and gives us hope and encouragement. At times when submission “stings”–when I totally disagree with Seth–I can take comfort in the fact that even if the particular instance of submitting seems useless from my point of view, it is still serving the primary goal of teaching the Gospel to my heart, to Seth’s heart, and to the world.

Wifely submission is a beautiful illustration of an even more beautiful example of God’s grace. May we live it with thankfulness, not resentment!

I was thinking today: I’ve been married for about three years. I’m twenty-three years old. But here I am, writing a series on submission.

Is that arrogant? Because I’ve got a confession to make: I’m not very good at it!

I suppose I should have been clearer on that point at the beginning. I’m writing this series because I need to hear it. Not because I’ve got the market cornered. Just ask my husband! He reads my drafts (often, not always), and I can tell you what he’s thinking: she can say it, but can she live it?

To a certain extent, this whole journal is full of me writing about subjects I’m not so good at living. But submission is particularly humbling for me, because there are all kinds of godly women out there (probably including some of the ones I criticized in this post) who really don’t struggle with submission–the way some women don’t struggle with discussing intricacies of theology. We have strengths and we have weaknesses, by God’s grace, and for some women, submission is a strength!

But not for me. I struggle. I’m stubborn. I’m independent. I usually tell people when I think they’re wrong. I’m opinionated.

Please keep that in mind if you’re reading here. You’re reading the story of my struggle to understand and internalize the command of God for me to be submissive to my husband. I’m writing what I learn from Scripture, yes, and I’ll write with conviction, but I’m studying first and foremost to convict my own heart. These words spring out of frailty, not accomplishment.

Now, the question of a dictionary-like definition of submission. We could just look it up in an actual dictionary, but that would just tell us what G. & C. Merriam and Noah Webster think it means, not what God says it means!

The word here is hupotasso (plus some funny characters I can’t get to show up). Hupo is a preposition meaning “under” or “beneath,” and tasso means “to arrange in an orderly manner, that is to assign or dispose (to a certain position or lot)” (via Strong’s). Or to paraphrase and be verbose, the word literally means to deliberately and carefully arrange beneath.

The word is the same one used to describe Jesus’s relationship to his parents in Luke 2:51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. (ESV) And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. (ESV) (imagine being a completely perfect being submitting to imperfect parents!); in Luke 10:20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (ESV) Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (ESV) Jesus uses the word to describe how the demons are subject to the seventy sent-out; in Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope (ESV) For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope (ESV) Paul uses the word to describe how creation is subject to depravity; in Romans 13:1 [13:1]Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (ESV) [13:1]Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (ESV), he uses the word to describe how we are to submit to our government; in 1 Corinthians 14:34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. (ESV) the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. (ESV) the word is used in telling women to keep silent in the church; in 1 Corinthians 15:27-28 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. (ESV) For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. (ESV) we learn that God subjected all creation under Christ’s feet and that Christ shall be subjected to God; Titus 2:9 Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, (ESV) Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, (ESV) exhorts servants to be subjected to their masters; in James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (ESV) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (ESV) we are to submit ourselves to God; in 1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (ESV) Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (ESV) we are to be subject to our elders. All the same Greek word.

It’s worth noting that the word used to describe the relationship of children to parents is hupakouo, which means “to hear under… to listen attentively… to heed or conform.” The word is used in many of the same contexts as hupotasso (including in relation to the spirits obeying Christ, servants obeying their masters, the Christian’s relationship to God, and Sarah’s relationship to Abraham), but is never used to describe the “submit to one another” relationship of Christians, nor (except for Sarah) to describe the relationship of a wife to a husband.

Conclusively, then, we are to “submit” to our husbands in the same sense that:

• we submit to the government
• we submit to our masters
• we submit to our elders
• we submit to God
• we behave in church
• Christ submitted to his parents
• Christ is submitted to God
• demons submitted to those Christ sent
• creation submitted to depravity
• creation is submitted under Christ’s feet

The word for submit is transitive; it requires an object. Submit yourselves. Place yourselves in subjection to your husband. Here’s some other English synonyms from the Greek-English dictionary for hupotasso: arrange under, subordinate, submit to one’s control, yield to one’s admonition, obey, be under obedience; subdue unto. The sense I get is that wifely submission is, at its essence, appointing oneself below, which reminds me of nothing so much as Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (ESV) Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (ESV).

To summarize: we are called to subject ourselves to the government, our masters, elders, our husbands, and God. All the same word, and all emphasized multiple times throughout scripture.

So what does submission actually mean, practically speaking? It’s active: submission is continually bringing ourselves under the authority of our husbands. It’s orderly: submission is joyfully recognizing that we are “outranked,” in a sense. It’s illustrated: we have countless examples of “submission” described in the Bible; wives aren’t the only ones called to submit. It’s selfless: the very nature of submission requires us to put someone else first, and regard their counsel and wishes as higher than our own.

It’s easy at this point to wonder if wives are some kind of second-class citizens: why did God decree that our husbands would be over us? Are we just not as good? More on that… in the next entry.

This post is part of a series. You can read the introduction first or view all the posts together.

Sidenote: It has been suggested in a comment that I might define “submission” before I continue. So I’m going to do that in the next two posts. First, in this post, I want to define the depth of submission (how much do we submit?) and in the next post, I’ll be more grammatical about it and look at the meaning of the word in Greek, other uses of it, etc. The next post is already half-written and will, Lord willing, be posted sometime tomorrow. Now for today’s post…

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
[Ephesians 5:22]

As to the Lord. Wow. Intense.

If there is one thing in the whole topic of submission that I find both most insightful and most terrifying, it’s those four little words. I know to what extent I’m to submit to the Lord: totally and completely and unquestioningly.

This is the same sort of command qualification as “love your neighbor as yourself.” It’s just so far out there–so extreme–that it’s really hard to wrap my head around it. It’s one of those instances where it becomes plain that it’s impossible to live Christianity as a simple rulebook… it’s too far-reaching… it’s who we are. They way we submit to God invades every aspect of our life, from sleeping and breathing all the way to decision-making. In the same way, Paul is telling us, we are to submit to our husbands.

When I think about submitting to God, I think about total, unquestioning, unwavering obedience. While I’m not perfect at achieving that level of submission, I do know very clearly what I should do. I don’t imagine myself talking back to God, or arguing with Him. I mean, if God were standing in my living room telling me that we are not going to buy a new coffee table, I think I’d probably give a frightened squeak and nod obliquely; end of discussion.

Of course, part of the reason for that is because God is scary, and also because He’s always right. Husbands, on the other hand, are neither! And the real question is, how does one submit to an imperfect husband in the same spirit as one submits to a perfect God?

I mentioned yesterday that I tend to endeavor to do whatever I think is right. I don’t mean morally (although that too!) but pragmatically. I do a lot of careful research before I make decisions, and I’m the sort of person who applies for scholarships and compares insurance companies. And sometimes, I know that I’m “right,” objectively speaking, but Seth doesn’t agree. And sometimes doing what he wants to do has negative consequences that I want to avoid for the good of both of us. (The windshield issue in my long-ago post is a perfect example, at least from my point of view!)

God doesn’t make bad decisions. Husbands do. And, unless it’s a moral issue, we’ve got to go along with those bad decisions. That’s our calling. That’s where the rubber meets the road! It isn’t just blind trust. It isn’t being brainless and not thinking for ourselves. Sometimes it’s doing something that goes against every fiber of your being! Sometimes it’s doing things that we know are stupid! And doing them cheerfully!

I remember when I was in junior high or high school youth group, and we’d go on retreats. And there’d be all sorts of really silly rules. No hairdryers. No going from point A to point B without an adult. The buddy system. As an adult, I understand the reason we put such things on teenagers, but as a teenager I thought, hmm, I wandered all around the camp by myself before the rest of the kids got here, but now that they’re here, I have to follow this stupid rule, like I’ve suddenly lost my sense of direction. It didn’t make sense. But I followed the rules anyway, because they were the rules, and being obedient to them was the right thing to do.

I think submission to our husbands is kind of like that. Sometimes the “rules” are stupid. Truly, objectively stupid. Our husbands are wrong sometimes. And sometimes the we don’t understand the reason for “rules,” because sometimes our husbands see things that we don’t see. (Hopefully that happens more often!) But either way, sometimes we don’t get what our husbands are trying to do, and we don’t agree with them. And what we have to do at that point is recognize that just like our camp counselors, our parents, our government–whomever–we are under their authority, and we follow that authority because to do otherwise is to sin and to displease God.

When God commands us to do something, we have to follow it and trust Him even if we don’t see the reason in it. Similarly, we must submit to our husbands’ leadership and decision-making even if when we don’t see the reason in it! And by submitting to our husbands “as to the Lord,” we also submit to God. To return to the child metaphor, we obeyed our babysitters because our parents left them in charge, and in a sense, to obey the babysitter was to obey our parents. In the same way, the authority our husbands hold over us, the source of our submission, is ultimately from God.

This post is part of a series. You can read the introduction first or view all the posts together.

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
[Colossians 3:18]

Colossians doesn’t have much to say about submission. Paul doesn’t expound here on what submission is, or to what extent we are called to submit–he just commands it, and calls it fitting . That little word “fitting,” though, is an excellent place to begin talking about submission, because it answers a crucial question: why should we submit?

It’s not in my nature to be submissive. Even when I was a child, there were few times when I felt compelled by peer pressure to do anything. I remember very coherently in junior high wearing clothes that I knew were not in style, and I think I rather revelled in nonconformity. I’ve also tried to do whatever I thought was best regardless of what others thought. I don’t think I’m an overly domineering or bossy person, exactly, but I can be a know-it-all and I can also be pretty unyielding when I think I’m right.

So, bringing this into the sphere of marriage–I do quite well at being submissive, as long as Seth wants me to do what I want to do! But stray off that happy path and… well, there’s a reason I’ve picked submission as my topic du jour!

There do seem to be a few women out there who are more naturally submissive, stemming from anything from an internalized need to please or being “good-natured.” But I suspect that for most of us, we’re born rebellious and submission is continually a matter of internal conflict. So… we might think that being submissive is a virtue. We might think we’re doing pretty well. Conversely, if we’re not doing so hot on the submissiveness score, we might think we’re still okay, because, after all, it’s awfully difficult and so few women get it down pat. Maybe we’re not as virtuous as we could be, but it’s not like we’re living in sin, either, right?

But then Paul uses that little word, “fitting.” Not “submit as is a beautiful expression of love,” not “submit to earn rewards in heaven,” not “submit so others may see and learn from you,” but submit because it’s fitting.

I think that’s a bit of an archaic word in English, but the Greek is quite clear. The word is aneko (with macrons that I can’t get to show up), which carries the idea of attaining. In other words, do exactly what you’re supposed to do. Submission isn’t anything “extra,” it’s par for the course. If you’re submissive, you’re being what a wife is expected to be. Describing a Christian wife as “submissive” should be no more spectacular than describing a banana as “yellow.” Do green bananas exist? Sure, but nobody wants them. And when someone asks what color a banana is, the only answer that comes to mind is “yellow.” Similarly, “submissive wife” should be redunant; when we think “wife,” we should think “submissive;” and when we think of unsubmissiveness and wife in the same breath we should be appalled. It’s impossible to be a good wife without being a submissive wife.

Another thing worth noting from this passage: Paul doesn’t say “submit to your good husbands” or “submit to your husbands because they love you and deserve it.” He specifically sets the command in a very different context altogether: it’s fitting in the Lord . Our submission is unconditional, in the sense that it doesn’t depend on the character or actions of the man we’re married to. If we find it easier to submit to our husbands when they’re being nice and wonderful, then we’ve got to check that our submissiveness isn’t stemming from the wrong motivations! We submit because we are commanded and created to do so. And while it takes more endurance and strength to submit to bad husbands, or even to good husbands when they’re being unkind, God promises us the grace to do so.

There’s a reward that comes out of submitting when it’s difficult, too, but I’ll save it for a later entry.

This post is part of a series. You can read the introduction first or view all the posts together.

I was much struck by this story a few weeks ago when I first read it, and as I tried to retell the story today I realized that I’ve been retelling it rather frequently lately, because it made such a big impact on me, and that I should perhaps just quote it outright:

At times [Spurgeon] would be so absorbed in his great mission, when about to preach, that on his fiancée [Susannah Thompson] entering the vestry, he would fail to recognize her and merely greet her with a handshake as if she were some casual acquaintance or visitor. Once there was a more trying experience still. C. H. Spurgeon was to preach in a large hall at Kennington on a certain afternoon and Miss Thompson accompanied him thither in a cab. The pavement outside the building was thronged with people as were also the entrance hall and staircase leading to the auditorium, and the maiden had hard work in struggling through the mass of people and trying to keep near her lover. Suddenly he turned in at a side door on the landing, leaving Miss Thompson to manage as best she could in the throng eagerly pressing forward to get into the hall. The burden of souls was resting heavily upon the preacher, and occupied with the momentousness of the message he was to deliver, he had forgotten all about his poor fiancée.

Miss Thompson’s feelings at what she considered an unpardonable slight, may easily be imagined. “At first,” she says, “I was utterly bewildered, and then, I am sorry to have to confess, I was angry.” She at once returned home, without making any further effort to get to a seat, her indignation and grief increasing momentarily. But the young girl possessed that best of gifts a wise and loving mother, who with the greatest tact sought to soothe her daughter’s ruffled spirits. “She wisely reasoned,” says Mrs. Spurgeon, “that my chosen husband was no ordinary man, that his whole life was absolutely dedicated to God and His service, and that I must never, never hinder him by trying to put myself first in his heart. Presently, after much good and loving counsel, my heart grew soft, and I saw I had been very foolish and willful; and then a cab drew up at the door and dear Mr. Spurgeon came running into the house in great excitement, calling, ‘Where’s Susie? I have been searching for her everywhere and cannot find her; has she come back by herself?’ My dear mother went to him, took him aside and told him all the truth; and, I think, when he realized the state of things, she had to soothe him also; for he was so innocent at heart of having offended me in any way, that he must have felt I had done him an injustice in thus doubting him. At last, mother came to fetch me to him, and I went downstairs. Quietly he let me tell him how indignant I had felt, and then he repeated mother’s little lesson, assuring me of his deep affection for me, but pointing out that, before all things, he was God’s servant, and I must be prepared to yield my claims to His. I never forgot the teaching of that day; I had learned my hard lesson by heart, for I do not recollect ever again seeking to assert my right to his time and attention when any service for God demanded them.” The incident closed happily with a cozy tea at her mother’s house, and Mrs. Spurgeon speaks of the sweet calm which reigned in the hearts of all after the storm of the afternoon.

When a few weeks later the preacher was to fulfill an engagement at Windsor he wrote and asked his fiancée to accompany him, adding, “Possibly, I may be again inattentive to you if you do go, but this will be nice for us both, - that Charles may have space for mending, and that ‘Susie’ may exhibit her growth in knowledge of his character, by patiently enduring his failings.”

[From here, from The Life of Susannah Spurgeon by Charles Ray, which, incidentally, is also published in a book called Susannah Spurgeon: Free Grace and Dying Love by The Banner of Truth Trust.]

Oh to have such a thorough understanding of our own insignificance in the scheme of more important things! This is only one story, but when I consider the underlying thought processes on the part of Charles and Susannah’s mother (and then Susannah herself as well), it’s really mind-boggling. To be so distracted by the things of God!

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
[Colossians 3:18]

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 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. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands….let the wife see that she respects her husband.
[Ephesians 5:22-24,33]

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
[1 Peter 3:1-6]

Wifely submission is a complicated topic. I once posted an open query to a group of my friends, asking what, practically, submission “looks like.” I wanted a mental picture. I wasn’t married yet–I’m not sure Seth and I were even dating–but I figured there had to be some underlying attitude that characterized submissive wives: something I could emulate in my future marriage. I received no substantive response. We know we’re supposed to “submit,” but articulating exactly what that means on a day-to-day basis can be much more difficult!

I want, over the next few weeks (or perhaps a month and a half or so!) to do similarly to what I did with the cultivating heavenwardness “series”, by writing another set of posts focusing on submission. I’m a bit more organized going into this one, because I’ve been working on it for a while, and also because I want to focus on the important things moreso than just the things that I “like”. I’m not writing to cultivate a desire for something I already know is good (e.g. heaven) so much as writing to sear my own heart and conscience to better serve my husband and glorify God.

I’ll try to write the first entry tomorrow.

Noël Piper has recently started posting on the Desiring God Blog, for which I am thankful. Most “A-List” Christian women bloggers seem to go out of their way to make sure that their readers know that their posts are intended for women, explicitly drawing on the “Titus 2″ tradition, and largely confining their posts to discussions of how to be a good home-keeper, wife, and mother. I’ve seen instances on such blogs where, if a heavily theological issue comes up, the woman blogger will ask her husband to do a guest post to address it, instead of addressing it herself. Mrs. Piper’s two posts thus far are not in that exclusive tradition and contain no disclaimer warning men away. On the contrary, she writes in a blog authored almost exclusively by men, and quite probably read most often by men. And in her latest post, she sets out to expand upon her husband’s latest sermon!

I appreciate that. I struggle much with the issue, all the more because Christian women who blog subjects that can only be defined as “theology” seem to be a rare breed. For that matter, Christian women who write theology books seem equally rare–Elisabeth Elliot is the only one that really comes to mind, and even she does it in a very roundabout way. And yet, nowhere in the Bible does it say “women shalt not speak of the wonders of God except in the presence of younger women and small children,” does it? But that seems to be the consensus nevertheless.

How far removed we have become from the likes of Susannah Spurgeon, who throughout her entire life was very much in public ministry, whether in her little books of “Personal Notes On a Text”, her notes in The Sword and the Trowel publication, or in her immense work of gathering funds and selecting texts and recipients from the countless poor British pastors who applied to her for aid. Of her published devotional works, she wrote, “[the Lord] lead me into this unthought-of service, and most graciously has He hitherto sustained me in it; first giving me in my own heart the joy of His Word, and then enabling me to minister of that rejoicing to others.” In other words, what God taught her from His Word, He enabled and led her into sharing in book form. Moreover, she said, “its one aim and object is to summon the Lord’s people to bless and praise His Holy Name.” What a broad and far-reaching goal, and how immediately applicable to Christians of all ages and genders!

I wonder if she–and Noël Piper–don’t have a better grasp of the role of women than many of us seem to have today. When Priscilla and Aquila (how interesting that Scripture puts her name first!) took Apollos aside to “[explain] to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately. (ESV)), do we presume that Aquila did all the talking while Priscilla stood meekly by? When we learn that Philip the evangelist “had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied” (Acts 21:9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. (ESV)), or when Paul gives instruction that women are to cover their heads while prophesying (1 Corinthians 11:5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. (ESV)), do we try to redefine the Greek word to mean something less than it does? When Paul writes of “women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel” (Philippians 4:3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. (ESV)), what does he mean? If he wrote of “men, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel,” would we assume something different?

These questions bother me immensely. On the one hand, we have the clear directive that “women should keep silent in the churches” (1 Corinthians 14:34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. (ESV)) and Paul adds that “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man” (1 Timothy 2:12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. (ESV)). John Gill’s succinct exposition of the latter passage is a common interpretation:

Timothy, no doubt, received much advantage, from the private teachings and instructions of his mother Eunice, and grandmother Lois; but then women are not to teach in the church; for that is an act of power and authority, and supposes the persons that teach to be of a superior degree, and in a superior office, and to have superior abilities to those who are taught by them.

And so, all things considered, it seems that the argument could be made that Scripture’s commands for women to remain silent applies only within the church; that only men should be invited to preach or exhort in worship services. Yet even that is not so clear-cut: does the command apply to Sunday School? (Yes, presumably, since it’s still in church.) Does the command apply to night-time Bible studies held at the church? (Again, presumably.) Does the command apply to Bible studies held informally in people’s homes? (Not by the same logic, since it is not in or affiliated with church. And yet, would a woman teaching a Bible study to a mixed group in her own home still be “exercising authority over a man” even though it’s outside of the church context?) I don’t know all the answers. It doesn’t help that the traditions we’ve built up to supplement Scripture cloud the issue. And yet the question is of vital importance.

When it comes to Christian women blogging, some concrete answers must be found! For instance, I’m assuming that none of you reading here think that what I’ve been doing in writing thus far has been wrong, even though many of my posts are much more theologically-oriented than the average female Christian blogger. But there are things I’ve been learning from Scripture that I have not shared; things where perhaps many of you would disagree with me. If I shared those things with the same conviction that I’ve shared my belief in God’s unwaveringly astounding grace, would I suddenly be out of line merely because I would be controversial? There have been subjects debated in the blogosphere of Christian male bloggers lately–if I weighed in on some of the debates, would I be overstepping my bounds? Am I regulated to discussing only the “obvious” parts of Scripture and those which immediately concern homemaking? (And even to the latter–since most women are “older” women compared to me, am I overstepping my bounds to discuss even the home?)

It is not my intention to be flippant or irreverent here; the issue is utterly serious. I am a housewife; I have deep respect for the many women out there who do a better job at homemaking than I do. I learn from them and I appreciate their testimonies of love for their families. I also have deep respect for the roles God has created for men and women, and in theology I’m as complementarian as they come! But legalism is no better than liberalism, and the examples of Susannah Spurgeon, Elisabeth Elliot, Noël Piper, and women in Scripture itself stand in stark contrast to the lack of boldness displayed by many women bloggers today. We’re putting our lights under bushels! Does it glorify God to have so many blogs where women pour out their ideas about how to please their husbands and raise their children, but never ponder publicly on pleasing their Lord and Saviour? Does it glorify God to pontificate endlessly on how wonderful “dear husband” is, while reserving few words to describe the magnificence and majesty of God Himself?

We should be as gutsy as Susannah Spurgeon:

In these days of daring infidelity, and awful treason against the Most High, I count it an unspeakable honour to be permitted to testify to the power of the old truths, and the pleasantness of the old paths, and the unfailing faithfulness of God in the fulfilment of each and all of His precious promises; and though my voice is less than a Whisper amid the roar and turmoil of conflicting opinions and blasphemous theories, I know that God can hear it, and that He will accept the loving tribute which my heart thus offers to Him.

We too live in days of daring infidelity and awful treason against the Most High. Shall we also testify to the power of the old truths, or are we content to share recipes and laundry-folding techniques? May unbelieving readers never read our blogs and conclude that our whole life is swallowed up in serving our husbands and maintaining a good home! Instead let us confront them with the reality of the Gospel and the beautiful arrangement God has set forth wherein we serve our husbands and maintain a good home because, and only because, we are serving the Lord Most High and our true Delight is exclusively Him.