Tag: Household Code in Ephesians
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Household: Household Code in Ephesians (Part 4)
Greco-Roman household codes were instructions to the paterfamilias on ruling over his household for the sake of the social order. They typically included instruction about wives, slaves, and sometimes children. The biblical writers tended to follow this pattern, as we have seen in 1 Peter and Titus. Ephesians does the same. We have just examined…
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Household: Household Code in Ephesians (Part 3)
I have made the case that the controlling metaphor for the husband and wife relationship in the Ephesians' household code is the metaphor of head and body as visually identifiable parts of an organically indivisible unit. It is a masterful play on the idea that "the two become one flesh." Examining these passages, we see…
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Household: Household Code in Ephesians (Part 2)
Ephesians' opening portion of the household code deals with husbands and wives (5:21-33). It contains rich and compelling imagery that teaches unity between husband and wife, keeping with the theme of the rest of Ephesians. Remember that in Greco-Roman households, the paterfamilias ruled over his wife. The marriage arrangement was primarily a contractual agreement to…