Korea is historically confucian. That means that men are considered important than women. In fact, I've heard that until fairly recently, abortions of females was pretty common. Also, older parents in Korea take much more care over their sons' lives than they do over their daughters'. Korean society is changing now, and so is the treatment of women.
However, the older, Confucian, society was partly right. Women were in charge of the house and the children, as they are in Christian societies. Husbands were the heads of their wives, as they are in Christian societies. (Actually, as they are in every marriage whether they recognize it or not). Their error was in not honouring the women. Because the women were under authority, they thought of them as less important. But Christians can't think that way. Authority is not the same as superiority. We see this in the nature of the triune God. As the husband is the head of the woman, so the Father is the head of Christ (1 Cor. 11:3). However, Christ is equal with God (Phi 2:6,7), and husbands are wives are equal. Husbands are to love their wives (Eph 5:25), making them beautiful (v. 27) and loving them as they love themselves (vv. 28,29). Also, Christian husbands ought to praise their wives (Pro. 31:28). Proverbs says that she'll be praised in public places (v. 31).
This means we should never say things like, "Men make the money and women spend it." Men who says things like this should have to walk down a row of elders that each has a paddle. In public people should only hear us praise our wives. Of course, it should never descend into boasting or competition.
The nature of God is our picture for all types of authority, including civil and ecclesiastical authorities.
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4 comments:
That's way off.
:)
Thanks Scott! I appreciate your wisdom.
I agree completely. Its funny, when we were married I didn't want Sharalyn to say "obey." (She brings that up every once in a while, lol.)
Now I still do not. I agree with your words, I don't think that headship equals the one obeying the other, more the one respecting the other's leadership.
I didn't mean to say that. One must obey one's head: children must obey their parents (Eph 6:1); wives must obey their husbands (Eph 5:22-24). I don't see how one can both respect a person's leadership and not listen when he tries to lead.
That being said, Christian leadership is service. A Christian husband will lead his wife for her good and the good of the family, not for his own good. As Lewis said, in the Christian family the man wears the crown, but it is the crown of thorns.
There is a Christian way of obeying, too. A Christian obeys joyfully, not grudgingly. This includes workers obeying their bosses, wives obeying their husbands, children obeying their parents, and so on.
The relation of headship among humans is not a relation of superiority, but it is a God-given relation of obedience.
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