by Bud Lambert
Hermeneutics is the process of taking the meaning of a passage obtained through exegesis and applying it to present day life. One part of that process is discerning whether or not a biblical instruction was intended to be universal, specific, permanent, or temporary. If a command is universal, it applies to all people. If it is specific, it appli6s only to a certain group of people. If it is permanent, it is applicable for all time. If it is temporary, it is applicable for a limited time. Any command, example, or necessary implication that is not limited by the context or subsequent revelation should be considered universal and permanent.
One way we can determine whether a New Testament instruction is permanent or temporary (cultural) is to consider the remote context (How is it used throughout the Bible?). Unless there is a specific command stating otherwise, New Testament instructions that have been required for all God's people from the beginning of time and throughout biblical history, can safely be considered permanent, not cultural; and thus, apply to God's people today.
One New Testament instruction concerning the family where this is especially important is when the Bible teaches that the husband is to be the head of his wife and the ruler of his house ( Ephesians 5:22-24,33). Is this a temporary command, intended only for the Ephesian Christians, due to their cultural situation? Or is this a universal command, intended for all people for all times?
The remote context suggests that God intended it to be a permanent family structure, beginning with the first family. Notice Genesis 3:16: "And unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." (See also 1 Corinthians 11:3, 8-9 and Colossians 3:18).
Let's speak where the Bible speaks, seek to apply sound hermeneutical principles to our study of the Bible, and strive to struchlre our families the way God says we should.