What Is the Church’s Responsibility?

In order to help prevent Domestic Violence it is vitally important to:  Give a "Correct Reading of Scripture."

Often, men who abuse their wives use the Scriptures (for example, "women submit to your husbands") as a justification for their abuse. This is sin, and pastors need to confront this head-on. The church needs to replace this lie with Christ's view of marriage. Teach the true meaning of "Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church" (Ephesians 5:25). Tell your church that nowhere in the Bible does God give men the right to hit their wives, or vice versa. Verbal abuse hides itself in the submission and headship message. This is a SIN. Any view of marriage that does not emphasize love and respect between husbands and wives is a misrepresentation of Scripture. As leaders in the church, the pastoral team has a responsibility to teach these truths, both in premarital counseling and in sermons. There is a huge difference between normal marital conflict and domestic abuse.