You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
21
Submitting yourselves[hupotasso] one to another[allelon] in
[en] the fear[phobos] of God.[theos] KJV-Interlinear
21 and be
subject to one another in the fear of Christ. NASB
The principle of authority is one of the fundamental concepts, and part of the foundation of Christianity.
Christianity is a relationship.
Christianity is a relationship with God through Christ. For without Christ there is no relationship. And therein lies the pattern for all relationships.
Authority and relationships are among the fundamental principles of Christianity.
And through these concepts, Paul is going to use the relationships between married couples, between parents and children, and between masters and slaves or workers, to demonstrate authority, obedience, and relationships that people should have among themselves, just as they are supposed to have with God.
And here he begins with the mandate, which is not an option, but a mandate that we as believers have for responsibilities and obligations in life, and regardless of whether we agree with them or not, we are to comply.
In life we all are authorities over someone, and we are all subordinates to someone. In both roles, we are to deal with our position with integrity and respect and fairness, and never abuse or misuse our position in order to take advantage or control over others.
Christianity dos not break up relationships in life, but rather it confirms and promotes relationships in order to make life better for everyone.
Being an authority does not entitle you to power without responsibility.
Being a subordinate does not make you a lesser person, either.
But both when combined, are intended to perpetuate and prosper society with the objective of promoting the all-important spiritual lives that we should all be pursuing.
Typically when people reject their spiritual lives, they also reject their roles in life and try to substitute their own version of how they see themselves. And that approach always leads to disaster.
