Depending on how it’s used, who says it, and what they mean, “submission” can be anything from dirty and disgusting to offensive and oppressive. Or, perhaps, even beautiful.

I saw mutual submission as required for marriage, and I believe that it was the strongest measure of what I could do: I give of myself to her, and I honor her, by esteeming her heritage, her culture, her family, by taking her last name.

Mark and I never meant to become egalitarians, at least not until we discovered we already were. This is the story of the long, winding road to recognize and gratefully celebrate that we are egalitarians. In retrospect, we were on that journey from the very first.

Marriage and friendship aren’t in competition. They aren’t two separate concepts on opposite sides of space, racing against each other to cross the finish line. They’re interconnected and intertwined, constantly intersecting to reveal a breathtaking paradigm of mutuality. 

Whenever I hear the word “submission” I am immediately transported back to my childhood home. We were staunchly rooted in a conservative, Christian tradition, and my family prided itself on having a high view of Scripture. There were a number of beliefs affected by this high view of Scripture (which, for the record…

Sometimes we are vague about what submission means, but feel strongly that there is hierarchy in marriage and that it is of utmost importance. The apostle Paul’s letters are often the basis of these teachings. Yet, is Paul advocating hierarchy in marriage, or is he encouraging mutuality?

If Peter was not supporting slavery or patriarchy, but instead calling Christians to live above reproach, how can we make sense of these verses today?

Recently, CBE lost a dear friend and a most gifted intellectual, John Kohlenberger III, after a thirteen-year battle with cancer. A humble but brilliant scholar, John published over sixty study Bibles and reference books.