Paul, Witness, Empire, and Ephesians 5:22-33

We have stated that Eph 5:22-33 is a complex matrix of hierarchy and equality. We have demonstrated the importance of considering the cultural background. It is not enough to read the words of the text if we are to understand and interpret Scripture, including Paul. He did not write in a vacuum. He was influenced by culture, and he wrote some things that stand in contrast to culture. Therefore, Paul’s words must be interpreted in light of what was going on during his own time in the Greco-Roman Empire.

When we read Paul’s instructions for wives to submit to their husbands even though they are equal, we must ask, “Why?” The same is true for Paul’s instruction for husbands to love, not rule, their wives. What influenced Paul to write such things? It is easy to see why Paul’s words would reflect the general cultural value of his time–patriarchy. Husbands were understood in that culture to be the household rulers. They were in charge of everything, they had ownership of anything in their homes, and this included their wives. However, the reason why Paul gave a counter-cultural set of commands remains to be seen. He did what other ancient household codes did not–he gave wives, children, and slaves a place of moral responsibility and addressed them directly, whereas ancient codes addressed the husband only. In our conversation, wives are seen as equals to their husbands in terms of membership in the body of Christ. Their relationship with each other is directly impacted by their involvement in the body of Christ. In other words, their relationship to Christ has a bearing on their marriage. In a culture where wives were understood to be inferior to their husbands, Paul demonstrates that because of the mysterious administration of the grace of God wives are equal to their husbands. What is troubling is that despite this equality, Paul still echoes the cultural value. Perhaps this is because the Romans had a strong tendency to squash any group or religion that caused disruption in the empire. They were suspicious of small groups as well. If Paul did command wives differently than he did, if he told them to love their husbands but not be subject to their husbands, with the result that Christian wives became known for being unruly, a disruption could have ensued, and the Romans would have likely put an end to Christianity. Another possibility could be that such disruption would at the very least discredit the Christian faith, thus destroying the reception of the gospel in a culture that valued husband leadership. Therefore, Paul was likely permitting this tension between hierarchy and equality for evangelistic reasons. Without it, Christianity would be discredited or even wiped out. As Christian wives, part of their witness or testimony was to put aside their right as equals and voluntarily submit to their husbands. Paul was therefore giving wives a special function in marriage. As Christian husbands, part of their witness was to treat their wives as equals, because that is what they are, and therefore they deserve to be loved. Now the question is this: did God authorize hierarchy for all generations, or was it a result of the times and therefore it no longer applies? We will answer this question later. For now, it should suffice to say that Paul was meeting an evangelistic need by commanding wives to submit and husbands to love.

Paul, the Greco-Roman Empire, and Ephesians 5:22-33

Was Paul a son of his times? The Greco-Roman empire generally held husbands to be the authority of the household, including over his wife. Might Paul be reflecting such a widespread attitude in Eph 5:22-33? The text certainly lends itself towards such an understanding. The phrase, “wives submit to your husbands,” the reference to the husband as the “head,” and the demand for the wife to respect her husband all sound like Paul is reflecting the general Greco-Roman cultural value that husbands are in authority over their wives. However, in comparison, Paul’s commands to both the wives and the husbands were counter-cultural to an extent. To what are we comparing Eph 5:22-33? We are comparing the Ephesian household rules to other ancient household codes. We observe that Paul’s commands to the wives reflect the broader cultural value of the empire, but they also do what the other codes do not, they actually address the wives as responsible moral agents. Furthermore, Paul’s commands to the husband is different, for he does not command the husbands to rule their wives, but rather, to love them. Yes, Paul was a son of his times, and yet, when his commands are read against the backdrop of the other ancient household codes, his patriarchalism is softened and the equality between the husband and wife is strengthened. What we see is a complex matrix of hierarchy and equality. It remains, however, to see or explain why Paul would differ in this way from other ancient household codes. Why does Paul address wives as responsible moral agents? Why does Paul not instruct the husbands to rule their wives, but rather, to love them instead? If they are equals, why did Paul command wives to submit to their husbands? Now is not the time for answering these questions. But what have we gleaned from the current conversation? Paul cannot be understood by reading his words alone. We must understand him in light of his culture. It is part of the hermeneutical task. Any interpretation that fails to take into account the culture Paul lived and wrote within is only partially correct at best.