Greek Word of the Week

Hupotasso-(5293) from hupo, under and tasso, to place in order, together they mean to place under according to the order established. Unfortunately due to cultural and political views the English translation is submission instead of the real definition. Hupotasso was a military term that meant soldiers acted in accordance to the ranking system under which they served. A general made decisions and the colonel followed those decisions but the colonel could make lesser decisions and pass them on to the major and so on and so forth. A soldier respects the rank of higher ranking officers and takes orders trusting the general knows what he is doing. In the same way Paul and others use this word. The centurion in Matthew 8:5 illustrates hupotasso telling Jesus not to come to his house but to just say the word and his servant would be healed. The centurion explained that just as he commanded troops below him in rank so could Jesus. If we understand how God set up the order of authority, we have the choice to place ourselves in that order or be rebellious. If we accept that order we are trusting God, not man for the outcome. In the church God placed elders and apostles over the churches themselves. Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13:1-4 show believers who waited until the leaders of the church sent them out instead of appointing themselves and thumbing their noses at God's order. Diotrephes in 3 John however shows the resistance of hupotasso choosing to reject the apostles and elders in Jerusalem in favor of his own authority. In Ephesians 5:22 and Colossians 3:18 Paul tells wives to be "hupotasso" to their husbands. Here Paul is not saying wives are to be mindless slaves or to obey everything their husbands tell them to. Instead Paul is saying that a wife who recognizes her husband was placed as the head of the family, has the final decision and if she defies his decision because it isn't what she wanted to do she has stepped outside of the order God set up. It is interesting that Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3 that if her husband is disobedient to scripture she is to win him with her respectful behavior. If however he orders her to do something that is contrary to God's standards such as prostitution, abusing children, murder etc. She can respectfully refuse to do so. Esther is a good example of this. She knew she had to defy her husband's degree in order to save her people but she did it in a respectful way. In addition to wives, scripture talks about our behavior to authority within the church and to government. In 1 Peter 2:13 Peter says that we are to be "hupotasso" to every governing body because God said so. God doesn't give us an out if we dislike the governing ruler. As long as they don't require us to do anything against God we are to place ourselves under its authority. The same is true of elders and pastors. 1 Peter 5:1-5 tells us that younger men are to be "hupotasso" to the elders. Unfortunately this has been translated as older men but the context is about elders and elders were supposed to be older men in the faith as well as chronologically. God set them up to lead the church. They were to have a vision for the church and to feed the church, by equipping them for that vision. In many cases sheep stray on various things and a shepherd has to bring them back in. Resisting their authority is resisting their God given responsibility to protect and feed us. Lastly Ephesians 5:23 and 1 Peter 5:5 makes the statement to be "hupotasso" to each other. If we are given an order by God of authority whether it be parents, bosses, teachers, mentors, heads of ministries etc., we are to accept that order instead of complaining and being rebellious. This attitude then allows God to work in us so that we accept His authority most of all. If an individual is rebellious to elders and pastors, to government, parents, husbands and bosses then how will they be willing to accept God's authority? This little word has a big meaning that shows both spiritual maturity and deep faith.