Another interesting short podcast from RC Sproul, recently put out by Ligonier Ministries as part of the “Ultimately with R.C. Sproul” series, which is worth commenting on. The complete transcript is as follows. I have highlighted the bits that I particularly want to focus on:
“‘Wives, submit yourself to your husbands!’—I don’t like that! Well, either there is something wrong with the author of scripture, or, what? I say when you read through the Bible, and you come upon a text that bothers you, you don’t have to just be paralyzed and stop there, and stay there forever, you know; move on, but mark it; and I say, If you find a passage you don’t understand, put a red mark next to it; and then later on, come back and focus on those red marks and say, Here is a portion of scripture I don’t understand, I am going to devote special attention to trying to understand these passages that are difficult. What a great way to learn! If you focus on the obstacles to your progress, and remove them one by one, you will have this augmented understanding.
“But even more importantly, are those texts that jar your emotions; and you read that, and you say, I don’t like what the Bible says here. Put a big mark next to that one—to those passages in scripture that offend you, that at first glance you disagree with. Now those are the ones you really need to put your focus and your attention upon if you want to grow rapidly, because one of two things will happen: You may discover that the reason why that text offended you, or annoyed your sensitivities, is because you didn’t understand it; and after you delve into it, and examine it, read the commentaries on it, come to a better insight of what it means. Now your problem is resolved, and you can move on; and in the meantime, you have gained new insight and new understanding.
“But suppose you check all the commentaries, and you are careful in your examination of the text; and you find out that you understand it exactly right, and it still makes you mad—and you don’t like it! ‘Wives, submit yourself to your husbands!’—I don’t like that, you say! Well, put three checks next to that, because that means one of two things: Either there is something wrong with the author of scripture who wrote those words; there is something wrong with Paul’s thinking, and Paul ought to change; or, what?—There is something wrong with my thinking: because here, while I am being critical of scripture, scripture is being critical of me. And if you want to grow in grace and in sanctification, find those places where you are critical of God. It might just be that these are the places where you need to change your thinking, and change your life.”
I agree with the general recommendation he gives, that the best way to study scripture is not to be deterred or discouraged by the bits that are difficult to understand at first, but to move on, with the expectation that the difficult bits will become clear overtime as we read on. That is good advice on how to study scripture. The issue I have with that advice is that the example he gives doesn’t illustrate his point very well. By using that particular scripture (Ephesians 5:22) to illustrate his point the way he does, he is demonstrating a considerable lack of insight into how scripture should be interpreted himself. The point he has failed to sufficiently take notice of, and therefore to emphasize, is that the scripture doesn’t just talk about the duty of wives to submit to their husbands; they balance it with the duty of the husbands to love their wives. Here is the complete quote—plus others added:
Ephesians 5:
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Colossians 3:
18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
1 Peter 3:
6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
The scriptures don’t just tell wives to submit to their husbands; they also tell husbands to love their wives. By focusing on the first requirement, while ignoring or overlooking the second, he has shown considerable lack of insight—if not bias—in understanding scripture himself; and has set a bad example for others on how to correctly read and understand scripture.
If a man is hating his wife instead of loving her, and is abusive towards her instead of being kind, and even leading her into sin and transgression instead of into righteousness, she is under no obligation to “submit” to her husband under those circumstances. That is not the biblical requirement.
I would go further, and say that of the two requirements, the second is the more important of the two. The reason why the scriptures make mention of the first requirement first, is because the second requirement is taken for granted or assumed. There is something wrong somewhere when someone focuses on the less important requirement, while overlooking the more important one.
No comments:
Post a Comment