Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 9
Chantel vows, “I happily choose to submit to your authority,” and later the couple is charged to “fear God, and keep His commandments”; how do those statements sit with modern evangelical instincts about freedom, equality, and “not being legalistic,” and what fears or objections rise up in you when you hear them?
Another way to ask: Chantel vows to submit to her husband’s authority, and they’re told to fear God and keep His commandments. How do those ideas fit or clash with today’s views on freedom, equality, and “not being legalistic,” and what worries you about them?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
In the transcript, submission and obedience are presented as willing, joyful choices made “in the presence of God,” not as shameful control or empty rule-keeping. That can challenge modern instincts that equate freedom with having no authority over you and equate commandments with “legalism.”
- Chantel frames submission as voluntary: “I happily choose to submit to your authority.”
- She pairs it with respect and care: “to respect and cherish you… I promise to care for you… and serve you and our family.”
- Bruce’s vows highlight unconditional love and provision, suggesting authority is not harsh domination: “I promise to care for you… provide for you… Above all else, I will love you unconditionally.”
- The officiant’s charge sets a higher authority over both: “live in peace, fear God, and keep His commandments.”
- The whole ceremony is explicitly God-centered: “Today, in the presence of God…,” and “May the God… bless this union.”