⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 3 min read
Biblical Submission: Christlike Strength, Not Silence
Contending for the Word Q&A with Dave Jenkins
Series: Contending for the Word Q&A
Episode: Biblical Submission: Christlike Strength, Not Silence
Show Summary
Few biblical words are more misunderstood in our modern culture than submission. Many hear it and assume inferiority, silence, or loss of identity. But Scripture presents a far more beautiful picture—one rooted in Christlike humility, strength, and love. In this episode, Dave Jenkins answers what biblical submission is—and what it is not—anchored in Ephesians 5:22–33. Biblical submission is a voluntary, joyful posture of respect and support that reflects trust in Christ, not silence, passivity, inferiority, or losing one’s voice.
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Key Scriptures
- Ephesians 5:22–33
- Proverbs 31
Episode Notes
Today’s Question
Biblical submission: what is it—and what is it not?
Central Truth
Biblical submission is a voluntary, joyful posture of respect and support that reflects trust in Christ,
not silence, passivity, inferiority, or losing one’s voice.
1) Submission Flows “As to the Lord”
Scripture teaches that submission is first vertical toward Christ before it is expressed horizontally in marriage. It is rooted in faith—trusting God’s design and honoring Christ in the way a wife honors her husband.
2) Submission Is Respectful Partnership
Biblical submission does not mean a wife is less intelligent, less gifted, or excluded from meaningful decisions. Proverbs 31 portrays a woman of strength, wisdom, and initiative. Submission means using God-given gifts to build up the home and strengthen unity—not to compete for control.
3) Submission Is Not Silence, Abuse, or Inequality
Biblical submission never calls a woman to tolerate abuse, endorse sin, or surrender her dignity. Men and women are equal in value and worth as image-bearers of God, while distinct in roles. Submission is about order, not oppression.
4) Submission Reflects the Church’s Devotion to Christ
In Ephesians 5, marriage points beyond itself to the gospel. Just as the church responds to Christ with trust, honor, and devotion, so a wife’s submission images that relationship. This is worship, not weakness.
A Word to Wives and Husbands
- Wives: This calling is beautiful and strong—rooted in Christ and expressed through respect and support.
- Husbands: Lead with humility and sacrificial love so that your wife experiences your leadership as a joy, not a burden.
Takeaways
- Submission is first “as to the Lord,” flowing from trust in Christ.
- Submission is respectful partnership, not passivity or exclusion.
- Submission never excuses abuse, sin, or treating a woman as inferior.
- Marriage is designed to reflect Christ and His church—submission is worshipful devotion, not weakness.
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Stand firm on the Word of God. Cling to Christ. Honor God’s design for marriage.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.
Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.
He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).
You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.
When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.
Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
