Essay 4

Sterling Von Strohe

WGS 3463

February 28, 2014

Essay/Blog 4

Ephesians, written in the “last third of the first century”, is considered a post-Pauline writing (Johnson, 576). Ephesians is a post-Pauline writing that was likely written by a different author in a different time period than Paul’s other letters (Johnson, 576).  Within the passage Ephesians 5:21-6:9, the role of women has clearly evolved since Paul’s views in Romans 16, Galatians 3:28, and Galatians 4:12-31. Within Paul’s undisputed letters, there “contains no unequivocal statements that women should obey men” (MacDonald, 237). Paul previously referred to Prisca as his co-worker in Christ, not a women subject to be seen underneath a man (Romans 16:3). In contrast, in the post-Pauline writings, “Colossians, Ephesians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus, the number of women who are singled out for mention drops off noticeably” (MacDonald, 237). Women, like Chloe, Phoebe, used to be heads of the community, yet now, in Ephesians the women are to be subjects of men, who in turn are subjects of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-24). “Feminist interpreters have frequently noted the problematic nature of the use of marriage as a metaphor for the relationship divinity and humanity” (MacDonald, 245). Women are now being called to respect their husband rather than lead (Ephesians 5:33). The author envisions a certain authority in which the wife is the subject of her husband, the husband is the subject of Christ, and Christ is seen as the head of the church (Ephesians 5:22-25). Within this text, would women without husbands, like Euodia and Syntyche, be seen as inappropriate? The text seems to say nothing explicitly about those who reject marriage (MacDonald, 244)