Husbands are to spiritually clean up their wives: Wife Spanking P/4

                                                      Read Part One HERE

In this post I continue to share from Larry Solomons's article "Does the Bible Allow A Husband To Spank His Wife?" taken from his website Biblical Gender Roles.

Larry Solomon: "Two Biblical Principles That Allow For Wife Spanking."

Larry Solomon: While the Bible does not specifically speak to wife spanking (either specifically allowing it or specifically condemning it) we must ask the question "Are there general principles of the Scriptures that would speak to this issue?" the answer is YES.

Principle #1 - Husbands Have a Right and Responsibility to Discipline their Wives.

Larry Solomon: The Bible tells us that husbands are the heads of their wives as "Christ is the head of the Church":

"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the Church; and He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore, as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." Ephesians 5:23-24 (KJV).

Larry Solomon: Not only are husbands the heads of their wives as Christ is the Head of the Church but God created marriage to model the relationship of Christ to His Church. Husbands are to model Christ's Headhip over his Church by loving their wives as Christ loves the Church. One of the primary ways in which Christ loves His Church is in His spiritual washing of her:

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it. That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5:25-27. (KJV)

Larry Solomon: This spiritual washing by Christ of the spots and wrinkles of His Church is discipline. Christ alludes to this same concept in the Book of Revelation after rebuking His seven Churches:

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent." Revelation 3:19 (KJV)

Larry Solomon: So it is clear from the Scriptures that if a husband is modeling the relationship of Christ to His Church with he wife, he has not only the right, but also the responsibility of spiritually disciplining his wife.

My Comment

The Bible tells us that husbands are "heads" of their wives as Christ is the Head of the Church in his role as Saviour of the Church. This is a scrificial function and not a rulership function. Likewise the function of any husband as "head" of his wife is a sacrificial function and not a rulership function.

As for any husband loving his wife, he is to love her, but he is not called to cleanse her by washing her with the word of God. That is a task only Christ can fulfill. Furthermore, as for any husband to spiritually discipline his wife, again that is the task of Christ and not of a husband. Moreover, as a believer, he is a part of the Church, part of the Bride of Christ, and is in need of being cleansed by the washing of the word which is done by Christ as well as being  spiritually disciplined by Him as we know from Hebrews 12:5-7.

P.S. In my next post I will continue to share on the topic "Two Principles That Allows For Wife Spanking" when I will share Principle #2 

Read Part Five HERE