Several people have taken issue with me pointing out that a woman with a 16-point list of situations in which she will not submit to her husband–including such open-ended examples such as if she believed he was leading her into a false teaching–is not in any way, shape, or form submissive.To those who think that there can be caveats to submission: Let me explain why you are wrong, and why submission with caveats is not submission.
Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. –Ephesians 5:24
Point #1–Everything means everything.
A woman that has a 16-point list of when she will not submit to her husband is not submitting to him in everything. Thus, she is not following the Scriptural imperative to “submit in everything” to her husband. Do not give cover to a rebellious woman. Everything means everything. The Scripture commands wives to submit to their husbands in everything. That’s about as direct and plain as it gets–those who see in that command room for a 16-point list of situations in which a woman may choose to not submit to her husband are more than wrong. They are speaking lies in hypocrisy; having had their conscience seared with a hot iron.
Point #2–Wives are to submit to husbands as the church submits to Christ.
So if there is a 16-point list on when a wife can choose to not submit to her husband, where is the analogous 16-point list of when the church can choose not to submit to Christ? Does the church get to rebel if asked to do something dangerous? Does the church get to rebel if Christ claims to have absolute authority over it and to be its primary Lord?
No?
Then wives don’t either.