A good marriage is one that honors Jesus. Here's how to have one.
Key Points:
- The message of Colossians 3:18-19 can be challenging in today’s culture, which is so focused on equality between the sexes. Wives submitting to husbands is something from the Dark Ages!
- Marriage was created by God. Genesis 2:23-24 Marriage is a good thing, and God has given us guidelines for marriage.
- Wives must respect the leadership of their husbands. “Submission” isn’t about a wife gladly accepting abuse and derision from her husband. Colossians 3:18; Ephesians 5:21
- Husbands must sacrificially love their wives and care for them. There is nothing unbiblical about a husband doing domestic chores. It’s about laying himself down sacrificially to care for his wife, not being a dictator in the home. Colossians 3:19
- Marriage is meant to make husbands and wives more like Jesus. Marriage is meant to make us holy, not happy. Marriage, done right, does make us happy. But it most importantly makes us more like Jesus Christ.
Quote This:
Colossians 3:18-19 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.
Talk About It
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Think about some of your basic convictions about marriage. Where did these come from? How much did your family of origin influence your views on marriage?
- Why is it important to understand the authority of the Bible before we look at what the Bible has to say about marriage? How do we decide who to follow when the Bible and culture disagree?
- Read Genesis 2:18-25. Make a list of principles about marriage that you learn from this passage.
- (For men.) Read Colossians 3:18-19 and Ephesians 5:22-33. How would you describe the love that a husband is supposed to have for his wife? Who is the model for this type of love?
- (For women.) Read Colossians 3:18-19. What is the meaning of “submit” in this passage? What are some ways that this can be done in a marriage? How would you answer the objection that this passage makes women into second-class citizens?
- What is the motivation for obeying the commands to husbands and wives in the Bible?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
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