The command to be subject remains the same, but the sphere has changed once again. The family is now our focus, in particular, the relationship between wives and husbands. For the sake of our conversation this Sunday, I’d like to borrow a term from the late Voddie Baucham, Gospel Patriarchy, which emphasizes that male leadership is Christ-centered and sacrificial, modeled after Christ’s headship of the church.

Never forget the picture. Christ loves His bride, the church. And as the Head of the Church, He takes responsibility for things that He did not do, namely our sins. Shouldering that responsibility He laid His life down for the Bide He loves, so that she could be redeemed and sanctified through His sacrifice. That is our model, not the harsh authoritarianism with which we are so familiar.

We are going to work all this out today as we consider the Gospel Patriarchy from 1 Peter 3:1 - 7.