Ephesians 5:22: Wives,
Submit?
The difficulty of Ephesians 5:22 is not in understanding the rather straightforward
language, but its meaning. Since the patriarchal norms of the Greco-Roman
world, built into the rules and regulations for everyday life and relationships,
clearly demanded a wife's submission to the authority of the husband,
is Paul simply advocating the continuance of conventional norms? If so,
why would that be necessary? Does the qualifying phrase "as unto
the Lord" introduce a radically new dimension into the nature and
form of submission (or subordination)?
Of utmost importance for a proper grasp of Paul's intention are (1) the
part this saying plays in the larger argument and (2) the specific meaning
of terms and phrases in this saying and the surrounding text.
Click here to read Full Article
|
|
She Turned and said to Him, "Rabboni"
John 20:16 "Jesus said to her, "Mary!"
She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher)."
A common title of distinction during the time of Jesus was the term
"Rabbi." In Hebrew it was "Ravi," pronounced (Rahbee).
The Greek was "Hrabbi" and they both mean the same thing "My
Master" or "My Teacher."
It was actually a new term that had developed sometime either during
or after the schism which arose between the schools of Hillel and Shammai.
Actually the first person we know of in history to have been honoroed
with this title was Gamaliel I sometime around 30 AD. The title that
Jesus had rebuked so often was actually very popular and very new.
There were actually three forms of the title, each given with elaborate
ceremony:
"Rab" meaning "Master" was apparently, according
to early Babylonian works, a Babylonian title given to certain learned
men who had received the laying-on of hands in the rabbinic schools.
This was the lowest title among the three.
"Rabbi" meaning "My Master" was a Palestinian designation,
where a man was bestowed the title from the laying-on of hands by the
Sanhedrin. The ceremony was interesting. The man was placed on a "high"
chair which was raised above the assembly and he was given a key and
a scroll when the new title was spoken by a certain person. The key
symbolized power and authority to teach others, and the scroll symbolized
that he was familiar and devoted to his studies. He would wear the key
as a token of greatness and it was buried with him. According to the
Aruch (Talmudical lexicon) a "Rabbi" was one who has disciples,
and whose disciples were prepared to raise up new disciples. This was
the second greatest title among the three.
"Rabbon" which meant "Great Master" or "Rabboni"
meaning "My Great Master" was the greatest designation of
all. It is properly pronounced (Rahbonee). Once the teacher had seen
two generations of disciples he was referred to with this title, and
also called by his own name so that he would not be forgotten.
It is interesting to note that men who had earned these titles were
very highly respected, and Jesus was called by both.
Mary, a woman who had been scorned much of her life, by both men and
women, and even somewhat by the disciples, was received by Jesus and
raised to a place of special greatness, to the extent that it was she,
a woman, who had been the first to behold Jesus after His resurrection,
and speak the word "Rabboni" in a ceremony that was unseen
by men, as He was raised from death, above the assembly.
|
| All references taken from RBC, Pat Robertson,
Ron Rhodes, Kenneth/Gloria Copeland, Charles Slagle, Smith Wigglesworth,
Selwyn Hughes, Charles Spurgeon, Manners and Customs of Bible Times, The
Complete Bible Handbook, The Spirit Filled Bible(NKJV), The NIV Bible,
God's Promises for your every Need, Idiot's Guide to Bible Mysteries,
Hard Sayings of The Bible, Articles courtesy of Mr Andrew L W Lee. |
