Journal: Priscilla Papers
Volume: PP 37:3 (Summer 2023)
Article: Negotiating Boundaries: Reading Pauline Prescriptions In Their Cultural Context
Author: Colin Gauld

PP 37:3 (Summer 2023) p. 8

Negotiating Boundaries: Reading Pauline Prescriptions In Their Cultural Context

Colin Gauld

Colin Gauld retired as an academic in science education at the University of NSW in Sydney, Australia. He has a particular interest in the history and philosophy of science and in the relationships between Christianity, science, and science teaching. He has also taught pastoral theology courses in Sydney.

In his ministry, both to Christians and to those who were not Christians, Paul found himself negotiating his way through social conventions and cultural boundaries which, in many cases, were contrary to the gospel he proclaimed. Two such situations relate to the role of women and are found in Eph 5:21–33 and 1 Tim 2:11–12. These are often read today as prescriptions which determine, to a large extent, the function of women in homes and churches.

This article explores the way Paul sensitively responded to and negotiated the culture of his time. It will be argued that Paul’s prescriptions, in these two passages at least, should be seen as context-dependent applications of Christian principles and, as a result, are not necessarily binding in twenty-first–century homes and churches. Rather, Paul’s negotiating strategies invite us to consider how we too can carefully work our way through our cultural boundaries in the interests of the message of the gospel.

Paul In His Cultural Context

In Paul’s world, Rome was in control. Within Israel, Jews shared responsibility for law and order with Roman appointees, and Jews were often involved, for example, in the collection of Roman taxes (Luke 5:27–28; 19:2). Outside of Israel, however, government was in the hands of non-Jewish authorities at all levels.1

A range of gods were worshipped (Acts 17:16) including Diana/Artemis, who is particularly important for understanding several NT texts when manifested as Artemis of the Ephesians, the patron goddess of Ephesus (Acts 19:28).2 Worship of the Roman emperor was well established, with the emperor considered a god and the saviour of his people. According to the inscription on the Priene Calendar,3 Caesar Augustus was considered a god and a saviour, and his exploits were recognised as “good news” (Greek euangelion, translated “gospel” in the NT) by those who worshipped ...