Family government began when God created Eve and added it to individual responsibility to Him. God is the Creator of marriage and gives the laws governing relationships within that union. Man by divine appointment is head of family government. The man is not superior by creation to the woman. The appointment is by God and each is personally responsible to Him to govern himself following God's commands scattered throughout the Bible. There is no other government preceding this other than the government of the family. What Cain was afraid of was that one of his brothers would kill him and take vengeance on him for the family's sake. The family unit in order to inflict punishment is given the rod.

God's government operates as a theocracy in which the human family serves as the foundational type of the divine Family of God and must therefore be governed according to the law of love. Within this structure the husband loves and gives himself for his wife, nourishing and cherishing her as Christ does the church, while the wife submits as the church submits to Christ; children honor and obey parents who persuade rather than compel. Families designed by God function through mutual service and sacrifice rather than authoritarian decrees, and submission within them provides the practice ground for the proper exercise of authority. Church government must replicate this family pattern, employing persuasion, gentleness, humility, and patience so that members are convinced from the heart to obey, thereby producing oneness of mind and the character of God. Ministers are to act as fathers who develop personal relationships with members, and members are to esteem such leaders with affectionate respect rather than mere positional deference. This family approach stands in direct contrast to imposed military systems and is essential to preparing the church for the Kingdom of God, which is itself the Family of God; without it the divine plan cannot succeed.

God establishes family government by appointing the man as head of the household from the beginning, a position of trust and accountability to Him rather than a role assigned by society. The husband leads by loving his wife sacrificially as Christ loves the church, providing for and protecting the family while guiding decisions on conduct, finances, education, and household rules. He may delegate authority to his wife in daily matters and consult her as counselor, yet he retains ultimate responsibility and steps in when necessary without acting as a tyrant. The wife submits to her husband as to the Lord, respecting his position and supporting his leadership, which allows her to fulfill her complementary role more fully as a woman. Children obey parental authority in the Lord, and parents train them in the fear of God without provoking them to wrath. This interdependent structure follows the creation order in which the man was formed first and equipped to lead, with the woman created from and for him to reflect his headship through submission. The same pattern governs the church as the household of God, where qualified men serve as elders who manage their own households well and teach with authority. Male headship in both family and congregation reflects the divine hierarchy in which God is head of Christ, Christ is head of man, and man is head of woman, ensuring order, unity, and peace rather than confusion. Faithfulness to this government channels blessings or judgments through family units across generations, mirrors the relationship between Christ and the church, and prepares members to function in the eternal Family of God where they will reign with Him.