Submission to One Another

Stewardship Lesson #4
By Josh Rice

Introduction: The Urgent Need for Biblical Submission

Perhaps no other subject in Scripture is presently as out-of-fashion as submission.

It doesn’t take much observation to notice that we live in a culture that exalts the

individual over the relationship or the community. The hero of our world is the “self-

made” person, the man or woman who achieves great things through the muscle of their

individual work-ethic and the ingenuity of their individual genius. While certainly there

is nothing negative about such achievements, we also see the consequences of this kind

of isolation: broken marriages, broken communities, broken families, and broken

relationships are piled all around. In fact, we are so used to navigating the broken

relationships of our world that it is easy to forget that Scripture has a much different –

and far healthier – vision for human relationships. The biblical remedy for relational

brokenness is simple: submission. When we learn and practice this essential discipline of

the Christian life, we find that God works to put broken relationship back together and to

make us truly whole.

In Richard Foster’s groundbreaking book, Celebration of Discipline, he devotes

an entire chapter to recovering the truth of biblical submission. “Power is discovered in

submission,” he writes. “Jesus called into being a whole new order of leadership. The

cross-life of Jesus undermined all social orders based on power and self-interest.” This

is, indeed, the very definition of the word – sub-mission. When we submit, we place our

own personal mission under the mission of another. In so doing, the purposes of our lives

intermingle and we learn to trust one another. At its core, such submission places us into

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right relationship with one another because it is founded upon the relationship that exists

within God Himself. Through the doctrine of the Trinity, we proclaim that in God’s

diversity, He is One. The relationships that exist between the distinctive members of the

Trinity are so submitted to one another, that they form a singular personality. When we

submit to one another, we imitate God!

Because of this, biblical submission touches all human relationships. In what

follows, we will explore this vital principle within the framework of three broad types of

relationships: submission to God, submission in the church, and submission in the family.

One thing is sure – submission cannot take place without trust. But when we trust, we

cannot help but submit.

Lesson Exposition: 3 Biblical Modes of Submission

I. Submission to God

All human relationships are founded upon our relationship with God. The way we

are even able to think about human relationships is always vitally related to what we

think about God. Because of this, the story of Scripture begins by explicitly connecting

the relationship of husband and wife with the relationship of man with God. Submission

to one another is impossible without submission to God, so in this way the Bible is

always first about God, then about others. As Jesus framed the most important two

commandments in Matthew __, “You shall [first] love the Lord your God with all your

heart…” and secondly, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

A. Submission to God in the Old Testament

The biblical story begins with a single ground-rule for the new human community

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to live according to. God spends seven days filling the cosmos and the earth with life so

wonderful that God stepped back in amazement, calling it all “very good.” The apex of

the divine artist’s work is none other than man and woman, who live within the provision

of God’s loving care. The Garden of Eden contained everything necessary for their

livelihood and enjoyment. It was a perfect paradise with one stricture; one measuring

stick to ensure that Adam and Eve understood that this life of wholeness was completely

dependent upon their relationship with God. The rule was simple: “You shall not eat of

the tree….” Unfortunately, the serpent tempted the woman into believing that submission

wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. “You could be like God,” he told her. In effect, “You

can be your own God without the need to submit to anyone at all.” It is astounding that

people still buy this lie. The gravity of God’s consequences for Adam and Eve should

convince us all of the holiness of submission.

Many people focus on the penalty of banishment from the garden, but the

consequences of man’s fall from submission to God were actually quite financial in

nature. [quote Scripture about the ground being cursed]. Because of Adam’s lack of trust

in God, his work would be toilsome. God’s desire was to fully provide for all of his

needs, but that wasn’t good enough for Adam, so now he would have to contend with the

difficult ground. The other side of the coin, however, is that through Christ the curse of

man’s fall is reversed. God has again provided for those who believe in Christ

“everything necessary for life and godliness.” As Christians, we no longer live under

Adam’s curse, but as we submit to God we also benefit from his provision for our needs.

This principle, rooted in the earliest Old Testament narrative, comes to fruition to

be most clearly seen in the life and reign of King Solomon. Although all Old Testament

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heroes are known for their radical trust in God, Solomon’s story is unique in that at a very

young age he is charged to lead Israel at its peak of power. He had every right to riches

and military might, but instead of asking for these things, before he ascends to the throne

he simply asks...[quote Scripture]. As a result of Solomon’s overpowering passion to

submit to God’s divine wisdom, notice what follows. [quote Scripture of god promising

Solomon wealth]. Just like in the garden of Eden, human submission is accompanied by

financial provision.

As a result of Solomon’s understanding of obedient submission, it is unsurprising

that his Proverbs are packed with wisdom concerning God’s financial provision. [Quote

some]. The Old Testament is unashamed to proclaim that God provides for those who

submit to Him.

B. Submission to God in the Life and Ministry of Jesus

Matthew chapters 5-7 represent a fascinating moment in world history. The first

Chapters represent the emergence of Jesus into Israel’s national spotlight, but without a

focus on His teaching ministry. In chapters 5-7 Matthew has preserved an entire sermon

of Jesus; something of a “campaign speech” which gives us insight into Jesus’ priorities,

values, and ethical commitments. It has come to be known as the “Sermon on the

Mount,” in which Jesus lays out his vision for what he desires that ancient Israel should

imitate, and what he commands the people of God to look like now. Unsurprisingly,

submission to God – and the resulting fruits from such a posture – finds a place directly

in the center of the sermon. Indeed, perhaps the entire sermon hangs on this centerpiece.

The brilliance of Jesus is to connect two human spheres that had not been

connected before – finances and mental peace. Jesus begins,

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 • Matthew 6:19-21

But he does not stop there. He realizes that anyone choosing to place their treasure in

earthly places alone is bound to a lifetime of stress. So Jesus next combats this.

• verse 25

“Therefore,” or “in light of what I have just said about money,” we are freed from the

worry and anxiety of our culture over financial concerns. What is more, we are given a

great promise.

• verse 33

But how can Jesus make such a promise? Simply because He is perfectly submitted to

the Father and therefore lives moment by moment in complete trust. He says in John )

___: …The formula, then, looks like this: We are released from enslavement to storing all

of our treasures on earth and the worry that always accompanies that posture of scarcity

by submitting to God and trusting that He has us in the palm of His hand.

But this reality formed much more than Jesus’ teaching ministry. Indeed, the very

point of our salvation at the cross of Calvary was an act of humble submission. In the

garden of Gethsemane the night before Jesus’ death, he had but one prayer to pray: “Not

my will, but yours be done.” Jesus did not submit to the cross primarily because of his

great love for humanity, but because of His trust in the father. He submitted to the cross

as the ultimate act of submission to the Father, and our eternal salvation was effected.

And so the principle of submitting to God has come full circle. We see God’s lavish

provision in Eden that is broken by Adam and Eve, then restored by the cross of Christ.

As a result, we can live our lives in peace, both spiritually and financially, trusting God’s

perfect care over our lives.

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 II. Submission in the Church

Many believers are unaware that the New Testament church is consistently

recognized as a place of submission. In our culture of consumerism, people often think

in terms of what the church can offer them, as if they are paying for some kind of

personal service. In reality, the church is a community of commitment in which members

relate to one another in a way that is alternative to the dominant culture. We see this

principally in our commitment to biblical submission.

A. Submission in the Church is Rooted in the Old Testament Commandment

to Love the Neighbor

In the book of Deuteronomy, which means “second law,” Moses inspires Israel once

more before his death to follow the commands of God. Time and time again he reminds

them of where they have come from and where God will take them if they remain faithful

to Him. Interestingly, Moses centers on commands that deal with how Israel will treat

one another. They will not act similarly to the pagan Canannites, whose urban economies

kept everyone in a hierarchical caste system. Instead, the Israelites are commanded to

spread God’s love to one another and to their neighbors in radical ways, including toward

slaves and aliens. “You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of

Egypt,” God commands in 10:19-20. The famous Old Testament scholar Walter

Brueggemann comments:

The urging of Moses is that the radical neighborliness exhibited by YHWH in the
exodus as an alternative to Pharoah should become the organizing principle of
Israel’s life in the new land.1

1
Walter Brueggemann, Mandate to Difference: An Invitation to the Contemporary Church (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2007), pg. 163.

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The Old Testament commandment to love the neighbor was not an issue of politeness or

niceness, but of a subversive means of opposing the oppression of Pharaoh. No people

had been formed along these lines before. Israel was meant to be God’s miracle!

It is no surprise, then, that Jesus considers the commandment to love the neighbor

only second in priority under loving God. He was seeking to recover the centrality of this

community ideal for the new community he was building – the church. Just like Israel

was a new phenomenon in a world dominated by Egypt, Jesus was soon to unleash the

power of a new community onto the world who lived by the rule of love for the neighbor

as evidenced in the practice of submission.

B. Submission in the Church Requires Radical Trust

I. Submission in the Church

A. Submission in the Church is rooted in the Old Testament Commandment
to love the Neighbor
i. Brueggemann book will be good here

B. Submission in the Church requires radical trust

i. Talk about the NT passages on submission against the backdrop of
patronage and the hierarchical Greco-Roman world. These
alternative communities also approached finances differently, as
seen in Paul’s collection.
ii. Talk about submission to church leadership

Introduction
• Submission is a radical concept in our day
• Teams: Teamwork / Excellence / Attitude / Mission / Submission
• Submission in the body of Christ is modeled after the Trinity (perhaps a Clark
Pinnock quote)
• May/June 2006 The Journal of Student Ministries: Ghandi: “Willing
submission to social restraint for the sake of the well-being of the whole of
society enriches both the individual and the society of which he is a member.”

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 • Explicitly relate submission to trust. Submission is the ultimate sign and
tester of true trust, and Christian relationships are built on trust – our
relationship with God, our relationship with other believers, and the marriage
relationship.

II. Submission to God

A. Submission to God in the Old Testament (emphasize that in the Old
Testament, this always included trusting God for financial provision)
i. Garden of Eden: God’s Lavish Provision (breaking God’s
submission meant that Adam had to work hard to gain food; this
was not meant to be; extrabiblical source about the earth bearing
great fruit in the time of the messiah)
ii. King Solomon: Provision follows trusting God
1. Include some material from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes that
illustrate this principle
B. Submission to God in the Life and Ministry of Jesus
i. Material from John about the oneness of Jesus and the Father
(begin with the teachings on wealth and worry in Matthew 6, and
make the argument that Jesus can speak this way because he is
perfectly submitted to the Father)
ii. Jesus gives his life because of his commitment to the father’s will

III. Submission in the Church

A. Submission in the Church is rooted in the Old Testament Commandment
to love the Neighbor
i. Brueggemann book will be good here

B. Submission in the Church requires radical trust

i. Talk about the NT passages on submission against the backdrop of
patronage and the hierarchical Greco-Roman world. These
alternative communities also approached finances differently, as
seen in Paul’s collection.
ii. Talk about submission to church leadership

IV. Submission in the Family

A. Submission in the Family in the Old Testament

i. Adam and Eve were equal, but God held Adam responsible to lead

B. Submission in the Family in the New Testament

i. Submission of children to parents
ii. Submission of wives to husbands

Concluding Paragraph

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Illustration