Spiritual Disciplines Course

Kingdom Relationships Course.

Lesson Nine : A Husband’s Relationship To His Wife (CSG facilitator and leader’s copy)

WELCOME SECTION: Warmly welcome all the people and ask everyone to introduce

(20 mins) Themselves. Ask all the women in the group what they look

for in a good husband and all the men how they think they can

be the best husband.

WORSHIP SECTION : The worship leader should select songs about the God’s

(30 Mins) love as a husband to his Church (the bride)….

Suggested songs are: Come on and celebrate, His banner over

Me is love, I love You Jesus (Deep down), The Power of His

Love.

Allow for the operation of the gifts (prophecy, new song etc.)

WORD SECTION : The facilitator should take the group through the attached

(60 mins) Lesson. Get different people to read through the sections

and any Bible Verses. Stop to discuss as prompted allowing

everyone to get involved (drawing in the quieter ones). If

the discussion is going off track bring it back to the main

topic. Be conscious of the time and pace yourself.

If there are any practical excercises take time to discuss the

Lessons learnt in conjuction with the lesson theme and don’t

allow too much wasted time.

When you’ve finished the lesson have a time of praying

For the husbands represented in this group.

WORKS SECTION : Pray outwards for unsaved friends , for your neighbourhoods

(10 mins) to have revival, for Singapore as a whole and even for our

missions work in China etc..and other pressing prayer needs.

Close with offering and benediction. Go and eat…..

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Kingdom Relationships Course.

Lesson Nine : A Husband’s Relationship to his wife (CSG member’s copy)

Read together Ephesians 5:22-33 and discuss the following questions…

(1) What is the key word describing a husband’s responsibility to his wife ? Discuss..

(2) What is the position from which this love is demonstrated ? (v23)

(3) “When a man loves his wife from any other position than headship, it is not love but sentimentalism. But headship without love is tyranny” – Discuss.

Discuss the following few sentences… (ask one member to read it out)

“The husband loves his wife when he assumes responsibility for her before God. The headship of the husband is very clear in the Scriptures. This is not inequality any more than the Father and the Son are unequal (see 1 Corinthians 11:3). Subordination is not the same as inequality. The Father and the Son are one in substance, but for the purpose of redemption there is an order – the Father sent the Son, the Son sent the Spirit. Husbands and wives are equal before God. Sometimes wives are superior in their abilities, but n Scripture God has established a Divine order.”

In Genesis 2:18, what term did God use to describe a wife’s relationship to her husband ?

In view of this, what implications does this suggest concerning a man’s relationship with his wife ? DISCUSS.

In the passage we read earlier (Ephesians 5:22-33), what greater relationship is reflected by that of a husband and a wife (v23) ? Husband = ? Wife = ?

When Jesus took the Church as His Bride He gave her and exalted status and treats her according to that status and not according to her blemishes and faults. What does this suggest to you concerning the relationship between a husband and his wife ? DISCUSS (this does not mean Jesus overlooks all the faults and shortcomings of the Church).

What does he do (verses 26-27) ? What does Jesus mean by verse 28 ? DISCUSS.

What did Jesus do for the Church to demonstrate His love fore her ? (verse 25)

Jesus made the supreme sacrifice for the Church when He went to the Cross for her. Husbands are to model their relationship to their wives upon this example. They must put themselves last and their wives first. They must be prepared to die for their wives. In the Greek New Testament there are 3 words that may be translated as “love” – (1) ‘eros’ = sexual love; (2) “philo” = sentimental love, feeling , affection; (3) “agape” = sacrificial, self-denying love. Which love is Paul referring to here ? Why ?

Give some examples of how a man may demonstrate this love for his wife. DISCUSS.

In dying for the Church and rising again Jesus incorporated His Bride into Himself as His Body. So too, when a man is married, his wife becomes one flesh with him. He is to take care for her as his own body. In verse 29 what is the meaning of the tow words “nourishes” and “cherishes” ? (you may need a Bible commentary)….DISCUSS.

Discuss the following….

(i) What is a Christian man’s spiritual obligation to an unsaved wife ?

(ii) Discuss the role of a Christian husband in the following areas – spiritually, materially, emotionally, physically.

Summary: Jesus submitted Himself to the role of a husband to an imperfect, even unfaithful wife. He does not deal with the Church after her sins, but loves her and washes her from all her blemishes. He sees what she is going to become, perfect, and treats her as such. This is the pattern for Christian husbands. As Jesus is totally committed to the Church, so a husband must never go back on his covenant with his wife, in spite of all her faults. He must provide for her material needs, meet her emotional needs, fulfill his conjugal responsibilities and minister to her spiritually. How must be willing to lay down his life for her.

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