What is true subjection for a Christian wife?

What is true subjection for a Christian wife?

Ideally, Christian marriage involves two Spirit-filled believers fulfilling their God-given roles (Ephesians 5:17-33)." TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 5:17-33). The husband loves his wife with an unconditional devotion to her wellbeing (verses 25-28); the wife recognizes the responsibility God has given to her husband and respectfully defers to him (verses 22-24, 33). Neither should ever have to remind the other to fulfill his responsibility, because attaining this high standard is enough to challenge each one for a lifetime.

Rather than looking at marriage as male-dominant, verse 21 establishes marriage as "Lord-dominant," where both are in subjection to the Lord and respectfully defer to Him. "Fear" in verse 21 and "reverence" in verse 33 are closely related words. Aware that the Lord has entrusted to them what is best for them, both marriage partners fulfill their differing roles because of submission to Him. Both act because of obedience to the Lord and not because of the other spouse’s obedience to Him. No matter whether these roles are delightful or difficult to fulfill, the strength to obey the Lord in this can only come from the Spirit of God. Christian marriage requires a willingness to be a Spirit-filled marriage partner.

Subjection does not indicate that a wife exists for the benefit of her husband. In fact, he is responsible to nourish her (verse 29). "A woman’s job" and "a man’s job" are not absolute definitions, but a husband and wife define them by mutual agreement. The couple makes these and all decisions in the marriage with the understanding that God has entrusted to the husband both leadership in the relationship and responsibility for the health of the marriage and for the spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, and financial well-being of his wife.

Exactly how this works will differ in each marriage, but true subjection is a wife’s glad participation in this God-ordained arrangement.

D. Oliver
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Why are there so many problems between Jews and Muslims?

It is not good to stereotype all Jews or all Muslims as being hateful or even distrustful. It is also important to note that not all Arabs are Muslim and not all Muslims are Arabs. There are Arab Christian minorities that still live in the middle eastern countries. There is, however, a long history of conflict, terrorism, war and bloodshed between the Muslims and the Jews. Why is that? Does the Bible give us any insights?

The Beginning of the Family

The roots of the Arabs and the Jews can be traced back to their father Abraham. Abraham had a son, Ishmael, through his slave-wife Hagar. Later, he had his second son, Isaac, through his wife Sarah. Isaac, the son promised by God became the father of Jacob, later renamed Israel, and then Isaac became the grandfather of 12 sons of Israel who are the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel. Ishmael left home and became the father of the Ishmaelites, who are the Arab peoples.

Genesis 16:1-16" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 16:1-16 and Genesis 21:1-21" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 21:1-21 tell the story of how these two groups began. Since Sarah was not successful in getting pregnant, she offered Hagar to Abraham to become his concubine. The seeds of conflict were sown in the fact that Abraham had two women. The desire of God was never that a man would have more than one spouse. Genesis 2" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 2 and Jesus words in Matthew 19:4-5" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 19:4-5 tell us that the pattern of marriage is found in Adam and Eve – one man and one woman.

Before the birth of Ishmael, the Angel of the Lord said

“He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen." (Genesis 16:11)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 16:11).

Islam

Islam was founded in 610 A.D. by conquest and subjugation of infidel religions. Many Arabs are of the Muslim faith. Jews, as well as other faiths, who refuse to submit to Allah, can be and should be destroyed, according to Islam.

The Qur’an teaches that Ishmael, not Isaac, was born as the son of promise. It also teaches that God tested Abraham by asking him to offer Ishmael, not Isaace, as the Bible says, as a sacrifice. Teaching that Ishmael was the chosen son of promise, the Arabs become God’s chosen people. The rise of Islam has increased this conflict between the two groups who both claim to be God’s people.

Modern Conflict

The Jews occupied the land of Israel since the time of Moses to the time of Christ. In AD 70, the Roman army put down a rebellion and obliterated most of the Jews living in Israel, scattering the survivors to all parts of the Empire. In 1948, the Jewish homeland was established as a new country on this piece of ground. However in the middle of the 20th Century, Palestine was occupied by Arabs. The formation of the Nation of Israel has united Arabs of many countries in a common hatred of the Zionists who established Israel as a country on land they believe was stolen from them. Conflict has simmered, and sometimes erupted into open war over the question of who owns the land.

The original story in full...

Here is the Bible’s story about the origins of Abraham’s two nations…

Genesis 16:1-16" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 16:1-16 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. (2) And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. (3) So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. (4) And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. (5) And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!" (6) But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please." Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. (7) The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. (8) And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai." (9) The angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit to her." (10) The angel of the LORD also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude." (11) And the angel of the LORD said to her, "Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction. (12) He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen." (13) So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing," for she said, "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me." (14) Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. (15) And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. (16) Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Shad Sluiter
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How do we "make disciples" and fulfill the Great Commission?

What is the most important help in "making disciples"?

The responsibility to "make disciples" extends "to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19, 20)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 28:19, 20). We need every available spiritual means to encourage all believers to "obey all things."

New believers retain their former personality traits. Some love to learn something new (Acts 17:21);" TARGET="_blank">Acts 17:21); others like the challenge of advancing beyond others (Galatians 1:14);" TARGET="_blank">Galatians 1:14); still others love to fit into their new-found society and they eagerly conform (Acts 8:13)," TARGET="_blank">Acts 8:13), while the timid can be intimidated (Diotrephes did this, 3 John 1:9, 10)." TARGET="_blank">3 John 1:9, 10). Playing on these natural traits cannot produce spiritual results. The Lord predicates discipleship on this condition: "if any man will come after me" (Luke 9:23)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 9:23). Hearts drawn to Christ by an all-consuming devotion gladly embrace all He commands (John 14:15, 23)." TARGET="_blank">John 14:15, 23). Fostering devotion to Christ, coupled with patient, practical teaching, is essential to making disciples.

D. Oliver
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Does the Gap Theory agree with the Bible?

How well does the Gap Theory square with the Bible as a whole?

If we compare Scripture with Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:13)," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 2:13), we find several passages that make the Gap Theory untenable. First, Exodus 20:11" TARGET="_blank">Exodus 20:11 puts the creation of everything that God made inside of six literal days: "In six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the seas and everything that moveth therein and rested the seventh day." This allows no gap, and requires a recent creation. Exodus 31:17" TARGET="_blank">Exodus 31:17 says the same thing and Nehemiah 9:6" TARGET="_blank">Nehemiah 9:6 links the creation of the heavens and earth (Genesis 1:1)" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 1:1) with the days that follow in Genesis 1." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 1. Further, Romans 5:12" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:12

states that "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin," and 1 Corinthians 15:21" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 15:21 also affirms that "By man came death." And Romans 8:20-22" TARGET="_blank">Romans 8:20-22 reveals that the groaning of creation results from Adam's sin. If suffering and death came by Adam, then suffering and death did not predate Adam. Yet death is a necessary prerequisite for becoming a fossil. If fossils are assigned to the gap period, then death must have prevailed on the earth before sin entered into the world. How then could God pronounce everything that He had made "very good" (Genesis 1:31)" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 1:31)? In what sense are vast graveyards full of dead things "very good"? God's assessment of the creation at the end of the sixth day must mean that Satan had not yet fallen, that no death had occurred, and that the earth was just as He intended it to be.

D. Vallance
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Is the "Christian Right" a mistake?

What drives the present marriage of evangelicals and politics?

At least four misunderstandings contribute to this.

1. A wrong prophetic view. Reform theologians, not expecting a Millennium, thought society could be "saved" without Christ’s coming. Some millennialists forget these roots of their crusade.

2. A wrong ecclesiastical view. Responsibility for "church action" belongs to a local church. "The Church" never refers to all believers on earth. Tragic events, like Hitler’s madness, moved some to think the church has a responsibility to withstand immoral governmental policy We are to "do good unto all men," but assemblies uphold truth (1 Timothy 3:15)" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 3:15) by proclaiming it, not by confronting governments.

3. A wrong world view. This is not a Christian world. Christian principles are diametrically opposed to society’s standards. Imposing them is not possible and not workable, apart from Christ’s coming reign.

4. A wrong dispensational view. God’s Old Testament focus was the nation of Israel. Now, His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36);" TARGET="_blank">John 18:36); He is saving individuals "out of the world" (John 17:14, 16;" TARGET="_blank">John 17:14, 16; Acts 15:14)." TARGET="_blank">Acts 15:14). If we understand this distinction, we won’t make Old Testament kings (and other worthies) our models for political action. Despite our nationalism, the only government that will bring God’s will to earth is future. Until then, our responsibility is to rescue men from the "kingdoms of this world."

D. Oliver
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Is it right to divide an assembly and form another within reach of the existing one?

Is it right to divide an assembly and form another within reach of the existing one?

An army must defend its ground (Ephesians 6:10-18)" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 6:10-18) and advance to new ground (I Thessalonians 1:8)." TARGET="_blank">I Thessalonians 1:8). Each assembly has a gospel responsibility to not only see souls saved and added to its fellowship but also to replicate itself in seeing other assemblies formed. Working locally and commending full time workers to preach the gospel accomplishes this.

While a new work may take some from the number of the existing assembly, it should never cause disunity in the assembly. When believers apparently want to see a new assembly planted for their own convenience, or to gain "place," or to avoid being subject to their overseers, they appear willing to "divide the child" to further their own agenda (1 Kings 3:1627)." TARGET="_blank">1 Kings 3:1627). On the other hand, Christians will avoid dissension by not judging others' motives (1 Corinthians 4:5)." TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 4:5). Workers will avoid dissension by remembering that when God works He unites His people (Isaiah 32:17)." TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 32:17).

The ideal would be for the entire assembly to unite behind gospel outreach in the region where God has planted the assembly. If God works, it will be evident. If main's hand forces the beginning of a gathering it is evidently not God's planting (1 Corinthians 3:9)." TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 3:9). If a gathering is a "church of God," God has produced it; it is a testimony where the Lord has placed His name (Deuteronomy 12:5)." TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 12:5).

Assertiveness may advance a business, but a balance between energetic, scriptural efforts and waiting on God advance God's work. At best, we work together with God (2 Corinthians 6:1)." TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 6:1).

D. Oliver
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Is the Great Commission for a future dispensation?

Is the Commission of Matthew 28:18-20" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 28:18-20 for the present dispensation, or only for one yet future?

“The Lord Jesus before His death made just one appointment with His disciples, which was, to meet Him on a certain mountain in Galilee after He had risen (Matthew 26:32;" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 26:32; Mark 16:7)." TARGET="_blank">Mark 16:7). Of this fact we are reminded in Matthew 28:16," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 28:16, the opening verse of the paragraph in which the Commission is contained. There had been some more or less informal meetings elsewhere previous to it, but this was the specially prearranged meeting, which naturally would overshadow them all in importance. yet there are those who would ask us to believe that what He told them when He met them there, was not about their Own work at all; but that He gave them minute instructions and comforting assurances with regard to the work of some other unknown individuals, who would live two thousand or more years after their time. They would have us believe that when He said, “Go ye and teach,” lie meant that somebody else was to go and teach; that when He said, “I am with you,” He meant, I will be with some other people who will be on earth two thousand years hence; and that when He added, “Even unto the end of the age,” He meant, until the end of some other age. Those who can swallow this kind of thing must have good digestion, for I frankly confess I prefer to believe that the Lord meant just what He said.

The statement, which some of these brethren make, that Matthew does not acknowledge the Church period, is absurd. Is it not in Matthew that we have the formal introduction of the Church in chapter 16, and of Church order in chapter 18? Is it not there that we find the Lord’s action, so symbolical of turning from Jew to Gentile, in chap. 13. 1; in which after having been definitely rejected by the Jewish leaders in the two previous chapters, it is said, “The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the seaside”? And immediately after, He speaks the Seven Parables of the Mysteries of the Kingdom, which have so often been shown to picture successive stages of this present Church period. That Matthew’s Gospel has a Jewish tinge, no one who is a careful reader can doubt; but this is far off from the Conclusion that there is nothing in it except for Jews. The Gospel of Luke has a Gentile tinge, but would these brethren suggest that there is nothing for Jews in Luke, nothing about the Tribulation, nothing about Millennial times? As a matter of fact, the Commission as given in the end of the Gospels of Luke and of Mark, has a more Jewish Sound about it than the form of it occurring in Matthew.

As illustrating the fact that the Apostles did carry out Matthew 28:18-20" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 28:18-20 there is a word worth noting in Acts 14:21" TARGET="_blank">Acts 14:21: “They had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught (Gr., discipled) many.” It is the very word, “matheteuo,” used in Matthew 28:1," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 28:1, and this is the only place in the New Testament, apart from Matthew’s Gospel, where it occurs. Were they not here carrying out the Commission as given in that verse?”

W.R.

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Free Tabernacle Model from the Old Testament

3D printable model of the Old Testament Tabernacle that Moses received at Mt. Sinai. This Sunday school activity can be done in about an hour. The tabernacle model is a scale replica of Moses' tabernacle.

Click here for the Tabernacle Model. Requires Acrobat reader.

Also included in this link are lesson plans for the wilderness journeys including Moses' plans to build the Tabernacle in the wilderness. Materials required include heavy paper, scissors, color printer.

Students will gain an appreciation for the golden furniture, candlestick, altar of incense, brazen altar and the veils of covering that were part of the tabernacle's design. Instead of simply reading the instructions from the book of Exodus, the printable model gives a students a hands-on activity for building their own take-home project.

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How can God guide me in making an important decision?

Be the first to give an answer to this question. Write an answer in the comment section below. Please provide your name and if you have a website or blog, be sure to include the URL and email address in your answer.

Answers will be reviewed.

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What is the meaning of "He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin" (1 Peter 4:1)?

What is the meaning of "He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin" (1 Peter 4:1)" TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 4:1)?

The first word of the verse, "forasmuch," connects the first 6 verses of chapter 4 with the end of chapter 3. The context in chapter 3 deals with suffering for righteousness’ sake and for well doing (vv. 14, 17). "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh" revisits 3:18. Within that context, Peter has just spoken of baptism (v. 21), "which doth also now save us . . . by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (v. 21). In the opening verses of chapter 4, Peter amplifies this statement.

The salvation to which he refers is not from the penalty of sin but from a life of sin (see 4:3, 4). For righteousness’ sake (v. 14), Christ suffered for us. The believers to whom Peter writes were baptized and consequently suffered for righteousness’ sake. Being identified with us, Christ suffered for our sake; being identified with Him in baptism, believers suffered for His sake. It is fitting that these persecuted believers should be like-minded with Christ, submitting to God’s will (3:17).These believers were being restrained from their former sins ("ceased from sin"). They were saved from their former life, a life of sin, by 2 factors. First, by being baptized, they put a barrier between themselves and the "disobedient," their persecutors. Second, baptism expresses what took place at salvation’s moment. United with Christ and His death, believers are dead to sin (Romans 6:2)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 6:2).

But Peter has said that this salvation is by the resurrection of Christ, not by His death. Being restrained from sin is not an end in itself, but a means to God’s purpose that believers should now live "to the will of God" (v. 2).

A free paraphrase of these verses could be, "Therefore since Christ suffered for us in His body of flesh, believers should likewise submit to God’s will when they suffer reproach for Him because they have been baptized. Those who have thus suffered have been restrained from (‘ceased from’) their former life of sin in order that they should not live to fulfill the usual lusts of humanity; they should live the rest of their time to the will of God."

D. Oliver

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