Ambrose Ho_
Deductive Study Sheet
Topic: Submission
Go to www.blueletterbible.com or www.biblestudytools.com or www.biblegateway.com and type in your topic.
If you get a large number,try and narrow it down by testament or book. Keep in mind that the things done in the Old
Testament may not be prescriptive for us today because we now live under the new covenant
(Hebrews 8).
Write out the 7 most applicable
verses to your topic below.
Romans 8:7 “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does
not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.”
Hebrews 12:9 “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us
and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to
the Father of spirits and live!”
Job 22:21 ““Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this
way prosperity will come to you.”
Proverbs 3:6 “in all your ways submit to him, and he
will make your paths straight.”
Romans 10:3 “Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought
to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s
righteousness.”
Ephesians 5:21 “Submit to one another out of reverence for
Christ.”
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you.”
What are some key words/phrases/ or ideas being stated?
I searched the term “submit” in the
Bible Gateway website, and it brought me to several verses that all had the
theme of submission. Some described physical submission, such as Israel’s
bondage to Assyria. However, the general theme was that of submission to others
and to God, and how it must be total. This is especially evident in Romans 8:7,
as Paul states that “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does
not submit to God’s law.” Also, the consequences of submission
are described, as Job tells of the prosperity that submission will bring, and
James says submission to God can help one resist the devil.
Make some conclusions a bout this topic based upon the themes/words and
phrases you found.
Submission
to God is a large part of worship. A hymn that I have recently learned is Trust and Obey, where one of the lines
reads “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus—but to
trust and obey.” Submission to God as a ruler and master must always be
present, and it will bring about changes in one’s lifestyle. This includes the
provision of earthly needs, as stated in Job, and the correction of morals and
behavior, as stated in Proverbs 3:6. Also, submission seems to be a criterion
of treating other people, as Ephesians says that we should “submit to one
another” out of respect for God.
Are
there other gray areas, remaining questions you have about this topic that the Bible does not address?
There
are a few gray areas, especially when the Bible talks about obeying rulers. In
Hebrews 13:17, Paul speaks of the need to obey all earthly rulers, as they are
appointed by God. Apparently, submission to rulers will allow them to rule in a
more effective way. While this is true, one cannot help but wonder about all
the leaders on Earth who have done a terrible job of managing their people. The
dictators of North Korea come to mind, as do the despots of colonialism and the
medieval ages. Perhaps it is the flawed nature of human behavior, but it does
not seem prudent to be completely submissive to a human ruler.
Based on your knowledge of other areas of the Bible and the life of Jesus what do you think the Bible would say to fill in the gray
areas?
I think there is an
evident answer to my question, as many of these bad rulers were atheists or could
care less about religion. Obviously, there is no need to provide complete submission
to these people, given that they are oppressing and harming people. While
violence may not be a solution to get rid of these people, measures must surely
be taken to ensure the safety of their people. For example, the North Korean
prison camps must be liberated and the dictatorial leadership must be deposed
in one way or another. Additionally, it is impossible to think that Jesus would
condone such misery and suffering with no response, seeing as He was strongly
against the humiliation and submission of prostitutes, tax collectors, and
other “sinful” people.
What does the world say about this topic through t.v.,music, and movies? What are the implications
of those
statements/though ts?
Nowadays, the message that popular culture brings is that everyone
should have independence and a strong sense of self-worth. There is nothing wrong
with that viewpoint, and it is definitely more helpful than harmful. In fact,
it seems to be the kind of message that Jesus would condone, as it allows His
children to exemplify the traits that He provided them with. However, people
should be careful not to cross the line into arrogance, as it is likely that
this “self-worth” could lead to one becoming absorbed in their own matters, and
forgetting to submit to other’s needs. As such, we should try to strike a
balance between the two: independence and submissiveness in one package.