byMarriage forms the bedrock of the world. There is nowhere families aren’t present because marriages give birth to families. Families dwelling with other families become communities; communities today become cities, and cities become nations. God knows how important marriage is, which is why it is the first institution He built way back in the beginning. In this article, I will talk about authority figures in marriage. Are you ready? Let’s dive in.
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What is authority?
Authority simply means the right to give orders or make decisions. So, in terms of marriage, it refers to whom God has bestowed rulership over the marriage. I hope you got that. Traditionally, everybody knows that the husband is the head of the marriage. But before discussing this hierarchy in more detail, let’s talk first about submission to one another in Christ.
Neither male nor female
In Galatians 3:27-28 (KJV), the Bible says,
[27] “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
If you take a careful analytical look at this scripture, you’ll realise that all believers are one in Christ. There’s nothing like gender differences in Christ. So, before God, a husband and wife are all the same. And because of that truth, submission to one another to help each other live godly lives is fair (see Ephesians 5:21) without anybody feeling more authoritative than the other. It is on this truth a fellow believer can advise you about something. However, considering marriage as an institution, there are authority figures.
God’s kingdom thrives when families thrive according to scriptural principles. Let your marriage build God’s kingdom; it’ll preach Christ because of your influence on onlookers.
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Christ – Man – Woman
In 1 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV), the Bible says,
[3] “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”
The head of every man, married or not, is Christ. That of the woman is the man. So it is Christ, man and woman, in that order. But this scripture came from a context where Apostle Paul was addressing issues about women wearing scarves and other marital problems in the Corinthian church. So, this hierarchy of authority applies to marital couples for the second and third levels.
Submission and love go hand in hand
As a wife, you only need to submit to your own husband, not just any man, even your biological father (see Ephesians 5:22). And, as a husband, you ought to submit to Christ because you need Him to help you to love your wife (see Ephesians 5:25), dwell with her with understanding (see 1 Peter 3:7) and also rule your home.
Let your marriage build God’s kingdom
That you are a husband having rulership over your home doesn’t mean you should abuse your authority and do whatever you like to your wife. That you are a wife doesn’t mean you should feel less than in your marriage because your influence on your husband is very powerful. God’s kingdom thrives when families thrive according to scriptural principles. Let your marriage build God’s kingdom; it’ll preach Christ because of your influence on onlookers.
