Yet, why does Paul do so for the Church in Corinth?
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? (1 Cor 7:10-16 NIV)Christians in Corinth were concerned about being married to unbelievers, e.g., they were concerned about their children, wherefore Paul encourages them to remain married if the unbeliever doesn't wish to depart. It doesn't appear that Paul disapproved of such mixed marriages.
We find a fascinating account of such mixed marriages in the Second Apology of Justin (Ch II):
A certain woman lived with an intemperate husband; she herself, too, having formerly been intemperate. But when she came to the knowledge of the teachings of Christ she became sober-minded, and endeavoured to persuade her husband likewise to be temperate, citing the teaching of Christ, and assuring him that there shall be punishment in eternal fire inflicted upon those who do not live temperately and conformably to right reason. But he, continuing in the same excesses, alienated his wife from him by his actions. For she, considering it wicked to live any longer as a wife with a husband who sought in every way means of indulging in pleasure contrary to the law of nature, and in violation of what is right, wished to be divorced from him. And when she was overpersuaded by her friends, who advised her still to continue with him, in the idea that some time or other her husband might give hope of amendment, she did violence to her own feeling and remained with him. But when her husband had gone into Alexandria, and was reported to be conducting himself worse than ever, she—that she might not, by continuing in matrimonial connection with him, and by sharing his table and his bed, become a partaker also in his wickednesses and impieties—gave him what you call a bill of divorce, and was separated from him. But this noble husband of hers,—while he ought to have been rejoicing that those actions which formerly she unhesitatingly committed with the servants and hirelings, when she delighted in drunkenness and every vice, she had now given up, and desired that he too should give up the same,—when she had gone from him without his desire, brought an accusation against her, affirming that she was a Christian.
The woman in question petitioned the emperor for time to arrange her affairs before standing trial, which was granted.
From the this account, it becomes clear that in the first century, marriage to an unbeliever could be a difficult one. It explains why Peter felt a need to offer comfort to the women who were married to unbelieving husbands.
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear (1 Pet 3:1-6 NIV).Note, however, that not every husband was an unbelieving one. Peter asks married women to submit to their husbands in general, and if any is an unbeliever, they may see the purity and respect in their lives and perhaps be converted. Peter is not excluding women married to Christian husbands; he includes both.
We find the same in the instructions given to slaves:
Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh (1 Pet 2:18 NIV).
The "good and considerate" masters would include Christian masters, the harsh would include unbelieving masters, and Christian masters who hadn't yet comprehended that in Christ there is neither slave or free, but all are slaves of Christ, wherefore they threatened their slaves (Gal 3:28, Eph 6:5-9).
Slaves were often threatened with the death penalty; the cross was, after all, designed as a punishment for slaves as a preventative measure to prevent a slave revolt. Paul is adamant that Christian masters had to cease from threatening their slaves in such a manner.
And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten (apeile) them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him (Eph 6:9 NIV).
The Greek word apeile is used of Paul in Acts 9:1-2, "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples (NIV).
The Christian slaves Peter wrote to were being beaten due to their refusal to do evil (1 Pet 2:20). Peter writes that it is commendable to suffer if one has done good, because it is the example Jesus gave us. A Christian should never be found suffering because he has done evil.
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name (1 Peter 4:15-16 NIV).
Slaves were often tempted to cheat, steal, or hurt their masters in other small ways; murder of a master meant crucifixion. Christian slaves in Ephesus, for example, were tempted to disrespect their Christian masters because they were considered equal in the church.
All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect (time), so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them (1 Tim 6:1-2 NIV).
Worthy of respect.
Respect is a subject that comes up frequently in the New Testament and often in the context of submission. It is here that things become really interesting, for the word Paul uses when encouraging Christian slaves to respect their masters is the same word Peter uses when writing to Christian husbands.
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect (time) as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers (1 Peter 3:7 NIV)
If a Christian husband must treat his wife with the same kind of respect expected from a Christian slave towards his master, how can husbands be exempt from submission?
The problem seems to be our understanding of the meaning of submission. Since both slaves and wives had to dissent when evil was done, submission can hardly be synonymous to obedience. It becomes even more evident when husbands are included in the equation. So what does submission refer to?
Since submission is the antonym of resisting (Rom 13), and because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet 5:5), submission has to have something to do with humility.
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble (1 Pet 5:5 KJV).
NIV gets the above verse wrong because it tries to make submission a one way affair in which the younger (in faith, not age) submit to the elders, but the elders do not submit to the younger. You cannot clothe yourself with humility towards someone else, but you can submit to someone else.
Humility causes us to treat other people differently. Instead of being difficult, critical, condescending, and mean, humility leads us to treat others with kindness.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (EPh 4:2-3 NIV).
It is not authority that creates unity in the church; love does (Phil 2:1-5). Paul doesn't tell husbands to exercise authority, he tells them to love their wives.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself (Eph 5:25-28, NIV)
Peter agrees.
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers (1 Pet 3:7, NIV).
Peter tells husbands to submit to their wives in the same way as the wives submit to their husbands, and slaves submit to their master. Neither Paul or Peter mention anything about authority; Paul talks about love, Peter talks about respect, and both talk about mutual submission.
But why is it so important whether the husbands Peter wrote to were married to Christian wives or not? It is evident that some were Christians, others were not. The material point is that husbands are told to submit to their wives - both by Paul and Peter - regardless whether their wives submit to them in return. Instead of thinking they have the right to demand submission from their wives using physical force or coercion, Christian husbands must live with their wives with consideration and treat them with respect, knowing that their wives are physically weaker. This thought follows the same advice Peter gives to slaves and married women: submission is a voluntary co-operation with others, and depends only on the person who submits, regardless of the response of the other person. And it is only fitting, for submission is born from love, and God's love is unconditional.
Sources:
4 ακολασταινοντι, which word includes unchastity, as well as the other forms of intemperance. [As we say, dissolute.]
No comments:
Post a Comment