The Allegory of Two Wives

 

Lamech the Elder and his 2 wives. Lamech was an early Hebrew ruler.

Dr. Alice C. Linsley

The Hebrew rulers who controlled territories and water systems had two wives. The separate settlements of the wives marked territorial boundaries of the ruler’s kingdom. This feature of the Hebrew social structure sheds light on the relationship of the faithful among the Hebrew (before Judaism) and the faithful among the people who identify as Christians.

The Apostle Paul draws on the Hebrew social structure to contrast Judaism with the core Christian belief that the gift of salvation is embraced by faith in God's promises. In Galatians 4:21-31, Paul uses the story of Sarah and Hagar to illustrate the difference between salvation by grace through faith in Christ and the Jewish emphasis on salvation through obedience to the law. Sarah's son Isaac is portrayed as the child of promise, while Hagar's son Ishmael is portrayed as a slave to the law.

In Paul's context, the allegory makes sense. He was an apologist for the Messianic Faith that was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He insisted that only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came to save sinners can receive the promise of salvation. Paul was arguing with Jews who had rejected Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. 

Paul also states that those who would be saved must be grafted into the faith of Abraham. Abraham and his Hebrew ancestors believed in God Father and God Son. They also believed in bodily resurrection and looked for a righteous ruler who would overcome death and rise on the third day. The earliest known resurrection texts were prayers offered by Nilotic Hebrew priests for their deceased rulers.

Paul contrasts Sarah, Abraham's principal wife and Hagar, a concubine. His allegory involves two women of unequal social status. Yet another allegory should involve Abraham's two wives, Sarah and Keturah. Both were Hebrew women who held to the faith of their Hebrew ancestors. Sarah was the wife of Abraham's youth and Keturah was the wife of Abraham's old age. Abraham had 9 sons and an unknown number of daughters by 2 wives and 2 concubines (Hagar and Mesek).

Sarah was Abraham's half-sister and Keturah was Abraham's patrilineal cousin. These two Hebrew wives pose an allegory of the relationship of the people of faith who lived in anticipation of the Son's appearing and those who lived after the Son's appearing. Sarah came first and Keturah came much later, but both were women of the Hebrew faith. In other words, as 2 wives made a kingdom for Abraham, so the kingdom of God is comprised of 2 wives. One does not outrank the other or supplant the other. We are not speaking of Israel and the Church. Instead, the allegory to 2 wives represents the faithful justified who believed God's promise concerning the Son yet to appear and the faithful justified who love and obey the Son Incarnate. 

The social structure of the biblical Hebrew tells us much about the relationship between the two households of faith. Together they constitute a kingdom. There is no reason to subsume one household of faith to the other. They are equal in God's kingdom.

Related reading: Abraham's Sons; BIBLICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: Sovereignty and Two Wives; The Hebrew Hierarchy of Sons; Hebrew Rulers with Two Wives; The Wives' Settlements Mark the Boundaries

The Culpability of Adam and Eve

The Risen Christ raises Adam and Eve from the tombs.

Alice C. Linsley

The Bible presents Adam and Eve in at least three ways: mythical, historical, and analogical. The mythical Adam and Eve present a theological understanding of estrangement from God. We first encounter figures called “Adam” and "Eve" in Genesis chapters 2, 3 and 4. The Adam and Eve of Genesis chapters2 and 3 are associated with the Garden of Eden, the Tree of Life, and the Serpent who tempted Eve. Adam and Eve are blamed for humanity’s “Fall” from the state of grace enjoyed in the Garden.

Genesis chapters 4 and 5 indicate that Adam and Eve were the historical parents of Cain and Seth and the progenitors of the early Hebrew ruler-priests. The early Hebrew believed in God Father and God Son, and this belief is still found among African populations in connection with the theme of estrangement.

While studying tribal peoples in Nigeria, the anthropologist Charles Kraft asked a clan chief, "What did your people believe about God before the missionaries came?" In response, an old chief told this story:

“Once God and his son lived close to us. They walked, talked, ate, and slept among us. All was well then. There was no thievery or fighting or running off with another man's wife like there is now. But one day God's son ate in the home of a careless woman. She had not cleaned her dishes properly. God's son ate from a dirty dish, got sick, and died. This, of course, made God very angry. He left in a huff and hasn't been heard from since." (Charles Kraft, Christianity in Culture, Orbis Books, 1990, p. 153)

Another African story tells how "in the beginning death had not yet entered the world. There was plenty to eat, but a woman became greedy and tried to pound more grain than she was allotted. This required using a longer pestle. When she raised it to pound the grain, it struck the sky and God became angry and withdrew far into the heavens. Since then, people must toil the earth, death and disease trouble the people and it is no longer easy to reach God." (Richard Bush, ed. The Religious World, MacMillan Publishers, 1982, p. 38).

In these stories the female ancestor is responsible for the estrangement. However, in the Book of Romans, Paul holds Adam responsible for the Fall.

“Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people” (Rom. 5:12).

“Death reigned from the time of Adam . . . even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam” (Rom. 5:14).

“Many died by the trespass of the one man” (Rom. 5:15).

“By the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man” (Rom. 5:17).

“Through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners” (Rom. 5:19).


Genesis presents both Adam and Eve as culpable. This binary balance between male and female ancestors is characteristic of African stories. Likewise, many biblical narratives involving male heroes have female counterparts.

Though Eve is the serpent’s primary target, both Adam and Eve are held responsible. This binary balance between male and female is characteristic of the social structure of the early Hebrew and is reflected in biblical narratives.

There are many examples: the distinct duties/responsibilities of the mother's house versus the father's house; male prophets-female prophets; male rulers-female rulers; inheritance by male heirs-inheritance by female heirs, patrilocal residence-matrilocal residence; Hebrew patronymics-Hebrew matronymics; and in the Hebrew double unilineal descent pattern, both the patrilineage and the matrilineage are recognized and honored, but in different ways.

The blood symbolism of the Passover associated with Moses has a parallel in the blood symbolism of the scarlet cord associated with Rahab.

The abusive behavior of drunken Noah toward his sons has a parallel in the abusive behavior of drunken Lot toward his daughters.

This male-female binary balance is found in New Testament narratives also. Jesus restored the widow of Nain's deceased son to his mother (Luke 7:11-17). Jesus restored Jairus' deceased daughter to her father (Mark 5:21-43).

Adam and Eve serve as examples of estrangement from God. The estrangement results from disobedience and listening to appealing lies. Such “sinful” behaviors are found among all humans, so this narrative reflects a universal truth. Similar ideas of estrangement from the Creator are found in the myths of many cultures. However, it can be fairly argued that the Messianic Faith we call “Christianity” provides a unique answer to the problem of sin and death.

The theme of estrangement has deep roots among the early Hebrew whose point of origin was Africa. Prayers and songs written by the Hebrew priests of the Nile Valley are available to read in the Ancient Pyramid Texts. Some of these texts date to 2600 B.C. and speak of the bodily resurrection of a priest-king who would lead his people to immortality. Paul’s statement in Ephesians 4:8 reflects this early belief: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." The same belief is expressed in Psalm 68:18: “When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train…”


If you wish to comment on this post, please respond to these questions.

In what ways do we as Christians overcome estrangement from God?


In what ways do we celebrate God’s answer to sin and death?


Related reading: Adam and Estrangement from God; Male and Female are Primary in the Hebrew Scriptures; The Hebrew Were a Caste; Horite and Sethite Mounds; An Anthropologist Look at Genesis 4; An Anthropologist Looks at Genesis 5; Ancient Edom

The Apostle Paul: Rules for blogging

Alice C. Linsley

The priest at my church dislikes blogs because he believes that they stir negativity and do more harm than good. I certainly have been to blogs where this is the case. The fallacies, the insensitivity, and the crudeness leave me feeling weary and distracted. I hope that does not happen to those who visit my blogs.

Father Tom has never viewed any of the blogs I manage. This is unfortunate because the material and conversation is intelligent and almost always edifying. Rarely do I have to delete a comment because it is inappropriate, crude, blasphemous, or contains a personal attack. Possibly a positive experience with blogs might change Fr. Tom's mind.

Bad experiences with people can led to unjustified criticism of the blogging medium. The potential of a well designed and well managed blog is enormous in this day of social media, excellent search engines, and fast internet connections. Christians should make their voices heard over the media hype, the political banter, and the rhetoric generated by popular causes. Blogs are a good medium for proclamation, apologetics, education, and engagement with the world.

Blogs that follow the Apostle Paul's recommendations do good service. Here are his recommendations:

1. Avoid what is evil; stick to what is good (Rom. 12:9).

2. Praise what is good (Phil. 4:8).

3. Show patience in correcting those in error. (II Tim. 4:2)

4. If they fail to be corrected and persist in error, let them be anathema. (Gal. 1:8) In this event, the blog administrator is justified in deleting and blocking comments.


Related reading: Why a Blog about Genesis?; Thoughts on Blogging; An Apology; Blogging to Communicate the Gospel; Facebook Conversation of Creationism

Jesus' Blood is Restorative

Alice C. Linsley

Paul’s authority in the Church is undisputed. However, he is hated by some because of his uncompromising defense of the Gospel. The Church has the Apostle Paul (and four Evangelists) to thank for its confessional of redemption by the Blood of Jesus. His confessional approach has rivals in modernist theology.

What is meant by Paul’s “confessional hermeneutic?” It is based on a conviction that spiritual authority rests not with human institutions and hierarchies, nor with works of piety, but with the Incarnate Word whose blood was shed for the life of the world.

Clearly, the Reformation came out of a cultural context very different than that of Paul in the first century. However, Martin Luther’s argument with Rome does touch on a Pauline understanding of the Blood of Jesus. The Pope cannot remit guilt. To claim that is to claim saving power equal with the Blood of Jesus. Luther disputed this in the first eight of his theses. 

Disputation On The Power And Efficacy Of Indulgences Commonly Known As The 95 Theses

“Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, the following heads will be the subject of a public discussion at Wittenberg under the presidency of the reverend father, Martin Luther, Augustinian, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and duly appointed Lecturer on these subjects in that place. He requests that whoever cannot be present personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in writing.

1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of penitence.

2. The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy. 

3. Yet its meaning is not restricted to penitence in one's heart; for such penitence is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh. 

4. As long as hatred of self abides (i.e. true inward penitence) the penalty of sin abides, viz., until we enter the kingdom of heaven. 

5. The Pope has neither the will nor the power to remit any penalties beyond those imposed either at his own discretion or by canon law. 

6. The Pope himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare and confirm that it has been remitted by God; or, at most, he can remit it in cases reserved to his discretion. Except for these cases, the guilt remains untouched.

7. God never remits guilt to anyone without, at the same time, making humbly submissive to the priest, His representative.

8. The penitential canons apply only to men who are still alive, and, according to the canons themselves, none applies to the dead.” 

It is not a coincidence that Martin Luther came to these conclusions by reading Paul’s Epistles. Paul’s confessional hermeneutic is centered on the Blood of Jesus. He never allows philosophical speculation to lead the Gospel away from the comprehensive reality of the Blood of Jesus. All the things of God are realized in His Blood. All suffering, which many religions attempt to explain apart from Christ, or to avoid through asceticism and enlightenment, are made meaningful by His Blood. All worldly striving is shown to be futile by His Blood. In historic Lutheran theology, this focus on the Lamb's sacrifice is called “the centrality of the Cross.” 

The greatest strength of Lutheran theology has been the insistence on the centrality of the Cross. The deficiency is that the Cross is too often seen as bloodless, which is to miss the point. Jesus’ death could have taken place in many ways. He could have been beheaded or driven through with a spear. He died on a cross in fulfillment of the prophecies that he would be hanged on a tree. Jesus’ Cross is the new Tree of Life, from which we were driven by our sin in the beginning. The shed Blood of Jesus must be regarded as “restorative”. By His Blood we are restored to Paradise and the divine image is renewed. 

In a very real sense, the waters of baptism are Jesus’ Blood making us clean and restoring the divine image. I first perceived this in a vision that I had in 1990 while sitting in St.Paul Episcopal Church, West Whiteland, Pennsylvania. I was alone in the church and suddenly everything around me disappeared except for the stone baptismal font which had replaced the altar, front, center and elevated. An angel appeared above the font, and from a golden pitcher poured blood into the font. I knew that it was the Blood of Jesus and I slipped to my knees, overwhelmed by His holiness. 

Remembering that the Apostle Paul was thoroughly steeped in the Hebrew worldview, we must look there for an explanation as to how blood can be both contaminating and purifying. Linguists are able to trace the linguistic connections between many languages in the Afro-Asiatic family. Here is a significant finding: The Hebrew root "thr" = to be pure, corresponds to the Hausa/Hahm "toro" = clean, and to the Tamil "tiru" = holy. All are related to the proto-Dravidian and ancient Egyptian "tor" = blood. Among the Horite Hebrew (Abraham's ruler-priest caste) all blood that was shed was to be accounted for as it was believed to have power. There were rituals appropriate to all blood that was shed; for women after childbirth and for hunters after the kill. For warriors the ceremony was to relieve blood guilt, something that conributes to post-traumatic stress disorder. In Genesis 14, Melchizedek ministered to Abraham after combat and the ceremony involved bread and wine.

The Apostle Paul refers to the power of Jesus' shed blood no less than twelve times in his writings. Because God makes peace with us through the Blood of the Cross, he urges “Take every care to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together” (Eph. 4:3). Paul's confession of the saving Blood of Jesus informs his understanding of Baptism and the Body of Christ. He continues: “There is one Body, one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by God. There is one Lord, one Faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, over all, through all and within all” (Eph. 4:4-5).

The blood of the saints is precious to God because it is the Blood of His eternal Son, by which we are restored to union with God and therefore made one body in Him. Writing to the Ephesians, Paul says: "But now in Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For He is peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in His own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law. This was to create one single man in Himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the Cross, to unite them both in a single body and reconcile them with God. In His own person He killed the hostility... Through Him, both of us have in one Spirit our way to come to the Father" (Eph. 2:13-14).

Related reading: Jesus' Blood Cleanses; St. Paul's Application of Greek Philosophy; Water and Blood; Blood and Binary Distinctions; On Blood and the Impulse to Immortality