[Salvation]

For your prayerful consideration and discussion.

Please, no wife or husband bashing.

[Salvation]

**For the man (and I can speak to this more readily), we find the tables have been turned. Instead of Ephesians 5 being an excuse for us to lord it over our families, we find it is an obligation of service.**

This is a wonderful interpretation of this Scripture.

[Abigail Adams]

Ephesians 6:5 says "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ."

Does that mean that Paul is endorsing slavery?

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

"In fact, it is the husband who should pale at and fear the words of Ephesians."

Yes. And like many passages in the Bible, it is taken out-of-context and applied however it is most selfishly advantageous for the user. The end result, is to avoid having to confront one's own sin...

[Knitting A Conundrum]

When we read Paul telling people how to behave, it is always a call for people to act in the most loving way possible to each other.

Historically, people have used the verses to beat up on the underlings and support the power base of those who want to act the way that they want. But it doesn't mean that the teaching is bad as much as it means that the people who misuse it, misuse it.

We are told, "By your fruits you shall know them."

Perhaps God knew a thing or two about human psychology, need, and what it took to keep men following Christ. Perhaps we should become fruit inspectors.

Where there is bad fruit, there will be people who choose their way over God's way.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I have lots of interesting church stories about this passage. LOL! Husbands tend to love it and wives hate it. Not all ministers avoid it, at least not in the SBC. Some are even obsessed with it. LOL! In my experience, the wives theory was that the pastor was preaching mainly to his own wife. LOL! Now, that wasn't my theory, but it was the theory of others. I was a kid at the time and had no stake in the issue.

I am not really bothered about women's roles because in my opinion, it's really a desire for power and self-glory to demand leadership in the home or church anyway. Someone has to give or there can be no leadership at all. While a woman may be smarter and wiser than a man sometimes, she is emotionally more fit for her God-given role. To be mad about that obvious fact is to elevate self over God. So it doesn't bother me. I'll be honest, though, I'm not great at being submissive. Fortunately my husband wants my advice a lot so things work fine for us. I don't know what a Christian woman is to do if her husband is very power crazy. Hopefully they attend a church where the pastor can set the man straight.

I always like to keep in mind that women raise the boys to be men. They become the men we shape them to be. So our job is VERY important.

[AnalogReigns]

Good stuff! Except for his reference to the Pope, it could have been preached in any evangelical Protestant church.

Good to see Catholics getting into the bible! Especially on this critical issue.

God bless you all.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Ladies, even though some women might disagree with some of things in the Bible's teaching about husbands and wives, it's was not up until Christianity came to this world that the Bible's teaching that woman finally were treated as humans and not 2 nd class citizens.
The Bible teaches us that men SHOULD love and respect the creation that God created in woman ( look at all the other religions compared to Christianity ).
Why do most feminist hate Christianity, but, embrace the other religions that make woman 2 nd class citizens and oppress women ? it's not because woman's rights or the treatment of woman, it's because of something else.
As I said here on FR many times, Feminism and Homosexuality is a demonic spirit, and when the anti Christ comes, the feminist and the homosexuals will be at the for front of oppression and persecution of Christians and ushering in the anti Christ.
Look at how the Liberal theologians are trying to rewrite Christian history and the Holy scriptures ?
Look at how the homosexuals are saying what the Bible says about homosexuality is not what it really says.
What we are seeing today is the watering down the Holy Bible, and rewriting of God's word.

[wolfcreek]

Another dodgy Catholic thing. Man, ya'll need to get a grip on your religion.