Transcript:
The New Testament contains verses that tell wives to submit to their husbands. This is controversial in the 21st century. Most people, including many Christians, believe women should have the same authority as men. Therefore, many Christians, even many Pastors, distort the Bible in order to pretend that wives do not need to submit to their husbands. Part of the motivation for ignoring the Biblical teachings regarding submission is a belief that the Biblical requirements make women inferior to men.
That is not the right way to look at it. The 12th chapter of Mark contains two concepts that are part of the foundation for thinking correctly about gender roles in marriage. First, the institution of marriage only exists on earth. Once we get to heaven, marriage will not exist. Second, wives submitting to their husbands is first and foremost an opportunity to obey God, which makes it an opportunity to love God.
In the early years of Jesus’ ministry, He spent most of His time in Galilee. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem heard of Jesus, and sent men to confront Him on occasion, but as long as Jesus was in Galilee, He was not a direct threat to the leaders based in Jerusalem.
However, eventually Jesus went to Jerusalem. He continued to teach and perform miracles. He threw the merchants and money changers out of the temple, accusing them of turning the temple into a robber’s den. The religious leaders questioned Jesus’ authority to take these actions, but Jesus was skilled at verbal warfare and evaded their question. After Jesus told a parable directed against the leaders, the leaders began seeking to seize Jesus.
Mark 12:13 ¶ Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement.
Notice the word “trap”. The intent of the Pharisees and Herodians was to cut Jesus down.
Mark 12:14 And they came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a tax to Caesar, or not?
Since verse 13 tells us the Pharisees and Herodians were trying to trap Jesus, we know that the flattery in verse 14 was false and deceptive.
The trap had to do with taxes. The Jewish people were under the rule of the Roman Empire. There was disagreement within Judaism over how to relate to Rome. Some wanted to get along with Rome. Others wanted to overthrow Rome.
Those who wanted to get along with Rome would have believed in paying a tax to Caesar. Those who wanted to overthrow Rome would have thought it a sin against God to pay a tax to pagan Caesar. The Pharisees and Herodians thought if they could force Jesus into answering their question, they would force Jesus to take a side on this controversial topic, meaning at least some of the people would turn against Jesus.
Mark 12:15 Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.”
Jesus knew right away their question was duplicitous.
Mark 12:16 And they brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.”
Mark 12:17 And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.
Notice the word “amazed”. Jesus outsmarted the Jews. He answered their question in such a way that He did not take sides in the ongoing debate about whether or not to pay taxes. His skill amazed those trying to trap Him.
Mark 12:18 ¶ Then some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying,
There were various sects within Judaism. One of the sects was the Sadducees. This verse tells us the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.
Mark 12:19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN’S BROTHER DIES and leaves behind a wife AND LEAVES NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP A SEED FOR HIS BROTHER.
Mark 12:20 There were seven brothers; and the first married a wife, and died leaving no seed.
Mark 12:21 And the second one married her, and died leaving behind no seed; and the third likewise;
Mark 12:22 and so all seven left no seed. Last of all the woman died also.
Mark 12:23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”
The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. They probably believed resurrection from the dead was absurd, so they were trying to illustrate absurdity by being absurd. That is usually an effective tactic. The scenario they laid out was indeed absurd, and would have been an effective argument against the resurrection if it was a real scenario.
Mark 12:24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God?
Jesus said the Sadducees were mistaken. This tells us the Sadducees were wrong about the resurrection, which means people do resurrect from the dead.
Mark 12:25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
The flaw in the Sadducees’ argument was the concept that marriage exists in heaven. Jesus stated clearly that after life on earth, male and female no longer exist. Instead, humans will be just like angels. That meant the argument the Sadducees were using was baseless.
Jesus stated this fact about heaven in relation to resurrection, but it also has implications for understanding the role of women in marriage. The New Testament teaching that wives should submit to their husbands appears to place women in an inferior position relative to men. However, the so-called “inferiority” is temporary. It only applies to life here on earth. After life on earth, women will not have to submit to their husbands because marriage will not exist. The so-called “inferiority” will cease.
Mark 12:26 But regarding the fact that the dead are raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’?
Mark 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”
Jesus demonstrated that the Old Testament clearly taught the resurrection.
Mark 12:28 ¶ And when one of the scribes came and heard them arguing, he recognized that He had answered them well and asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”
Mark 12:29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD;
Mark 12:30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’
According to Jesus, the greatest commandment is to love God. John 14:15-23 tells us the way we love God is by obeying Him.
The correct way to look at the instruction for wives to submit to their husbands is that it is an opportunity for women to demonstrate their love for God. When they submit to their husbands, they are obeying God, which is an act of loving God. By practicing submission to their husband in front of their children, they are also modeling to their children how to love God.
Mark 12:31 The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The New Testament verses that tell wives to submit to their husbands are controversial in the 21st century. Many Christians, even many Pastors, distort the Bible in order to pretend that wives do not need to submit to their husbands. Part of the motivation for ignoring the Biblical teachings regarding submission is a belief that the Biblical requirements make women inferior to men.
That is not the right way to look at it. Today’s passage teaches us that the institution of marriage only exists on earth. Once we get to heaven, marriage will not exist. Therefore, the supposed “inferior” position of wives relative to their husbands is temporary.
Furthermore, wives submitting to their husbands is first and foremost an opportunity to obey God, which makes it an opportunity to love God. It is also a way for mothers to teach their children how to love God. When children see their mother submit to their father, it provides a model for them regarding how they should submit to our Creator.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”
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