We are once again back with one of the longest-used sources here at Christianity 201, Kevin Rogers who writes at The Orphan Age. Kevin is a pastor in Windsor, which is a Canadian word meaning Detroit East. (Not really.) Click the title which follows to read this where it first appeared last week.
Understand The ‘S’ Word
Do you know about the ‘S’ word? The one that some people have a hard time with. It is the word ‘submission’.
When people tell you that they follow no-one but Jesus, they need to consider that Jesus grew by learning obedience to his parents, by learning to serve the customers in the family business and the teachers in Nazareth. In learning submission and servanthood, he discovered the true nature of Father God.
To be careful and selective about whom you follow is necessary to grow in wisdom and authority.
When we talk about submission, we need to understand what it is and what it is not.
Keep in mind that many Greek words have different meanings based on their context. It is no different in English. I may submit a proposal or submit to a search before boarding a plane. Words take on different meanings based on how they are used.[1]
What does submit mean to you? And what does God ask of us in the context of human servanthood and submission?
There are six Greek words that are used in the New Testament for the word submit or subjection.
The word most commonly translated submit or subjection is hupotasso. Hupotasso is a military term used to signify a surrender on a battlefield. Its’ non-military usage is different.
It can mean any of the following depending on context:
- Arrange under
- Yield to admonition or advice.
- Obey [2]
Submission in the New Testament is not the blind obedience of military command, and this is never used as a model of church leadership.
Hupotasso, as it relates to members of the church interacting with each other is “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden.”[3]
Here are some verses that use hupotasso.
Hebrews 12:9 “Besides, we have experienced discipline from our earthly fathers, and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life?”
Romans 10:3 “For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”
Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God.
1Peter 5:5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
James 4:7 “So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
The world will know you have been with Jesus when you have learned obedience and submission the same way he did. Let’s voluntarily cooperate, take responsibility, and bear the burden that a disciple is known by.
Your submission will be evidence of whom you are with.
[1] https://coveringandauthority.com/covering-and-apostolic-authority/difficult-questions-about-covering-and-authority/biblical-submission/
[2] https://coveringandauthority.com/covering-and-apostolic-authority/difficult-questions-about-covering-and-authority/biblical-submission/
[3] https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/5293.html
Second (and third) helping: In two more recent articles from April 22 and April 26 this year, Kevin looks at the practice known in the church as “laying on of hands.” If you commonly thought of this phrase, as I did, more in terms of someone being set apart for ministry service, you’ll find this examination of the phrase in a Levitical context in the second article most interesting, and you just might, in the last paragraph, see a connection between the two meanings.
Worship song: Although Kevin used “submission” as the “S” word, I kept thinking about “surrender.” Click here for the song I Surrender by Hillsong.
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