By what acceptable means can a husband discipline their wife?
There is no instruction or command in Scripture directing a husband to discipline his wife or vice versa. While a husband has headship over a wife, that authority is to be carried in a gentle, loving, understanding way. If a wife is living in sin or is disobedient to the word, her husband should strive to win her back to obedience gently with godly counsel offered in patience and love.
If these measures are not successful or if the discord in the marriage is too entrenched, then a Christian husband may seek support from the church in the form of pastoral counsel, marriage counseling, or even church discipline. In the case of church discipline, the church leadership should follow the steps outlined in Matthew 18 to encourage the woman to repent, which may involve personal appeals made by church leaders, or in the worst case, a cutting off of fellowship. However, a husband plays no role in these steps, since they are administered by the church leadership.
Finally, any attempt by a husband to force his will upon his wife, either through physical force, intimidation or other forms of abuse, is neither appropriate nor godly (and may be illegal).
