Submission to Authority

by Heath Rogers We have discussed the need for authority in religious matters, the proper source for authority, and how to establish Bible authority. In this article, we will consider the importance of responding properly to God’s authority. Authority is defined as “the power or right to give commands, enforce obedience, take action, or make…

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Does “Setting Boundaries” apply to marriages?

Question: Good morning, I read “Setting Boundaries” and noticed how it’s applied to children. What if, and I say this will all do respect as I can as a wife, but what if I have a husband who acts like this? Do these principles still apply to a husband? This has to be the most…

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Setting Boundaries

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 6:1-4   I.         We live in a country that is founded on the ideas of freedom and liberty             A.        Yet we don’t live in society without any restraints. We have laws, rules, regulations, expectations             B.        It is the very laws that we have which gives us our freedom                         1.         How? One of my…

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Denying Oneself

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Denying-Oneself.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Titus 2:11-14   I.         Self-improvement books abound. People constantly look for means wherein they can make themselves better.             A.        “Better,” in most people’s books, means happiness.             B.        But to many people there are limits to betterment             C.        Ingrid Law captured the idea when she wrote, “You can’t get rid of a part that…

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Truth about Submission

by Doy Moyer Submission has taken a bad rap in today’s world. It is seen as terrible and abusive, and, sadly, that portrayal has often been justified by how people treat one another. The lack of kindness in today’s world is disturbing. People have misused submission through selfish applications that do not glorify God or…

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Unless the Lord Builds the House

by Jefferson David Tant The 127th Psalm begins with some words that are certainly applicable to us today, as we have in the world some 42,000 different denominations, all claiming to be Christian. Note the first half of the Psalms first verse: “Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it.”…

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Thoughts from South Africa

by Hendrik Joubert Sentry Magazine, December 1999 Convenience or Conviction? Recently I have spent much time working on helping brethren understand that as Christians we should change. We should study the Bible to find out what it is that God wants us to be. I have been thinking about some of the things that surfaced…

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Submission

by Matthew W. Bassford Of all the spiritual topics in the Bible, there are few that are more difficult to discuss in our society than the subject of submission in marriage. Americans never have been particularly submissive people, to begin with, and in the decades since the Sexual Revolution, most traces of an older patriarchal…

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Blessed in What He Does

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Blessed-in-What-He-Does.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: James 1:21-25   I.         Sin is the breaking of law – I John 3:4             A.        Sin is universally found in mankind – Romans 5:12             B.        Thus, we cannot be surprised that rebellion (going against authority) is also widespread             C.        Obedience then is submitting to authority. It is subjecting your will to the will…

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Women Participating in Bible Classes

by Matthew W. Bassford Recently, I’ve been engaged in an email discussion with a brother on the subject of women participating in our Bible classes. He sees inconsistency in many congregations between Bible classes, in which women may read Scriptures, make comments, etc., and worship services, in which they are required to remain silent. He…

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Not Served by Human Hands

by Whit Sasser The Bible says in Acts 17:25, “nor is he (God) served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” The one, true, living God is not served by hands as the idol priests had to do — providing upkeep and…

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How do you submit to a corrupt government?

Question: Hello, I appreciate your Biblically sound responses. As I observe the turmoil our nation is experiencing right now my thoughts are continually on the following topics: submitting to government authority even though we may not like what is happening with all the corruption and dishonesty because God has established governments for a reason and…

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To Affect Change

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/To-Affect-Change.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 2:13-17   I.         Peter talked about our relationship to the government – I Peter 2:13-17             A.        Submission to the government is an involuntary action. Most of us do not have opportunities to chose which government we wish to live under. Even with choice, we will always be under some…

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The Many Forms of Patience

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/The-Many-Forms-of-Patience.mp3 Text: II Timothy 2:23-26   I.         The example of Job             A.        Job understood that there is no arguing with the Creator of the universe – Job 9:1-4             B.        But in his frustrations with his friends’ insistence that he sinned, he wanted to argue his case – Job 23:1-7             C.        In this Job was wrong, but we find him…

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Do women have no moral or spiritual authority over their husbands?

Question: Hello, I have a Bible question about the roles of men and ladies in the Bible. I heard some say that ladies cannot have moral and spiritual authority over their husbands or men, but does that include a wife saying to her husband, “let’s go for drinks or an ice cream,” or if the…

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Should I marry a woman who refuses to submit to me?

Question: Hi, How are you? I am a born again, 28-year-old young man. I have read many of your posts, and I find them very helpful and always in line with the word of God. I have a bit of a challenge. I have my girlfriend, who I have been in a relationship with for…

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When God Washed Men’s Feet

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/WhenGodWashedMensFeet.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 13:1-17 I.         Jesus’ mission was drawing to a conclusion             A.        It was the night that Jesus would be betrayed             B.        Judas had already made a deal with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus             C.        Jesus had gathered with his disciples to eat one last Passover meal and to give them final instructions…

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How does “live as people who are free” fit with submission?

Question: I wanted some clarification on what Peter says in I Peter 2:16. What does Peter mean when he says “Live as people who are free”? The context throws me off a bit because he’s talking about being submissive to authority. Answer: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king…

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What Does I Corinthians 11:3 Teach About the Role of Women?

by T. Doy Moyer Guardian of Truth – February 2, 1995 I Corinthians 11 has been surrounded by controversy due to the teaching about the covering. It is not the purpose or scope of this article to try to expound a pro or con position on the covering today. Women do need to carefully study the…

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What Does Submission Look Like?

by Doy Moyer “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Imagine a person whose normal mode is to run red lights (maybe we don’t have to imagine so much). He runs this light and the next one, but then comes upon a red light and sees a…

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Imitating God

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015Spring6ImitatingGod.mp3 by Jonathan Perz Spreading the Gospel

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How do you humble yourself in front of the Lord?

Question: How do you humble yourself in front of the Lord? Answer: To be humble is the opposite of being prideful. A prideful man only listens to his own desires. He acts in accord with his own wishes. “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the…

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Submission

Submission – Part 1Submission – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.         How you perceive something often depends on your approach.             A.        Let me illustrate: A business man was interviewing applicants for the position of divisional manager. He asked each applicant the simple question, “What is two and two?” The first interviewee was a journalist. His answer…

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Ruling with Love

by Irven Lee via Truth Magazine, January 1, 1981 An elder is to be “one that ruleth well his own family, having his children in subjection with all gravity; for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?” (I Timothy 3:4-5). The elder…

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Why is it so bad to disobey God?

Question: Hi, I have a question. I know sin means to disobey God or to break His law, but I was wondering, why is it so bad to disobey Him? And why was it so bad that Adam and Eve decided to disobey God? Couldn’t God have let it go and let them do what…

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Doesn’t telling children to obey their parents enable abusers?

Question: I completely disagree that you would teach obeying parents to children or people at your church.  Honor does not mean “obey” and if a child or adult is being abused by their parent, they should not obey. You may want to rephrase your messages on your website unless you are enabling abusers within your congregation. Answer: See: Do…

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Do you have to submit to an unqualified elder?

Question: Should members of the church be submissive to the elders even though the elders do not meet the qualifications? There are five elders and four of them are not qualified due to the following: widower, children not faithful, etc. Answer: When someone says they don’t want to be submissive, the implication is that they…

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Should women submit to female leaders in the church?

Question: I am a young woman. I was wondering, what do you think about women having to submit to female leadership or authority within the church? I feel at times that this is not something that is strictly required or expressed in words, but this is something that on more or less, silently, at least…

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Should a government that taxes its citizens at 99% be followed?

Question: Do you think that Christians should obey the tax law, even if the rules required that taxpayers must donate 99% of their income in taxes? Answer: This is a facetious hypothetical argument. The implication is that if the answer will object in the extreme, then it is justified to reject the point when it…

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Is honoring another person’s request submission?

Question: Good morning.  I was reading your web page on submission.  I am trying to find out more about submission and I have a specific scenario and I am wondering if you can help me. My boyfriend and I had an argument this morning about submission.  We are in a committed relationship and seeking God’s will…

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Give It Up!

by David Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 3, Jan. 16, 2009. Toward the end of WWII, it was obvious to everyone that the Japanese empire was on its last legs. It was only a matter of time before the Japanese would be beaten. But, with a strict code of honor and battle, most Japanese…

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Should Wives Call Their Husbands “Lord”?

by Sam Stinson “For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening” (I Peter 3:5-6, ESV). Someone suggested that if…

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Are women less than men?

Question: Are women less than men? Because the Bible says it’s disgraceful for a woman to talk in the church. Seems like she’s something dirty. Answer: I wonder about the question because I don’t believe you think your mother or any other woman is inferior. It leaves me with the conclusion that you don’t want…

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