One night, several months ago, my husband and I were walking from the car to the house. He astonished me by saying, “I don’t want you to submit to me. I will submit to you.”

This man.

Bill sees the upsidedown kingdom of God, and he is bringing it for us to enjoy on this earth. We live in it. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Rebekah Mui says:

“What if the real discussion behind #cbmw #dansverstatement #complementarianism is actually, “How much does salvation really change?” What is the real effect of salvation? Is it just spiritual and otherworldly, or does it permeate the world and human relationships?

The Reformers operated on the premise that patriarchal marriage was essential to *prevent sin*, because marriage was a place where the naturally morally inept woman should be prevented from harming herself by doing as she pleased.

Outside of marriage = outside of discipline.”

My current thinking about what some call the “household codes”. Wives submit to your husbands. I like to think that a group of free Christians were living in the shadow of the Roman Empire. They rewrote the household codes so that they could enjoy mutual partnerships. On a surface level these codes look suspiciously like the operating system of the world. But when we open the door to these households, we see a different world. The head, or the union, of the household washing feet. Or maybe dishes. The voices that are seen as least valuable in the community are pursued and heard.

As the Spirit and our spirit are at work within us maybe we find our hearts and minds being changed. Maybe we go from not being to interested in the perspective of others to pressing in, to leaning forward. And saying, “I want to know what you’re thinking.” “Tell me what you’re thinking.” Communicating that we want to know and value the other. Learning to invite and receive the other better. “Thank you for sharing.” “Thank you for saying that.” Either which way these codes are understood and practiced we now have the pleasure, or maybe the displeasure, of thinking about the Roman Empire every day.

My husband’s mind has been renewed, and he keeps opening the doors of freedom to me. He creates human flourishing. He turns submission into a good word.

Related:

Ephesians 5:15-33