Mutual Submission, Mutual Respect

Abstract

In Ephesians 5:21, Paul enjoins all Christians to live in mutual submission to each other out of reverence for Christ. In the verses that follow, Paul describes what this mutual submission should look like in practice. Some interpreters neglect the intimate connection which Eph 5:22–6:9 shares with the preceding verses in chapter 5. Indeed, the mutual submission of verse 21 is not only the conclusion of the 5:1–21 but is the foundation and title of 5:21–6:9. Failure to recognize this has led some to mock the very idea of mutual submission between husbands and wives. In the real world, this too often serves to justify unjust oppression and silencing of women within the Church. This paper attempts to correct these errors. It also examines these issues in the context of Maasai culture and the traditional Maasai value of enkanyit (honor, mutual respect). Proper exegesis of Ephesians 5 demonstrates that mutual submission provides the way for relational harmony between husbands and wives.