Tag: Jesus’ household code
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Household: Context for the Post-Resurrection Household of God
We are finished with Jesus' use of fictive family. In the coming posts, I will focus on the post-Resurrection Church. Before going there, I think it might be helpful to reset the stage. We have looked at the nature of the Greco-Roman household. Patriarchy, patronage, honor, and status were driving cultural influences. The Roman Empire…
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Household: Jesus’ Household Code (Part 2)
(Continuation from the previous post) Status – Matthew 20:1-16 Adherence to, and enforcement of, status differences was another frequent concern of the household codes. It was argued that failure to respect status differences properly would cause the social order to dissolve into chaos. Jesus tells a parable at the beginning of Chapter 20: "For the…
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Household: Jesus’ Household Code (Part 1)
What was Jesus' household code? The gospel of Matthew contains five discourses. The fourth discourse (chapter 18) concerns life in the Kingdom. Carolyn Osiek and David Balch (drawing on the work of Warren Carter) see the collection of stories immediately following the fourth discourse (chapters 19-20) functioning as a household code. Here is a breakdown…
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Household: The “Household Code”
The ancient Greeks saw the household as the primary institution through which society kept order. To promote effective household management, Greek sages would advise the paterfamilias on household management. These discourses came to be known as the "household codes" or "household tables" (and sometimes the German haustafel.) Aristotle's household instructions (fourth century B.C.E.) in Book…