06/24/2026
I’ve seen it said that a wife does not need to trust her husband because she is really trusting God, and that when she submits to her husband, she is submitting to God.
But I don’t believe Scripture supports that conclusion.
The Bible never equates a husband with God, nor does it teach that a husband’s authority overrides a wife’s discernment, conscience, or direct obedience to Christ.
In fact, Scripture repeatedly warns believers against placing ultimate trust in human beings.
“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation” (Psalm 146:3).
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength” (Jeremiah 17:5).
The consistent testimony of Scripture is that our trust belongs first and foremost to God—not to any human authority.
This is why Peter could say, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
That principle does not suddenly disappear in marriage.
If submission to a husband were identical to submission to God, there could never be a conflict between the two. Yet Scripture acknowledges that human authorities can be wrong. Kings can be wrong. Religious leaders can be wrong. Apostles can be challenged. Husbands can be wrong.
Paul wrote, “Test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
John warned believers, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits” (1 John 4:1).
Jesus said, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).
Those commands require discernment. God never asks His people to surrender wisdom or ignore evidence simply because someone holds a position of authority.
Sarah is often used as an example here, but Sarah’s story does not teach that Abraham was always trustworthy. Abraham twice placed Sarah in danger by claiming she was his sister rather than his wife (Genesis 12:10-20; Genesis 20:1-18). The lesson is not that Abraham’s judgment was beyond question. The lesson is that God remained faithful even when Abraham failed.
Sarah’s hope was in God, not in Abraham’s perfection.
And this is where I believe the argument becomes especially problematic.
If a wife is expected to follow a husband’s judgment even when he has demonstrated poor judgment, dishonesty, recklessness, abuse, spiritual immaturity, or a pattern of untrustworthy behavior, then the husband effectively becomes the filter through which she obeys God.
At that point, he is functioning as a mediator.
Yet Scripture explicitly says:
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Not Christ plus a husband.
Not Christ through a husband.
Christ alone.
A wife’s relationship with God is direct. Her access to God is direct. Her responsibility to obey God is direct.
This is one of the concerns I have repeatedly raised with hierarchical teachings. They often insist they are not placing husbands between wives and God, yet in practice they tell women to defer to a husband’s judgment even when he has proven himself untrustworthy.
But if a wife’s obedience to God must first pass through the approval, judgment, or direction of a fallible man, then that man has been placed in a position Scripture reserves for Christ.
The Bible never teaches that wives should suspend discernment, deny reality, or ignore broken trust. It never teaches that faith requires pretending someone is trustworthy when they have repeatedly demonstrated otherwise.
A wife can trust God while recognizing that a husband is not trustworthy. She can trust God while refusing to participate in sin. She can trust God while establishing boundaries against abuse. She can trust God while acknowledging reality. Faith is not denial. Discernment is not rebellion.
And no fallible man should ever occupy a place that belongs to Christ alone.
゚ ゚viralシ
