Tonight I’m teaching a class from Eph. 5:21-6:9. This Sunday I’ll preach from the same text. That means I get to address the whole “wives submit to your husbands” issue. I’ve done quite a bit of research on this passage over the years and I think what it actually “says” is not all that chauvinistic, but rather moving in the egalitarian direction, especially for something written by a Jewish male in the first century. However, there is so much cultural baggage and historic abuse associated with the word “submit” that I’m not sure we can actually hear what is being said because of the cluster of images that immediately comes to mind when we hear it.
I’m planning on using the class tonight as a sounding board that will hopefully help me shape Sunday’s message so that I can communicate my understanding of the text in a way that can be heard.
After I’ve communicated my take on a passage, I don’t mind being disagreed with. I just want to be heard first. If I don’t post within the next 48 hours, then you can assume I probably didn’t survive tonight’s class.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons