Paul starts this section with a command: submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. And this connects with family life, which is not yet perfect—for although, as Christians, we already belong to the kingdom of God, we still live in a broken world.

The family is the ideal place to learn about life. Through family relationships we can learn love, respect, obedience, and gratitude. So the Bible places great importance on the husband-wife relationship. Echoing his opening command, Paul states that women are to submit to their husbands. The motivation here is not submission based on fear, but submission that flows from one’s submission to the Lord. Children who grow up with parents who submit to one another out of reverence for Christ will be more likely to approach their relationships with this Christlike posture. And this posture has the power to make a real impact on the children’s lives and on society in general.

It cannot be overstated, however, that Paul is not calling wives to blind, forced submission. He is instead calling women to freely submit out of reverence to the Lord. What does this kind of submission to one another look like? How is Christ’s model a guide for us? In Christ we can choose to submit to one another in ways that encourage the flourishing of all family members as well as the church.