Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- PART I WOMEN IN FIRST CENTURY CULTURES
- PART II JESUS AND WOMEN
- PART III PAUL AND WOMEN
- 8 Women and the physical family
- 9 Paul and the household tables
- 10 Women and the family of faith
- 11 Paul and his female co-workers
- 12 The Pastoral Epistles
- PART IV WOMEN AND THE EVANGELISTS
- Conclusions
- Notes
- Select bibliography
- Index
8 - Women and the physical family
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- PART I WOMEN IN FIRST CENTURY CULTURES
- PART II JESUS AND WOMEN
- PART III PAUL AND WOMEN
- 8 Women and the physical family
- 9 Paul and the household tables
- 10 Women and the family of faith
- 11 Paul and his female co-workers
- 12 The Pastoral Epistles
- PART IV WOMEN AND THE EVANGELISTS
- Conclusions
- Notes
- Select bibliography
- Index
Summary
When discussing the Pauline epistles it is crucial to emphasize that we are dealing with letters, not gospels or documents such as the Acts of the Apostles. The letters of Paul are usually written to meet certain needs or to answer certain questions. Since almost all of Paul's letters were written in response to a communication, they represent only a portion of a larger dialogue, are not complete in themselves, and often require us to reconstruct the questions being raised or the pleas being urged that prompted his letters of reply.
There are gains and losses in dealing with letters instead of other New Testament literature. On the one hand, Paul's letters reveal the views of their author on certain subjects which means we can concentrate on Paul's views of women to a degree that is not possible when dealing with the Gospels. On the other hand, in order to evaluate women and their roles in Paul's communities, we often need to read between the lines to understand the historical situation which prompted Paul's letter writing. Through the framework of his letters we can only glimpse the life and problems of the primitive Christian church. What someone says to correct an error cannot be taken as a full or definitive statement of their views on a particular subject.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Women and the Genesis of Christianity , pp. 123 - 146Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1990