Tag: Matthew 18
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Household: Jesus and Fictive Family (Part 2)
Brothers and Sisters The most frequent use of the fictive family imagery in the New Testament is the use of "brother" and "sister" to refer to fellow believers. As you may recall from an earlier post, the relationship between siblings was the most intimate of relationships in Greco-Roman culture. It was the relationship with 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…