Michael J. Smith Copyright (c) 2012 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/michael_j_smith Recent documents in Michael J. Smith en-us Sun, 25 Nov 2012 19:58:30 PST 3600 The Failure of the Family in Judges, Part 1: Jephthah http://works.bepress.com/michael_j_smith/2 http://works.bepress.com/michael_j_smith/2 Sun, 17 May 2009 15:21:03 PDT While "The literature on Judges is voluminous," one theme scarcely touched on in studies on this book is the role of the family. Women in Judges are often examined in relative isolation. These women need to be studied, however, not as stand-alone characters, but within the social context of their families. Also male characters in Judges should not be studied in isolation, but should be seen in the cultural setting as husbands, fathers, and leaders at various levels who are responsible to prepare the way for the future of Israel in successive generations.

A serious problem in Israel can be seen in the statement in Judges 2:10 that the generation after Joshua "did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." As a result of military compromises this new generation "played the harlot after other gods" (v. 17). They lived among the pagan nations "and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods" (3:5-6). The tragic events that followed in the book demonstrate that the absence of godly leadership in the family as well as in the nation resulted in everyone doing what was right in his own eyes (17:6; 21:25). Throughout the Book of Judges marriage and the family is a theme that needs to be examined.

]]> Michael J. Smith Articles The Failure of the Family in Judges, Part 2: Samson http://works.bepress.com/michael_j_smith/3 http://works.bepress.com/michael_j_smith/3 Sun, 17 May 2009 15:21:03 PDT Michael J. Smith Articles The Role of the Pedagogue in Galatians http://works.bepress.com/michael_j_smith/1 http://works.bepress.com/michael_j_smith/1 Sun, 17 May 2009 15:21:02 PDT In discussing the believers relationship to the Law and to God in Galatians 3:23-4:7 Paul used two figures from the culture of his day. First, he looked back and used the word "pedagogue" to describe the function of the Old Testament Law over Israel before the time of Christ: "Therefore the Law has become our tutor [παιδαγωγός] to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor [παιδαγωγό^]" (Gal. 3:24-25). Second, he looked at the relationship believers have with God and used the word "adoption" to describe the position of believers as that of sons: "so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" (4:5). While the act of adoption is familiar today, the role of the pedagogue in Paul's day is not. Therefore an examination of the meaning, person, and function of the pedagogue can help believers understand the passage in Galatians.

The purpose of this article is to investigate the cultural background of the word παιδαγωγός and to demonstrate how Paul used this figure in his argument in Galatians.

]]> Michael J. Smith Articles