The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Submission

The_Saint,<br><br>There is nothing, at least that I can find, in Scripture that requires a woman or a man, to allow a spouse to physically abuse them. Submission does not include physical abuse. As MHeath pointed to the passage in 1Cor 7, which reads:<blockquote>1 Corinthians 7:10-11 (ASV) But unto the married I give charge, [yea] not I, but the Lord, That the wife depart not from her husband (but should she depart, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband); and that the husband leave not his wife.</blockquote>it seems to me that Paul is making a sharp distinction between "leaving" and "divorcing". Since I hold that biblical divorce is allowed for the sin of adultery and of desertion only, physical abuse would not constitute a valid reason for a woman living in the situation you described (or living anywhere else, for that matter) to divorce her husband. However, I do believe that a woman living in that situation would be justified in fleeing to safety. She would still be under the authority of her husband, but that authority does not include physically abusing his wife and/or children. The same would apply should the wife be the abuser.<br><br>We are to obey our parents, spouse, government, employer, etc..... "as unto the Lord". This submission and respect does NOT allow or demand that we obey those in authority when their demands if obeyed would require us to sin. Allowing anyone to brutalize us is hardly being a good steward of our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.<br><br>In His Grace,