One thing that will never be obsolete on the face of the earth is authority. There is authority everywhere we go – in homes, churches, workplaces, and organizations. Systems of authority don’t originate from the world but from God. How true is this?
When God finished making the world, He told Adam and Eve to have dominion over the earth. That means, in the beginning, God handed all authority over His creation to man. But due to sin, man lost his position and handed it over to the devil.
When this enemy came to tempt Jesus, he made a statement that attested to the validity that he took the authority over God’s creation from man.
“And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.”
Luke 4:6 NKJV
If the devil really said this, and Jesus never challenged him, then it was true. The good news is that this authority is no more in the devil’s hands. It’s now with Jesus because when He died and resurrected, He said to the disciples in Matthew 28:18 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
Even though this world lies in wickedness, its governing authority isn’t in the devil’s hands. It’s in Jesus’s hands.
When you go to any organization, it’s not enough to have one head without any subordinates. In the same way, God, knowing this, realized He had to establish a hierarchy of authority in His kingdom. And that’s what Apostle Paul beautifully explains to us in 1 Corinthians 11:3.
“But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”
1 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV
From this verse, God’s hierarchy of authority is laid plain – from God Himself, to Christ, to man, and finally to woman. This divine authority structure doesn’t decrease in value as the ladder goes down. Instead, it’s a picture of how everything, although diversified, works together for the good of God’s kingdom.
The head of Christ is God
Jesus Christ submits to God. We saw many times in the four gospel books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) how He constantly submitted His will to the Father.
One scene that shows this clearly is when Jesus, even after praying for at least an hour in the Garden of Gethsemane, still decided to listen to the Father’s will to die for the whole world (Matthew 26:36-39).
When it comes to submission unto authority, Jesus didn’t have everything He wanted. He humbled himself and obeyed the Father, even till death (Philippians 2:8). That alone teaches us that in submission to authority, obedience is crucial despite vague spiritual understanding.
The head of man is Christ
The head of every man (the male) is Christ. However, because not every man is saved, some don’t submit to His authority. That is dangerous because when a man isn’t under Christ’s rulership, his family is in trouble.
God intentionally created the man first and made him the head of his home, not the woman. Why? Because every family goes in the direction of the man’s vision. Once again, it’s not a means to devalue the woman but to put the man ahead in terms of leadership, so that there’ll be order.
The head of the woman is man
In Genesis 2:21-22, the Bible explains how God took the rib (in the Hebrews, it means “side”) of man to make the woman. So Eve’s physical body came from the ground. But her inner content (inner personality and character) came from the man because of the man’s rib, which God used as a foundation for her design.
From this Biblical explanation, it’s clear that woman came from man. Therefore, when a woman submits to the authority of a godly man (who has also submitted to God), it’s for her glory, not for her abuse. However, this principle is best applied in the context of marriage. Let’s look at what the Bible says in Colossians 3:18.
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”
Colossians 3:18 NKJV
The Bible doesn’t say, “Girls, submit to the guys.” No! Submitting to a husband isn’t necessary if a woman isn’t married because there isn’t any. But you may ask, “What about a dating relationship?”
Well, a study I’ve made from great authors like Myles Munroe shows that,
“Habits and attitudes established during the dating years generally carry over into marriage.” (Waiting and Dating book – chapter 1, page 9, authored by Myles Munroe).
Therefore, it’s best for a godly girlfriend to submit unto her godly boyfriend as fitting in the Lord (just as the man also submits unto Christ, his head) so that when they get married, it won’t be difficult for the female to practise it.
One exception
You may have read the scripture that says, “in Christ, there’s neither male nor female” (Galatians 3:28). Well, that’s true. But in that context, where can Christians’ delegation of divine authority stand? It’s simple, to Christ.
When it comes to submission in Christ, the Bible says we should be submissive to one another (1 Peter 5:5). So as Christians, we ought to clothe ourselves with the humility of Christ toward one another in the Church. When we do this, we’ll not rate one higher than another in terms of spiritual position (because we’re all children of God). But in the end, accord one another with godly respect
God’s hierarchy of authority has been created for our good. It’s existent for our profiting. Whether you’re a male or female, locate your position and function therein as inspired by the grace of God. You’re a blessing.
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Also read: 4 Biblical reasons why submitting to authority is necessary
