Recent posts regarding the command for civil submission in 1 Peter has provoked a bit of discussion about the contemporary application of the command. In this post, I would like to (1) reflect generally on civil submission in the contemporary context and (2) reflect on the American context of civil submission, especially as it relates… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: NT
Tuesday Time Travel: Emperors and Governors in the Roman Empire
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him…” 1 Peter 2:13-14 Human Institutions, i.e., Governing Authorities Peter commands his readers to submit to πάσῃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ κτίσει (quite roughly: “every human creation”). The word often translated ‘creation’ (κτίσις)… Continue Reading
Ministering to the Persecuted
Teaching through 2 Timothy and sitting in on a class through 1 Peter has been quite an experience. Both NT letters strongly emphasize enduring persecution for the sake of the Gospel. Paul and Peter each give their respective addressees compelling reasons for not only enduring suffering, but doing so with hope and strength. (I’ve written… Continue Reading
Tuesday Time Travel: Slavery and Submission in the Roman Empire and the Bible
“Slaves, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are crooked.” 1 Peter 2:18 There is no doubt that slavery was commonplace in the Roman Empire. It was an intricate part of the societal structure, and something with which people living… Continue Reading
Tuesday Time Travel: Spousal Mistreatment in the Roman World and 1 Peter 3
Roman Families The paterfamilias was a term attributed to the head of the familia in the Roman world. This position was not held by any father. Rather, among the males of a familia, the father who was at the ‘top’ of the family tree held this position. He had an exuberant amount of control over… Continue Reading
Why? …Tuesday Time Travel: The Roman Empire and the Bible
The first post in this series is still one week away, but I thought a brief introduction would be fitting. Roman Backgrounds and Bible Study When studying any New Testament book, it is essential to bear in mind that each book was written in the historical context of first century Roman rule. For example, even… Continue Reading
Tuesday Time Travel: The Roman Empire and the Bible
Within the next two weeks, I will begin a series (of indefinite length) called Tuesday Time Travel: The Roman Empire and the Bible. Every Tuesday morning you can expect a succinct post regarding a bit of Roman backgrounds and how it affects our understanding of a particular passage of the New Testament. Most of the… Continue Reading