Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

5:21-6:9 Submission to One Another. Verse 21 is transitional, connecting with the previous section and leading to what follows. Submission is illustrated in various family relations in 5:22-33 (wives/husbands), 6:1-4 (children/parents), and 6:5-9 (slaves/masters). See also Col. 3:18-25.

5:21 Submission in General. Grammatically, "submitting" is a participle in Greek and is dependent on the verb in v. 15. It explains further how to walk in wisdom (vv. 15-21 are one long sentence in Gk.). It also states a general principle of submission, which is illustrated in 5:22-6:9. Absolute "mutual submission" is popular today, particularly where egalitarian philosophies are the rule. But what Paul meant by submitting "to one another" is explained through the particular examples of family relations (5:22-6:4), so it is likely that submitting to one another means "submitting to others according to the authority and order established by God," as reflected in the examples that Paul gives in the following verses.