Ephesians 5:21
21 Submitting yourselves [hupotasso] one to another [allelon] in
[en] the fear [phobos] of God. [theos] KJV-Interlinear
21 and
be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. NASB
The principle of authority
is one of the fundamental concepts, and part of the foundation of Christianity.
Christianity is a relationship.
Christianity is a
relationship with God through Christ.
For without Christ there is no relationship. And therein lies the pattern for all relationships.
Authority and
relationships are among the fundamental principles of Christianity.
And through these
concepts, Paul is going to use the relationships between married couples,
between parents and children, and between masters and slaves or workers, to
demonstrate authority, obedience, and relationships that people should have
among themselves, just as they are supposed to have with God.
And here he begins with
the mandate, which is not an option, but a mandate that we as believers have for
responsibilities and obligations in life, and regardless of whether we agree
with them or not, we are to comply.
In life we all are
authorities over someone, and we are all subordinates to someone. In both roles, we are to deal with our
position with integrity and respect and fairness, and never abuse or misuse our
position in order to take advantage or control over others.
Christianity dos not
break up relationships in life, but rather it confirms and promotes
relationships in order to make life better for everyone.
Being an authority does
not entitle you to power without responsibility.
Being a subordinate does
not make you a lesser person, either.
But both when combined,
are intended to perpetuate and prosper society with the objective of promoting
the all-important spiritual lives that we should all be pursuing.
Typically when people
reject their spiritual lives, they also reject their roles in life and try to
substitute their own version of how they see themselves. And that approach always leads to disaster.
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