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Mutual Submission.

Ephesians 5:20-26.

Submitting to one another in the fear of God (Christ) - we, then, make the Eucharistic offering "to God the Father" in the Lord's name.

But,what is the meaning of this verb "to submit"? The root idea is to arrange, set up and put in order things or plans which would otherwise be indefinite and uncertain. To this root is added the prefix "hypo," meaning "under,"altering the idea to imply that the things being arranged are put in order "under" something (God).

Mutual submission means, therefore, to take our God-given place in all our relationships with others as under God. So, in the marital relationship, the husband's headship is modeled on the relationship of Christ to the Church, as Savior in the marital relationship. His role is not one of domination, but of deliverance, not of suppression and tyranny, but of release and redemption.
The submission of a wife under such a headship is to receive, work with, enhance and support the husband's labor as savior of the marriage (wife).

What a burden God places upon husbands, to love their wives "just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her". Consider this question: where, most of all, do we see Christ expressing His love for the Church? Of course it is in the Passion, as He enters into death on our behalf.

What an implication for a husband's leadership in marriage! The husband's role is a headship of total submission to the God-given needs (not wants) of the wife at the cost of death to himself. The Christian idea of mutual submission radically alters human marriage.

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