Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem
Most of us on FR were raised in The USA, in a Constitutional Republic that was heavily influenced by the Judeo-Christian Tradition. Some of us are old enough to remember the Civil Rights Movement, and the struggle for human rights and equality are very much an assumption on our part. So this statement of Paul's doesn't seem very remarkable or revolutionary at all.
In the First Century, however, such a statement shook the foundations of society. In the Roman household, the Father ruled over the wife and children, and could even sell them into slavery if he wanted to. In Ancient Greece, girl babies were sometimes left exposed on a hillside as food for wild animals, if they were deemed inconvenient. In nearly all the ancient cultures there was slavery, and no "upward mobility" as to a person's social status or profession.
A notable exception to this brutality towards women was the Law of Moses, which gave women property rights, marriage rights, and some dignity, albeit not as much as a man. Slaves also had a slightly better lot under the Law, because of the Sabbatical Years and the Jubilee. Paul was raised as a Pharisee, but he also seemed very comfortable dealing with the various cultures comprising the Roman Empire. His simple statement explodes all the norms of his society, Religious, Social, Economic, Ethnic, and Gender.
It is also interesting to note that, even in today's world, there are still religions and ethnic groups that subjugate women and have slavery. It is safe to say that these groups are not those that subscribe to the Judeo-Christian Ethic, nor do they care what Paul had to say about the issue!
Come and Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.
Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.
This Symbol Represents Christians in The Middle East, who desperately need our Prayers.
Hallelujah and Amen
ML/LTOS