Journal: Eikon
Volume: EIKON 05:1 (Spring 2023)
Article: A Textual, Lexical, And Ethical Challenge To The “Principle Of Reciprocity”: A Response To Lynn H. Cohick, “Loving And Submitting To One Another In Marriage”
Author: Peter J. Gurry

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A Textual, Lexical, And Ethical Challenge To The “Principle Of Reciprocity”: A Response To Lynn H. Cohick, “Loving And Submitting To One Another In Marriage”

Peter Gurry

Peter Gurry is Associate Professor and Codirector of the Text & Canon Institute at Phoenix Seminary and the author of Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible (with John Meade).

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Lynn Cohick’s chapter replaces I. Howard Marshall’s in the previous edition of Discovering Biblical Equality, and the editors have chosen well. Cohick has not only done careful work on cultural backgrounds throughout her career, but she has recently written commentaries on both Colossians and Ephesians. For those reasons and more, it is a pleasure to interact with her work here.

The chapter begins with a brief look at the social setting of Paul’s two letters before turning to the so-called household codes in Colossians and Ephesians. The latter gets the bulk of attention, which is not surprising given that it is more detailed and has occupied center stage in modern debates. Using Nympha (Col 4:15) as a window into the complexities of social status, Cohick argues for a Paul who presents the gospel within the cultural constraints of his day in a way that challenges those same constraints.

Paul is said to challenge his culture’s expectations for gendered virtues in such a way that discipleship “does not come in pink and blue options” (190). What we have instead is a more androgynous ethic. Even in marriage, Paul’s commands to husband and wife speak “not at all of roles for women and men, even less about headship or leadership” (203). While love and submission are countercultural in how Paul applies them to marriage, they are virtues expected of any Christian toward any other (202). There is, thus, an ethical interchangeability within marriage in what Cohick calls the “principle of reciprocity” (197). Such a conclusion obviously conflicts with a complementarian view of marriage. But before looking at why I take a different view, I want to highlight important areas of agreement.

Agreement

My agreement starts in the first paragraph, where Cohick affirms the need to hold

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together the twin truths that the Bible is God’s Word to us and that it was written to people at different times and places. Applying the Bible today requires that we consider where our cultures may differ in relevant ways. In these general terms, all evangelicals should agree. In the same vein, it is encouraging to see that Cohick does not appeal to a trajectory herm...