Headship is all right, but I prefer tailship.
Your views of the headship
by greenie 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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treadnh2o
There is a reason it's calle "HEADship".
Because it is the only way those freakin' JW men get to use thier "head" with their sexually disfunctional wives.
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JosephMalik
1Cor 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.
While this sounds like a biblical command from Paul, it is actually a Corinthian doctrine that Paul will refute and correct. He is still quoting from the letter they sent him as mentioned in chapter 7 verse 1. Here a few verses later on this quote from it shown above Paul corrects their statements on women.
1Cor 11:11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.Women are equal in the faith even if men do not like the idea and think the way the Corinthians did back them. Mostly Jewish custom that has no place in the faith.
Joseph
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OnTheWayOut
A husband and wife are a team. They work as a team. If they cannot agree on something, they compromise. If compromise is out of the question, then the team must recognize who wants their way bad enough and try to give it to them.
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yknot
I think headship POVs vary from region to region........
I am from a very 'bubbafied' culture and headship is a cultural norm both for JWs and non-JWs. My hubby who is neither JW nor from a 'bubbafied' culture prefers it to his native culture.
What has your fiance said on the matter?
Here is a snippet from the Awake on the matter (you might wanna download the WTCD, so you can reference this issue and others at your leisure)
*** g 1/08 pp. 28-29 What Does Headship in Marriage Really Mean? ***
The Bible’s Viewpoint
What Does Headship in Marriage Really Mean?IN MANY lands wedding ceremonies traditionally include the exchanging of vows in which the bride promises to obey her husband. Still, many women chafe at the idea of male headship in marriage. Consider what the Bible teaches about this topic. You will find that its position is balanced and practical.
Headship as Defined by God
The Bible’s basic description of headship is found at Ephesians 5:22-24: “Let wives be in subjection to their husbands as to the Lord, because a husband is head of his wife as the Christ also is head of the congregation . . . In fact, as the congregation is in subjection to the Christ, so let wives also be to their husbands in everything.” As the “head of his wife,” the husband is to take the lead in the family, with the wife following his lead and respecting his headship.—Ephesians 5:33.
A husband’s authority is limited by his own subjection to God and Christ. He is not empowered to direct his wife to break God’s laws or to compromise her own Bible-trained conscience. Within these limitations, however, God has assigned him the responsibility of making important decisions for the family.—Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 11:3.
The Bible commands the husband to exercise his headship unselfishly, putting his wife’s benefit ahead of his own. Ephesians 5:25 says: “Husbands, continue loving your wives, just as the Christ also loved the congregation and delivered up himself for it.” A husband who follows Christ’s supreme example of love rejects a self-centered exercise of headship.
Further, the Bible instructs a man to dwell with his wife “according to knowledge.” (1 Peter 3:7) This involves more than a mere awareness of the physical and emotional differences between men and women. He should gain an understanding of his wife’s needs.
“She Is Your Partner”
Does a wife’s subjection require her to be completely passive? Consider Sarah, cited in the Bible as an example of obedience to her husband, Abraham. (1 Peter 3:5, 6) She subjected herself to him in matters large and small, from leaving a comfortable home for a nomadic life in tents to preparing a meal on short notice. (Genesis 12:5-9; 18:6) In connection with a serious matter, however, she repeatedly expressed a view contrary to Abraham’s. This occurred when she wanted him to dismiss his concubine, Hagar, and his firstborn son, Ishmael, from the household. Instead of reproving Sarah, God told Abraham to “listen to her voice.” Meanwhile, Sarah continued to subject herself to Abraham by waiting for him to act instead of trying to drive out Hagar and Ishmael herself.—Genesis 21:8-14.
Sarah’s example shows that rather than merely living in her husband’s shadow, the wife is to be her husband’s “partner,” holding a place of honor. (Malachi 2:14) As his partner, she provides valuable input concerning family decisions and is given a measure of authority in the family, often managing many household and even some financial matters. Of course, as the family head, the husband is responsible for making final decisions.—Proverbs 31:10-31; 1 Timothy 5:14.
Respect for the Author
Jehovah God created man and woman, and he created marriage as a sacred union between them. (Genesis 2:18-24) He also specified roles for husband and wife that will bring them the greatest joy.—Deuteronomy 24:5; Proverbs 5:18.
As the Originator of marriage, Jehovah has both the right and the ability to set standards for the marital arrangement. Marriage mates who fulfill their respective roles and follow God’s headship arrangement, not just for its practicality but also out of respect for his divine authority, receive his favor and support.
A JW man who discerns his headship properly understands he may have the title of captain but is dependent of those who follow his lead to run the ship smoothly. Should he be a 'bad' captain, mutiny results and he ultimately is held responsible for losing control.
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bluecanary
I always viewed my marriage as an equal partnership, so if I run up debts, my wife is responsible for half of them !
Wobble, you'll be happy to know that the WTS half agrees with you. While the husband gets to make all the decisions, the wife is held equally accountable for the consequences even if she tried to resist the husband's choices.
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JosephMalik
The Watchtower simply does not get it as YNOT shows us here. Perhaps they cannot read or understand how Paul wrote? But the problem existed throughout the territories of Paul and he used different ways to handle it even going to the extreme of appointing elders and giving men like Timothy his Apostolic authority to put a stop to it by making such appointments through them.
Since Paul wrote about the position of women to the Corinthians and to Timothy we should not be surprised to find him including this same information in his letter to the Ephesians as well. The problems in Ephesus were very much the same as they were in Corinth and elsewhere. Men, deceivers with empty words (Ephesians 5:6,12) were there as well. Paul would now take the lead in reproving and exposing such men (vs 13-14) setting an example for them to follow. After giving advice to be watchful, sober, spiritually alert and happy, he gives the following word-for-word dissertation with this introduction of what such false teaching consist of:
The introduction:
15 So keep strict watch that how YOU walk is not as unwise but as wise [persons], 16 buying out the opportune time for yourselves, because the days are wicked. 17 On this account cease becoming unreasonable, but go on perceiving what the will of Jehovah is. [Ephesians 5:15-17]
The empty words:
18 Also, do not be getting drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but keep getting filled with spirit, 19 speaking to yourselves with psalms and praises to God and spiritual songs, singing and accompanying yourselves with music in YOUR hearts to Jehovah, 20 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ giving thanks always for all things to our God and Father. 21 Be in subjection to one another in fear of Christ. 22 Let wives be in subjection to their husbands as to the Lord, 23 because a husband is head of his wife as the Christ also is head of the congregation, he being a savior of [this] body. 24 In fact, as the congregation is in subjection to the Christ, so let wives also be to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, continue loving YOUR wives, just as the Christ also loved the congregation and delivered up himself for it, 26 that he might sanctify it, cleansing it with the bath of water by means of the word, 27 that he might present the congregation to himself in its splendor, not having a spot or a wrinkle or any of such things, but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 In this way husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, 29 for no man ever hated his own flesh; but he feeds and cherishes it, as the Christ also does the congregation, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave [his] father and [his] mother and he will stick to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This sacred secret is great. [Ephesians 5:18-32, NWT]
A return to reality with:
. . . Now I am speaking with respect to Christ and the congregation. 33 Nevertheless, also, let each one of YOU individually so love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband. [Ephesians 5:32-33, NWT]
The doctrine of such deceivers was offered to the Ephesians with much more finesse than the manner in which it was presented to the Corinthians. The main points are however the same, seemingly good behavior with emphasis upon the LAW which they call "spirit", the "psalms" mainly works of David, the subjection of the “woman” in the Faith to the man. The blame for it all is placed on “Christ” as if they are honoring Him in all this and have His approval. The carrot is held out that this will be good for the woman in the long run and that the husband will be supportive of the wife. See also 1Ti 2:15 And their claim that all this is a sacred secret as if it comes from God himself, they being the revealers of His will. Once again the transitional phraseology of Paul stands out as he isolates the false teachings with “Now I am speaking with respect to Christ and the congregation,” as he considers this subject with the Ephesians. Mixed in with such lies are some truth, so Paul simply extracts it, (Nevertheless), which in effect places the men and woman on equal footing just as verse 21 stated all along. Thus "deep respect" stands in sharp contrast with "subjection of wives" and all the rest of their theology is also fully exposed for the Ephesians to see.
Joseph
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JosephMalik
Some may prefer to parse these verses to the Ephesians by placing the empty words starting at verse 21 instead of verse 18 but the point is the same depending upon which translation you prefer.
Joseph
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angel eyes
my hubby is the best head....love him! (sorry had to slip that in..xxxxxxx)
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DJK
A man claiming headship is saying he has a dumb wife. If she accepts it, well guess what?