What does First B Jackson teach about submission?
Drawn from the messages where it was actually addressed: the words said from the front, the passages taught, and where to hear the whole thing.
At First B Jackson, the teaching on submission begins not with a command but with an identity. In the most recent message in this series, the point was made plainly that the instructions Paul gives in Ephesians 5 and 6 only make sense when you already know who you are in Christ. The blessings catalogued in the early chapters of Ephesians, chosen before creation, adopted, sealed, guaranteed an inheritance, are the foundation. Without that grounding, the practical commands can sound like a wagging finger.
The hinge verse the teaching keeps returning to is Ephesians 5:21, mutual submission in the fear of Christ. In the most recent message, Pastor Van spent time on the Greek grammar, noting that the verb is either middle voice, meaning I do this because it benefits me, or passive voice, meaning I open myself to God doing this in me. Either way it is a command, and it governs everything that follows for wives and husbands, children and parents, and slaves and masters. In the 2017 messages, both Pastor Scott and Florin made the same point working through Colossians 3: the Greek for the command to wives is present tense and middle voice, meaning it is voluntary and ongoing, not something forced from outside. And the command to husbands carries the same habitual weight. Florin's observation about husbands was direct: a man who loves his wife the way Christ loves the church is not a hard man to submit to, and when he does not, he is.
The teaching at First B Jackson on submission to church leaders comes from a 2020 message by Pastor Ray through Hebrews 13:17. He was careful to note that the word translated obey in that verse comes from a Greek root related to faith and persuasion, not brute compliance. The idea is being persuaded of what is true, with the Holy Spirit working from inside and the preacher speaking from outside, both moving in the same direction. Submission to leaders, he said, is yielding to what is demonstrably biblical, not to a personality or an office alone, and he acknowledged that the passage has been misused to keep people in line in dangerous situations. The accountability runs both ways: those who keep watch over souls will give an account for how faithfully they delivered what God said.
Taught from Ephesians 5:18-21 · Ephesians 5:22 · Ephesians 5:25 · Colossians 3:18-4:1 · Hebrews 13:17
The passage taught · 1 Timothy 2
1 I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men:
2 for kings and all who are in high places; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;
4 who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.
World English Bible
The messages that teach on it
- June 7, 2026 Submitting to One Another in the Fear of Christ Pastor Van walks through Ephesians 5, exploring what mutual submission looks like for husbands, wives, children, parents, and workers who follow Christ.
- March 8, 2020 Be Persuaded by Those Leading You Hebrews 13:17 explored verse by verse: what Scripture actually says about obeying church leaders, why it matters, and what it costs the leaders themselves.
- March 19, 2017 Straight Down the Middle of the Plate Florin walks through Colossians 3:18-4:1, exploring what Scripture says to wives, husbands, children, fathers, employees, and employers about serving Christ in daily life.
- March 19, 2017 Play Your Part in the Band Colossians 3:18-4:1 lays out plain commands for wives, husbands, children, fathers, and workers. Pastor explores what it looks like to live these out faithfully in Christ.
Mentioned along the way
- March 11, 2015 Filled with the Spirit Deborah teaches what it truly means to be filled with the Holy Spirit, drawing from Ephesians 5 to explore three visible signs: a new song, thankfulness, and a submissive spirit.