Ephesians 5 and 1 Corinthians 7

Ephesians 5:21 tells all Christians to submit to each other in the fear of Christ.

1 Corinthians 7:4 lets us know that a wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does, nor does the husband have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

What is so complicated about these verses? Do they not tell us that both husband and wife have authority over each other, which leads to mutual submission, as neither is allowed to please themselves at the expense of the other?

Why are we told that neither Ephesians 5:21, nor 1 Corinthians 7:4b, applies to husbands? If a wife has authority over her husband's body, why doesn't she have authority over his mind? Why does the husband have the right to command his wife to obey his preferences, if his body doesn't belong to him? What kind of reading creates a submission that is applied only to wives? A very selective one, which purposefully hides a biblical truth.

Does the Body of Christ have authority over its head? No, but the body shares the authority of the head (Matt 28:18-20); Jesus does not force us to obey him, for he considers us his friends. He expects our love for him to be the only motivator (John 15:9-17).

Does the head, that is Christ, submit to the body? Yes, he laid down his life for us, the ultimate act of submission, and he calls us to follow his example (Eph 5:1-2).

If the Body of Christ shares the authority of its head, who submitted to his body through death, why should a wife not share the husband's authority (as 1 Cor 7 tells us), and why should a husband not submit to his wife, when the Bible calls him to love his wife just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Eph 5:25)?

Instead of creating our own interpretations that conform to the desires of our "flesh," we ought to transform our thinking until we are able to recognize, and live, according to God's will (Rom 12:1-2). God's will for us is equality; nothing more, nothing less.