The household codes are about power, not gender
The New Testament household codes in Ephesians 5-6 and Colossians 3-4 are not primarily about gender. They are about power and about mitigating the abuse that often comes with power.
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Tag: Slavery
Extra Honour for Underdogs (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
We need to put Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 into practice by honouring all equally (which means giving extra honour to those lacking it) and creating a community where all can contribute their gifts. Equality leads to unity.
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Wives, mothers and female masters in the NT household codes
When people think of the “masters” mentioned in the New Testament household codes, they tend to think of men. Many masters in NT times, however, were women. How does this realisation affect the notion of female submission?
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“Workers at home” or “keepers at home” in Titus 2:5?
Titus 2:5 contains a word which is usually translated as “workers at home,” but the King James Bible has “keepers at home.” Which is the correct phrase? What is meant by “keepers at home”?
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Is a Benevolent Patriarchy Good for God’s People?
Apartheid, slavery, and patriarchy are three social systems where one group of people is more powerful than the other group. Does God want these systems operating in the community of his people?
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A Thrill of Hope: Jesus’ First and Second Advents
What does oppression and the horrors of slavery in the song “O Holy Night” have to do with an innocent newborn baby in a manger?
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The Suffering Servants – 1 Peter 2:18-25
The Christian servants in Asia Minor were suffering unjustly, so Peter encourages and inspires them with the example of Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.
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The Early Church and Slavery
In this post I share a quote from Dr John T Bristow about how some in the early church treated slaves with equity and even tried to free them.
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“Equality” in Paul’s Letters
Paul wanted equality for all Christians and he wrote about this in his letters. In some verses equality was implied. In other verses the concept of equality was clearly stated. Equality was Paul’s goal (2 Corinthians 8:14, NIV 2011).
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