Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CoD - CH 8 Submission
CoD - CH 8 Submission
BY
R I C H A R D J. F O S T E R
BIBLICAL WITNESS
y y y y y Mark 8:34-35 Colossians 3:18-24 Ephesians 5:18-21 Philemon 8-20 Philippians 2:1-8
RADICAL TEACHINGS
Calling the subordinate to submissionThe revolutionary thing about this teaching is that these people, to whom first-century culture afforded no choice at all, are addressed as free moral agents The gospel had challenged all secondclass citizenships, and they knew it. Paul urged voluntary subordination not because it was their station in life, but because it was fitting in the Lord p.118 Calling the dominate to submissionWhat we fail to see is how much submission those commands demanded of the dominant partner in his cultural setting. For a first-century husband, father, or master to obey Paul s injunction would make a dramatic difference in his behavior. The first-century wife, child, or slave would not need to change one whit to follow Paul s command. If anything, the sting of the teaching falls upon the dominant partner. p. 119