Patriarchalism in New Testament Household Codes

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In the household codes of the New Testament the traditional patriarchal social order is reaffirmed, not simply for secular society, but for Christian community. The concept that children are to obey their parents, wives their husbands and slaves their masters is restated in no fewer than five places in the New Testament: Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Timothy, Titus, and 1 Peter. Conversely all subjugated persons can be viewed as relations of wives to husbands, children to father, and servants to masters. Patriarchalism refers to the total structure of society in all theses types of relations of domination and subjugation; sons to father, wives to husband, and slaves to masters. Also, there is delegated domination and subjugation within the paternal …show more content…

Many scholars see the passage, Ephesians 5:20-6:9 as the author’s mirroring of these codes to assure secular authorities of the respectability and conformity of Christian family life. The passage Ephesians 5:20 and 6:1-5 states, “Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church… and he is the saviour of the body… Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right… Slaves obey your earthly masters with the fear trembling in singleness of heart, as you obey your Christ.” Many people and scholars say that Paul wasn’t really supporting patriarchy because of this passage. Instead, in this letter he asked each of the three pairs addressed masters/slaves, fathers/children, and husbands/wives -- to radically transform the meaning of these legal structures; renouncing the requirements of the flesh to achieve a higher

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