Notes from a lesson on Colossians

1. Wives Submit to Your Own Husbands
Colossians 3:18

2. I. Our Worthy Savior: Chapters 1-2
A. Introduction 1:1-12
B. Christ is Supreme 1:13-29
C. Complete in Christ 2:1-23
II. The Worthy Walk: Chapters 3:1-4:6
A. The worthy personal walk with Christ 3:1-17
B. The worthy walk with Christ in the home 3:18-21
C. The worthy walk with Christ at work 3:22-4:1
D. The worthy spiritual walk with Christ 4:2-6
III. Closing: 4:7-18

3.  Wives, submit to your husbands: Christ is the example
 Husbands, love your wives: Christ is the example
 Children, obey your parents: Christ is the example
 Slaves, obey your masters: Christ is the example
 Masters, grant your slaves justice: Christ is the example

4.  Volition: Genesis 2:15-17
 Marriage: Genesis 2:18-25
 Family: Genesis 1:28
 Labor: Genesis 2:4-9, 15
 Government: Genesis 9:6
Colossians 3:18-4:1
Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pt 2:13-15

5.  Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the
Lord. Colossians 3:18
 Wives (plural): all the believing married women in the
Church
 Your husbands: Not to men in general, but rather to
your OWN husband

6.  Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the
Lord. Colossians 3:18
 Be subject (ὑποτασσω hypotassō, present MIDDLE
imperative).
 BDAG: To cause to be in a submissive relationship, to
subject, to subordinate
 Subject oneself
 Middle voice: doing this for her own good, or of her own
volition.

7.  Being subject is not a negative idea
 Christ subjected Himself (Luke 2:51)
 Wives are to submit to the leading of the husband
 1 Peter 3:1-4
 Titus 2:3-5
 Ephesians 5:22-24
 Women play the same role in the Church
 1 Corinthians 14:34
 1 Timothy 2:9-12

8.  Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the
Lord. Colossians 3:18
 Fitting (ἀνηκω anēkō imperfect active indicative)
 Proper, within the guidelines of Scripture
 Similar to submitting to governments, i.e. Daniel
 Imperfect tense
 A past action portrayed as ongoing
 Go Back to Genesis

9.  Man (Adam) created first, Genesis 2:7, 15-17
 It was not good for him to be alone, Genesis 2:18-20
 Helper (‘ēzer), help or succor, aid, support
 Woman’s created role is that of helper
 God is ‘ēzer
 Exodus 18:4
 Psalm 121:1-2
 Psalm 124:8
 Psalm 146:5

10.  Context is home and Church
 Equal image bearers, Genesis 1:27
 Different roles, Genesis 2:18
 Proverbs 31
 Primary concern is the “household”
 Husband “in the gates”

11.  God is one,
 Deuteronomy 6:4-5
 1 Timothy 2:5
 God is Three in One
 Colossians 1:3, 3:17, John 1:1, 1 Corinthians 3:16
 Christ submitted to the Father
 Matthew 26:39
 John 5:19
 Holy Spirit submits to the Son
 John 16:12-15

12.  Mark 10:42-45
 “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the
Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise
authority over them. But it is not this way among you,
but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be
your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you
shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a
ransom for many.”

13.  Created to be a helper
 Created to be in a position of voluntary submission
 Created to be a picture of the Trinity
 She has to do this in a fallen world