Summary

Sometimes people have turned to this passage to give credibility to the idea that the husband is to be the “boss” and the wife is to be the “servant” in the home. Anyone who reads this passage this way cannot be a serious student of the Bible. Paul clearly admonishes both men and women to submit to each other (verse 21). Prior to that, Paul commands believers to be “filled with the Spirit” (5:18).

This is the context for any conversation about family. God has placed us all in families. There is to be an attitude of submission and service on behalf of all members of the family. Further, each one should be seeking the filling of God’s Spirit each day. This is the context for relationships within the Christian family.