wives..let the adorning be of...the hidden man of the heart..the meek and quiet spirit which is of great price in the sight of God. 1Pet.3:1-4.
The wife is commanded to “love her husband” without the
added injunction “as Christ loved the church”.
Tit 2:3-4
Let the aged women likewise be in
reverent behavior, not slanderers, not enslaved by much wine, teachers
of good; that they may train the young women to love their
husbands, to love their children....
It would seem strange to tell a wife and mother to love her children and her husband. The word love for the husband is “agapao” but the word love for the wife is “phileo” and we quote Thayer again; “‘phileo’ = 1) to love, 1a) to approve of, 1b) to like, 1c) sanction, 1d) to treat affectionately or kindly, to welcome, befriend, 2) to show signs of love, 2a) to kiss, 3) to be fond of doing, and 3a) be wont, use to do”.
Wives have much work to do in the home ensuring their children grow up in a caring, accepting environment where affection is given and received. An emotionally secure home where children are approved, befriended and treated as companions is conducive to discipline and admonition with beneficial consequences and one in which the respect or fear of the Lord is seen in the respect given by the wife to the husband.
In the
same way the wife is to love her husband, she is to befriend him, to
demonstrate her regard for him, to share a homely kiss (yes, in front of
the children), to approve of his actions, to recommend him, to
participate with him in those things he enjoys, to be the help meet,
companion that she was designed to be. When a husband loves his wife
like Christ loved the church then a wife can so easily love him and
her children. Oh, and remember, her "love" is in submission.
Bisexual Wives?
Reverence husband
Jealous wives in a plural family?
Return to
Wives page