Submission: The Church Rule We Subconsciously Deconstructed?

In this episode of No Hard Feelings, Jessica, Emily, and Kristen tackle the loaded word submission in Christian culture. What did Paul really mean in Ephesians 5? How has the concept been shaped by history, purity culture, and translation choices? And is submission a word worth redeeming—or should we let it go?

We explore:

• The Greek word kephalē (head, source, origin) and how translation choices influence theology.

• Historical context: Roman household codes, women’s legal status, and why Paul’s words may have been countercultural.

• Women in the early church: Phoebe (Romans 16:1–2), Priscilla (Acts 18:26), and Lydia (Acts 16:14–15) as leaders and patrons.

• Industrial Revolution & Victorian ideals: how cultural shifts reinforced gendered hierarchies.

• Modern reframing: mutual submission as respect, humility, and partnership rather than hierarchy.

• Contemporary concerns: #MeToo, Doug Wilson’s public comments, and the church’s ongoing debates about women’s leadership.

References & Links

• Margaret Mowczko on Ephesians 5 and mutual submission: https://margmowczko.com/pauls-main-point-in-eph-5_22-33/

• Christianity Today on Genesis 3:16 translation debates: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/02/esv-update-genesis-316-gender-submission-desire-contrary-what-women-want/

• John Townsend & Henry Cloud, Boundaries