by Max Maxwell
All Rights Reserved.
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John: I suppose so.
Socrates: This God-given male authority is quite unique indeed.
John: Why do you say that?
Socrates: All other authorities require some form of knowledge or skill in order to function. But a husband’s authority over his wife appears to be the only authority that comes into play when ignorance and triviality dominate the decision under question.
John: However, I don’t think a husband’s authority is ignorant or trivial.
Socrates: But what is the basis of the doctor's authority? Isn't it true that a doctor must have a sound knowledge of medicine and possess a variety of skills pertaining to diagnosis and treatment? Do not these constitute the basis of a doctor’s authority?
John: Yes.
Socrates: And is not the basis of a police officer's authority, the knowledge and skills that enable him or her to do this job according to the specifications of the law?
John: Yes.
Socrates: But a male's authority as a husband does not require any knowledge or skills?
John: Not in this way, no.
Socrates: It looks like a husband’s authority over his wife apparently requires a circumstance in which there is either mutual ignorance, where there is no decisive knowledge, or triviality, where no knowledge or skill is needed.
John: That seems to be true.
Socrates: Then are ignorance and triviality the basis for a Christian man's authority over his wife?
Paul: Hold on! I have been listening to you two babble about a husband's authority long enough. You talk like a man needs to go to a trade school in order to be a husband. It is not true that a man’s God-given authority requires no knowledge or skill in order to function. A man needs a knowledge of the Bible and a knowledge of God in order to exercise authority over his wife. Ignorance and triviality are not the basis of a man’s authority over a woman. The Bible and almighty God are the basis of his authority!
Socrates: Well now! This may be just the thing we are looking for. In our quest to find the jurisdiction of a man’s authority over his wife, I have been very puzzled by the apparent lack of knowledge and skill pertaining to this authority. But there is one thing I would like to understand. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?
Paul: You go right ahead.
Socrates: If you were to ask me in what area the knowledge of medicine applied, I would say it applied to the care and health of the human body. If you wanted to know in what area the knowledge of carpentry applied, I would tell you it applied to working with wood. In the same way, I want you to tell me in what area the knowledge of God applies.
Paul: The Holy Spirit cannot be contained by your categories. The knowledge of the Lord is the knowledge of life.
Socrates: But when it comes to the issue of decision making, which is central to our discussion of authority, who will be more able to make decisions pertaining to architectural design? Will it be a fisherman with a knowledge of God or an architect with a knowledge of architecture?
Paul: The architect.
Socrates: And who will make better decisions on the piloting of a ship, a godly banker or a ship’s captain?
Paul: A ship's captain.
Socrates: Now tell me; in what area does the knowledge of God apply to help a man make better decisions?
Paul: The knowledge of God helps us in our spiritual lives. It helps us to make godly decisions.
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© Copyright 2008 Kenneth J. Maxwell Jr.