Exegetical Reading Ephesians 5:21-24: Implications For Women’s Emancipation In Nigeria

Abstract

 The query and dissatisfaction of some liberationists against Christianity is the argument that it is an
anti-feminist religion. God did not intend to initiate an unjust condition or create a discrepancy that
would result to injustice or violence based on gender inequality. God had indeed wanted man to have
dominion over all that he had created (Gen 1:27). It was man (male and female) in the sense of
humanity was given the mandate of dominating the rest of creation. Prior to the coming of Christ,
there was no uniformed position about women in the Jewish religion. It varied from time to time. The
Pauline epistles especially Ephesians 5:21-24 seem to aggravate this perception; hence many still find
Paul and his letters misogynist and responsible for the subordination of women. The research therefore
focuses on interpreting the submission as taught by Paul in Ephesians 5: 21-24 in the context of the
contemporary Nigerian society. The findings of the research points that none is lesser or higher, in
quality of gender and therefore the issue of gender/sex, race and social strata should not de-emphasize
the fact that all are co-workers in Christ and one. The exegetical method utilized revealed that the text
is not an outright subjugating passage as reviled by many. None has to pick on this message in order
to say that St. Paul was a misogynist or to blame Christianity as responsible for any form of subjugation
and violence against women in our contemporary society. In order to achieve this, this research will
go a long way to expose the purpose and values which the text bears for the women and the Christian
family in general. The exegetical method of investigation will be used in the study and other literary
works will be depended on as secondary method of data collection