The world is full of religion, but this religion bears little to no resemblance to the truth of the scriptures. Why? Because man-made religion is vain.
Paul was one of the most religious people ever to live. In spite of his religious efforts, he was condemned to hell until he trusted Christ as Saviour.
The passage may appear to directly equate obedience and submission together, but each word conveys a separate and distinct concept. Although today's passage includes both obedience and submission, it is important to recognize that these two words involve separate acts. Earlier studies noted a twofold definition of obedience: first, having an attentive ear, followed by acting upon what has been said. Dividing submission into two parts helps to better understand it too (sub + mission). The prefix sub means under (thus a submarine travels under the water), and the root word mission means to be sent out. Obedience, therefore, emphasizes the act of hearing and doing, while submission emphasizes the act of placing oneself under the authority of another.
