The household codes in Eph. 5-6 and Col. 3-4 are not about gender but about power and about mitigating abuse that often comes with power.
Tertullian wrote about equality and mutuality in marriage; he did not regard the household code in Ephesians as comprehensive or prescriptive.
Do husbands have a particular responsibility for the spiritual growth of their wives? Will husbands one day present their wives to Jesus?
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?
Instructions for wifely submission and holy kisses are given in the NT five times each, but one concept is often emphasised while the other is usually ignored.
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© 2022 Marg Mowczko