Hello,

I came across your website a few months ago when doing an online search for “type and shadow” (I forget what the specific type and shadow I was looking for though!)
I have really enjoyed and been blessed by what is written. I still don’t understand it all and some of it I still don’t have the revelation of it being really true, but those things I do grasp are really edifying me.
My situation:
I have a friend from whom I have parted company who believes I am under the delusions of Babylon because I would not stop attending the ‘institutional’ church that my husband says our family must belong to and after quitting, become a part of their home fellowship.
She says it would not be like I was ‘joining’ in the sense that the institutional church makes you ‘join’. I told her I understand that, but that whatever body we fellowship with, I want it to be under the approval of my husband because eventually, I am sure he would want to be a part of that fellowship. I told her that I believe my husband would desire to be in a fellowship where the man/ men are speaking to his spirit in a way that he can receive/ understand (which, I believe, is part of what attracts him to this current ‘church’ we attend), and he would not be able to get into the fact that she ismore of the ‘leader’ of this fellowship.
She says that type of old fashioned, archaic, ‘churchy’ thinking he is doing is putting me in bondage. She says that she would be GLAD not to be the one ‘leading out’ if only her husband would be more proactive at doiing so. (as an aside, her husband DOES teach and speak during the fellowship but the brunt of the teaching comes from her although she does try to let him lead). She says I am understanding the scriptures incorrectly. That we are all one now under Christ, and it doesn’t really matter who ‘leads forth’ as long as biblical truth is going forth. If it’s the female that has the revelation, then so be it; that is who the Lord has given it to. She says that if it had not been for the Lord using HER, her family would not be as far along spiritually as they are because her husband can be very lax in the things of the spirit/ bible reading/ leadership, etc. (She has a strong personality and her husband is of a milder, quieter manner). She says God has made her personality this way – like a Deborah so to speak – so why would she be forced to not move forward in her knowledge/ ability to teach/ lead? She says she would be putting her husband before the Lord if she did that.
She says that sitting under Babylonian error has made me misunderstand the scriptures and that is why I’m accepting what my spiritually weaker husband is telling me without standing up for the truth.
She says I should not love him more than I love God. I told her I actually feel the opposite. I attend an ‘institutional church’ that CONDONES women preachers and women teachers! We have a woman assistant pastor! They are constantly WANTING me to teach, but I have told them I prefer not to teach men. (at this point, I don’t want to even teach the women because I don’t know how I would even talk to them about the things I am believing.) I said if anything, it is in my nature to WANT to run over my husband! I was raised in a home where my mother was the boss and ran over my Dad. I do not like that. I don’t think it is right, and I don’t want to be that kind of woman. I told her I find myself contantly leaning that direction so it’s not that I don’t WANT to be in charge – I’m fighting to keep FROM being an overbearing, naggy, ‘do what I say’ kind of wife!
I told her I DO love God, and that is why I am trying to submit myself to my husband.
(questions before my main question) –
(but aren’t things different in God’s new economy of new creations?
Maybe culturally it was harder for women to do things during Paul’s time; maybe that’s why we only hear of ‘Aquila and Priscilla’ and the handful of other women who worked for the Lord – now ‘post feminism’ where it’s no big deal for women to lead, doesn’t it make it even easier for women and men to really be ‘one’ under Christ as the bible speaks of their being neither ‘male nor female’.
Is it still considered part of a ‘curse’ to be ruled by women and children (Isa 3:12) or what does that really mean spiritually?)
My Main Question:
I think from one article that I read on your site that you believe the woman SHOULD submit to a husband’s authority. My friend sees many things the scriptures say as being more like a spiritual code (like your website) that only those with revelation or who have labored in the word can discern.
If the Words of Christ have a spiritual meaning, isn’t she right to say that just a ‘surface reading’ of the words about a woman submitting aren’t the real meaning of those verses? It seems I read on someone’s website that when it talks about the ‘woman’ it really means the ‘soul’, and that the ‘soul’ of every human should be in submission to the ‘spirit’. If that’s the case, then does an outward display of submission not really matter to us ‘new creations’ because we will all be being led by the self same spirit and there won’t really be a need for some type of external ‘law’ to tell women (OR men) to submit? Also, when the word ‘wife’ is used, if we continue to follow the it- all- has- a- spiritual- meaning train of thought, wouldn’t that word really be in reference to Christ’s body/ wife? So again, any outward display of letting a husband have final authority in a home would not be what was really intended but a CORPORATE submission to our head Jesus, right?
Thank you for letting me unburden myself of these thoughts. I know this was a long read but I have sat on these thoughts for many weeks and finally felt I MUST have your thoughts on this matter. I have so many more questions but I will save them for another (hopefully shorter) email.

S____

Hi S____,

The main question you pose in the subject of this e- mail is…

Do Wives REALLY Have To Submit?

… and the answer is, yes, if you are granted the grace to “tremble at God’s Word”.

Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

… which “Word” plainly states”

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

“Submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord”. So if it doesn’t matter whether Christ is the head, then it wouldn’t matter if wives were in charge of their homes and the church which is Christ’s body. But it does matter whether Christ is in charge of you and me and His body, and it also matters whether wives tremble at these our Lord’s inspired words.
This subject is an important part of knowing who God and His son are. It is very important that we think as they think and act as they act in all of our ways. Here is just how important that is:

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

When we are granted to know God and His Son, then we will no longer be confused about a woman’s place in the home and in the body of Christ.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

There is a reason why you did not like to see your mother dominating your father. One reason is that a domineering personality is no good in either a man or a woman. Another reason is that “the head of Christ is God” and that spiritual reality should scripturally be reflected within our homes and within “the body which is His church”.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

I will point out that the apostle Paul reminds us that he is speaking spiritually about Christ and the church as it relates to the marriage of a man and a woman. Then, after reminding us he is speaking primarily of spiritual matters, he concludes with this very revealing statement:

Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

I have an in- depth article on this very subject which has just recently been recorded for those who prefer audio over text. It was posted this very day, apparently just for you. 🙂
The name of that article is The Head of Christ Is God. Here is the notice that came to me just minutes ago informing me that this audio had just been posted:

“The audios for these studies of Mike’s can be found at this website http:// anthocul. wordpress. com/ under the menu heading ‘Articles and Studies (Audio)'”

We hope in the near future to have all the articles also transferred to audio. If you prefer text, here is the URL for this article on the iswasandwill be web site:
http:// iswasandwillbe. com/ The_ Head_ Of_ Christ_ Is_ God. php
Please take the time to read that paper and come to understand what and how women can and should ‘prophesy’, and if after reading that paper, you still have questions please feel free to get back to me.
You are right about women teaching other women, being where women are intended to teach, and we have many exemplary women within our fellowship who know the mind of God as revealed in the scriptures on this subject.
You are in my prayers that the Lord will give you His mind on this vital subject.
Your brother in Christ, whose head is God.

Mike