What Submission Means in the NT

PART 2

Last week, I wrote a blog on what the Bible teaches us about submission, explaining that submitting to leadership is far more than simply obeying a blanket command from those in authority. I argued that true submission involves at least four dimensions: 

1. Listening to the Word of God

2. Listening to the Spirit within

3. Listening to our own conscience

4. Listening to those to whom we submit (pastors, elders, mentors)

   

(And I would also add a healthy dose of common sense)

It was clear that the blog touched a nerve. I received far more responses—every one of them positive—than I normally do. Because of that, I want to continue the conversation.

Looking More Deeply at Hebrews 13:17 

One of the most commonly quoted verses on submission to leadership is Hebrews 13:17, but it is also one of the most misunderstood.  

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb 13:17). 

When people hear “obey your leaders and submit to them,” it can sound like a directive to follow leaders unquestioningly. But the author of Hebrews is doing something much more nuanced and relational than that. 

To paraphrase, he is asking these early Jewish believers not to make life difficult for those seeking with godly hearts to lead the flock in the right direction. There are always those who will question leadership on just about everything. He is not saying we should never question leadership or blindly follow instructions that go against common sense—for example, if a leader told you to jump off a bridge, your common sense would tell you that's unwise.

What “Obey” Really Means: The Word Peithō 

The first word translated “obey” is peithesthe, from the verb peithō. This does not mean blind obedience. Its core meaning is “be persuaded” or “allow yourself to be convinced.” The idea is that you trust your leaders because their lives, character, and shepherding posture naturally persuade you.

This isn’t coercion. It’s a relational openness. It is the kind of response you give to someone whose life matches their message and whose service reflects Messiah’s heart.

What “Submit” Really Means: The Word Hypeikō 

The second word, “submit,” is hypeikete. This word is rare in the New Testament and does not carry the force of hierarchical command. It means “yield,” “give way,” or “defer.” It describes a willing posture of trust, not a forced subjugation. 

Submit in English is stronger than in Greek. In the English language it carries overtones such as: 

• unquestioning obedience

• hierarchical dominance

• passivity

• suppression of one’s own judgment

• external force or coercion

  
  

But the Greek words do not automatically carry these connotations. Greek submission is largely voluntary, relational, and purpose-driven. 

Ironically, in Hebrew—where I am much more at home—there is no direct 1:1 Hebrew word that means “submit” in the modern English sense (which explains a lot about Israeli life and culture!). In the Hebrew New Testament, we use nikhna which means to surrender, humble oneself, or yield. 

When you put these two terms together—“be persuaded” and “yield”—the picture looks very different from the authoritarian misuse we sometimes see today. The text assumes a relationship built on trust, humility, and mutual care. 

Scholar Ray C. Stedman addresses the misunderstanding of v. 17: 

“The words obey (twice here) and submit and the phrase from 1 Thessalonians 5:12 ‘are over you in the Lord’ have often fueled a harmful authoritarianism that has turned pastors into autocrats and congregations into personal domains. Such a twisted view of authority ignores entirely Jesus’ words to the disciples: ‘You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you: but whoever would be great among you must be your servant’ (Mk 10:42–43 RSV).”¹

The Assumption Behind the Verse: Godly Shepherds 

The rest of the verse makes this clear: “for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.” The writer has an expectation that the leaders were following Yeshua’s example of laying down their lives for the sheep. 

Stedman adds: 

“The author’s basis for urging his readers to give willing response to their leaders is that the leaders are godly men who feel deeply their responsibility to lead wisely and lovingly as men who must give an account.” ² 

This does not describe domineering leaders or spiritual CEOs. It assumes leaders who lose sleep over the people they care for. Leaders who protect, sacrifice, intercede, and serve. Leaders who understand that they will stand before God and answer for the way they treated His people. The context the writer addresses is a congregation under persecution—not how to use the gospel as a means of manipulating people. 

In other words, Hebrews 13:17 only makes sense when addressed to pastors who look like Jesus, not to those who try to imitate celebrity culture.

When Leadership Doesn’t Look Like Hebrews 13:17 

Unfortunately, not every leader today fits this biblical picture. Some pastors see the congregation as an audience, not a flock. Their sermons are electrifying performances, not expository preaching. Some see the sacrificial giving of the saints as a way to elevate their own platform rather than advancing God’s kingdom. And when that happens, verses like Hebrews 13:17 get twisted into a tool for control. 

The commands of Hebrews 13:17 were never meant to prop up narcissism or silence legitimate concerns. They were meant to strengthen trust in genuinely godly shepherds. The writer’s exhortations to “make it easy on them” are not because they are busy with their YouTube channel and next Facebook Live, but because people are trying to kill them—and have killed their friends and mentors (see v. 7).

The Beauty and Danger of Modern Church Culture 

The modern megachurch phenomenon adds another layer to this discussion. Some of the most devoted, Messiah-centered pastors I know lead large churches. They pray deeply, love their people well, and carry the weight of shepherding thousands with humility and integrity. As I am writing now, I am staying with the pastor of a large church and network, and he has been up since 4 AM in the Word of God, striving. Lazy me, I got up at 6:20 AM (that is called sleeping for 60-plus!). 

But large structures also bring risks. Celebrity culture can subtly take hold. Leaders can become isolated from correction. Institutions can drift into self-preservation. The bigger the platform, the easier it becomes for cracks in character to widen unnoticed. Recently, a leader gave a teaching on accountability because he claimed he was too mature and his platform too big to be accountable to a mere local elder. He needed others (who ironically know him—or his family—only from his preaching and teaching). It was widely panned as a teaching that escapes accountability, not one that embraces it. 

This doesn’t mean megachurches are bad. It simply means they require vigilant, intentional humility—and systems that protect people, not personalities.

The Strength of Faithful Pastors Around the World 

While high-profile failures grab headlines, the truth is that most pastors around the world serve in small, unseen contexts. They quietly shepherd God’s people week after week. They visit the sick, comfort the grieving, preach faithfully, and carry burdens no one else knows.

These are the leaders Hebrews had in mind. Their lives are persuasive. Their humility makes yielding natural. Their love for Messiah is evident. And their accountability before God is something they feel deeply.

A Healthier Way Forward for the Church 

When we understand what Hebrews 13:17 actually says, the entire conversation about leadership and submission becomes clearer. The church flourishes when leaders serve rather than dominate, when people trust rather than fear, and when Messiah—not the pastor—is the only true celebrity. 

Healthy submission grows where leaders look like Jesus. And healthy leadership grows where leaders remember that the sheep belong to Him, not to them.

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[1] Ray C. Stedman, Hebrews, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Westmont, IL: IVP Academic, 1992), Heb 13:7–19.

[2]  Ibid.