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Friday November 25
The head of the woman is the man (1 Cor. 11:3).
The husband is accountable to Jehovah and Jesus for how he treats his family (1 Pet. 3:7). Jehovah is head of his universal family, so he has the authority to set standards of conduct for his children and to enforce them (Isa. 33:22). Jesus is head of the Christian congregation, and also has the right to make rules and enforce them (Gal. 6:2; Col. 1:18-20). Like Jehovah and Jesus, the Christian householder has authority to make decisions that affect his family (Rom. 7:2; Eph. 6:4). However, his authority has limits. For example, his standards must be based on biblical principles (Prov. 3: 5, 6). Also, the head of a family has no authority to make rules for those who are not part of his family (Rom. 14:4). And, when his children grow up and become independent, they continue to respect him, but they are no longer under his authority (Matt. 19:5). w21.02 2, 3 pars. 3-5
Why did Jehovah establish the principle of authority?
The principle of authority is a gift from Jehovah to his family. Thanks to this principle, Jehovah's family functions in a peaceful and orderly manner (1 Cor. 14:33, 40). If it were not clear who has the authority, chaos would reign and no one would be happy. For example, no one would know who has the last word in making decisions or who should take the initiative in carrying them out.
According to Ephesians 5:25, 28, how does Jehovah want a man to treat his wife?
If the principle of authority established by God is such a good thing, why do so many women feel oppressed and dominated by their husbands? The reason is that many men ignore Jehovah's principles for the family and prefer to follow local customs and traditions. It may also be that they treat their wives badly to satisfy some selfish desire. For example, a man may dominate his wife to feel more important or to show that he is "a real man." Perhaps he thinks that although he can't force his wife to love him, he can make her fear him. Some use this fear to control their wives.b Clearly, this way of thinking and acting robs women of the dignity and respect they deserve. And, furthermore, it is totally against what Jehovah wants (read Ephesians 5:25, 28).
How can a man learn to be a good family head?
A man can learn to be a good householder by imitating the way Jehovah and Jesus exercise authority over him. Let's look at two of the qualities they display and see how householders can put them into practice when dealing with their spouse and children.
How does Jehovah show humility?
Humility. Jehovah is the wisest being that exists and, even so, he listens to the opinion of his servants (Gen. 18:23, 24, 32). He has even allowed suggestions from those under his authority (1 Kings 22:19-22). Although he is perfect, he doesn't expect us to be. Rather, he helps his servants, however imperfect, to do well (Ps. 113:6, 7). In fact, in the Bible, David told him, “You are the one who helps me” (Ps. 27:9; Heb. 13:6). He knew that everything he did he achieved only because Jehovah is humble and helped him (2 Sam. 22:36).
How did Jesus show humility?
Let's look at the example of Jesus. Although he was "Teacher and Lord" of his disciples, he was willing to wash their feet. What is one reason Jehovah wanted this account to be in the Bible? Without a doubt, it was to give a lesson in humility to all of us, including the heads of families. Jesus said: “I have given you an example so that you should do the same thing that I did to you” (John 13:12-17). Although he had a lot of authority, he did not expect them to serve him, but he served others (Matt. 20:28).
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