4 Husband-Wife Analogies That Glorify Men Instead Of God. - Impacting Righteously
I’ve stated before that I have been exposed to false doctrine. Bible literacy and prayer have helped me see errors in some of the teachings I heard. Bible literacy brings healing. Among wrong things taught, incorrect comparisons have been made between males and females and husbands and wives. Some of the analogies made are harmful.
If anyone has heard any of these analogies and believe them to be true, I suggest you study God’s word and pray for Him to give you understanding. God already knew the necessity for His people to be protected from false doctrine. He has provided a way to keep us in truth.
“I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true.
For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” 1 John 2: 26-27 (NLT).
In this post, I will reference Bible verses in comparison with each analogy. God can and does use a husband and a wife to influence and help each other. However, the context of these analogies is the exaltation of men, and the demeaning of women.
Analogies:
1) The husband and wife are like the sun and the moon: the moon has no light of it’s own, but only reflects the sun.
• In other words, a woman has to depend on her husband for light? Both men and women need the light of God. God is the source for both.
• The sun and moon are not created in the very image of God. Men and women are created in the image of God.
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1: 26-27.
• A woman’s husband is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit that indwells and empowers men of God is the same Holy Spirit that indwells and empowers women of God.
• The moon reflects the sun. God gets the glory for the light of the sun and the reflected light in the moon. He created the sun and the moon.
• Both men and women are called to holiness as God is holy (1 Peter 1: 16), and to be godly light in this dark world (Matthew 5: 15-16).
• It is the work of God in a person that empowers them to live a holy life, setting righteous examples. God is glorified.
• Another example of this is in 1 Peter 3: 1-6, where the Bible instructs wives how to conduct themselves if their husbands are disobedient. Again, a woman is equipped by the Holy Spirit to do what is right, even when her husband will not do right.
The husband does not get the credit for the work of the Holy Spirit in his wife.
2) The husband and wife relationship is like a king and queen’s relationship: the king rules.
Actually, God rules. The Bible compares the husband and wife relationship to Christ and the church; not to an earthly king and queen’s relationship.
Ephesians 5:22-24: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.”
Ephesians 5: 25-28 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.”
Furthermore, it goes on to say in verses 31-33, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”
Notice, Apostle Paul didn’t say, “I speak concerning an earthly king and queen.”
• Earthly kings are flawed. People are imperfect. Furthermore, the Bible does not tell husbands and wives to relate to each other as an earthly king and queen.
• Earthly kings can be tyrannical. This could very well appeal to a misogynist to compare such a king and his queen to God’s design for a husband and wife.
3) A husband is his wife’s master.
• The Bible never says this. The husband is head of the wife, and the Bible explains what that means.
• He is head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the church. God commands husbands to LOVE their wives in a self-sacrificing, cherishing, purifying way.
• A man must be submitted to his own head Jesus Christ. Moreover, he must be empowered by the Holy Spirit to properly love his wife according to God’s command. The command to the husband is to love.
We have one Master- Jesus Christ.
Leadership should be righteous, self-sacrificing, and humble. This is the example that Jesus Himself set. The Bible says, “Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23: 10-12.
• For the misogynistic man, these facts are likely not appealing. It is convenient for him to invent his own gospel. This is why Bible literacy is mandatory for the people of God.
• In addition, some equate the man’s position in the chain of command to him having moral superiority and superior status to the woman.
• The reality is, his position and responsibilities do not automatically indicate that he has godly character. Besides, the wife may be living a more righteous life than her husband. This is sometimes the case.
• Yet, God has designed it so that the man has the responsibility of reflecting the role of Jesus Christ in the marriage in how he selflessly loves his wife. The wife is to reflect the church in how she submits to her husband.
Still, God’s design for both the husband and wife reflects and glorifies God.
4) Husbands should discipline their wives, just as a parent disciplines their child.
• Wrong. Although this seems to appeal to some, the Bible does not tell the husband to deal with his wife as a father who chastens his son or daughter.
• Again, the analogy between husband and wife is that of Christ and the church. This is perfectly described in Ephesians 5: 22-33.
• A husband should never view his wife as his child/daughter. This is sick. Neither should he relate to her in that way.
• There are couples who practice the routine of discipline, with husbands inflicting physical punishment upon their wives. They call it “Christian domestic discipline.”
A wife is not a child who needs her husband to “discipline” her.
• Some people justify and rationalize the practice by twisting and adding to the Bible. Also, the Bible never implies a husband is to discipline his wife. It is not in the Bible.
• I firmly believe there is a perverted, sexual motive behind it for the men who practice physically “disciplining” their wives.
• This “discipline” could give a husband an illusion of power as if his wife is answering to him for her sins. He is pronouncing judgement upon her, as well as carrying out punishment, as if he is some god.
• Wives may also be punished by having affection or gifts withheld, as if they are a child being punished by an angry parent.
Unfortunately, some women can be convinced into compliance in things that are wrong. Therefore, some women are in agreement with these practices.
False teachings and ungodly practices should always be rejected by the people of God. The unadulterated word of God and the guiding of the Holy Spirit are our sources of truth and protection.
