“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
— Ephesians 5:32
At a time when violence against women is at an all-time high, and femicide rates continue to rise, it’s vital that we revisit the spiritual teachings and doctrines that have contributed to the systemic disempowerment of women. Among these teachings, one of the most misinterpreted and misused is found in Ephesians 5, where women are urged to “submit” to their husbands, often framed as a divine command for women to be subjugated to men.
But what if this wasn’t the message intended? What if the submission Paul spoke of was never about women obeying men but about the spiritual union of consciousness and imagination, the marriage of thought and feeling?
Through the teachings of Neville Goddard, we find a powerful reinterpretation of these scriptures—a mystical understanding that restores personal power, equality, and spiritual sovereignty to all individuals, regardless of gender.
The Spiritual Metaphor: Husband as Awareness, Wife as Assumption
Neville Goddard’s interpretation of scripture is grounded in the belief that the Bible is a metaphysical text, a guide to understanding the power of imagination and the laws of manifestation. In his teachings, the husband represents your awareness of being—the “I AM” that underpins all your thoughts, beliefs, and actions. The wife represents the assumption—the state of being that you choose to embody, whether it’s a desire fulfilled or a goal realised.
To Neville, Ephesians 5 doesn’t imply women’s submission to men. Rather, it describes the sacred union between awareness (the husband) and imagination (the wife). When these two elements merge—when our assumptions are in alignment with our awareness—we create new realities.
“Your awareness is the husband; your assumption, the wife. When they are joined, life is born.”
— Neville Goddard
In this interpretation, the “submission” we see in scripture is not about obedience to an external figure, but about surrendering to the divine power within—surrendering to your own creative imagination and aligning it with the awareness of your true potential.
“Wives, Submit to Your Husbands” — A Misused Verse Reimagined
Ephesians 5:22–24
“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord... Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”
Neville's interpretation of this verse invites us to see the wife not as a literal woman, but as the assumed state—the feeling of the wish fulfilled. The husband, in turn, represents the power of your awareness—your “I AM.” In this context, submission is the alignment of your thoughts and beliefs with the divine potential within you.
To “submit” is to surrender your doubts and fears and embrace your highest imagined state. This isn’t about obedience—it’s about alignment with your own divine nature.
“Husbands, Love Your Wives...” — The True Meaning of Devotion
Ephesians 5:25
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”
Neville Goddard interprets this passage as a call to immerse yourself in your desires with complete devotion. The “husband,” which represents your awareness, must not only be present but also love and nurture the assumption of the desired state.
“Dwell in the end. Love it with all your heart. That is the marriage.”
— Neville Goddard
When you “love” your assumption—when you believe it with all your being—you align your imagination (wife) and awareness (husband) to create the desired reality. This is the sacred marriage: the union of feeling and belief, the manifestation of your desires.
The Great Mystery: Christ and the Church, Not Man and Woman
Ephesians 5:32
“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
Paul reveals the true mystery of Ephesians 5—not the relationship between husband and wife, but the union between Christ (the creative power of your awareness) and the church (the soul, your assumptions, and beliefs).
Neville Goddard taught that Christ is your I AM—the divine, creative force within you. The church represents the soul's imagination, the state of being that aligns with the I AM. The true “submission” is between your awareness and your imagination. It is not about external hierarchy; it is about the internal alignment of consciousness and belief.
How This Restores Dignity and Equality
The misuse of these scriptures has, unfortunately, contributed to cultural and religious practices that subjugate women and reduce their value to their role as obedient wives. But Neville Goddard’s mystical interpretation reminds us that no one is less than another. Every individual—whether male or female—has the power to unite awareness and imagination to bring about transformation.
“You are both male and female in your spiritual being. When your assumption and your awareness are joined, you become God in expression.”
— Neville Goddard
In a world where violence against women is rampant, and femicide is at an all-time high, we must turn away from interpretations of scripture that promote domination, inequality, and submission. The true teaching of the bride and bridegroom—of husband and wife—is about the sacred partnership of awareness and imagination, not a gendered hierarchy.
Conclusion: From Subjugation to Empowerment
The rise in violence against women and femicide is a tragic consequence of deeply ingrained cultural systems that misinterpret spiritual and religious teachings. When scriptures like Ephesians 5 are misused to justify submission, they perpetuate cycles of oppression and inequality.
But Neville Goddard offers a way out—a path of empowerment and liberation for all. When we understand the Bible as a metaphysical text, we can reclaim its true meaning—one that honours every individual’s divine potential and invites each of us to align our imagination with our awareness to create the lives we desire.
You are not meant to submit to another. You are meant to marry your imagination to your awareness, and manifest your divine potential.
“You marry your desire by living in the end. You are both bride and bridegroom.”
— Neville Goddard
As we awaken to the truth of our own creative power, we can begin to break down the walls of oppression and create a world where all people—regardless of gender—are free to express their divine nature and live with dignity and equality.
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