By Pastor Matthew Ritchey
There is no greater argument against abusive masculinity and feminist superiority than is in verses 18 and 19 of Colossians chapter 3. Unfortunately, the world and the church have misunderstood or ignored the marriage roles spelled out in these verses. To understand these two verses, you have to understand that God created two genders/sexes – male and female. While we must be careful to denounce non-Scriptural stereotypes (e.g., boys don’t cry; girls don’t like dirt), we must also be quick to recognize that God created the male and female to fill different roles AND He created them with differences. Marriage itself was ordained by God for one man and one woman to be united in a lifelong partnership. Each of the two marriage partners are to fill a role that the other is not responsible to do.
The differing roles are easy to pick up on in these verses – the wife is to submit; the husband is to love. I want to dig a little deeper to show you God has given you these instructions to complement one another and fulfill a need of the spouse. The woman has a tendency to relate lovingly and to respond to love, which is why the man is instructed to love his wife. The man tends to filter things through a reverence viewpoint and respond to respect, which is why the woman is instructed to submit.
Sin has caused a rebellion against God’s pu ...
