The morning Manna will be provided at
6am. Thanks. Studying Ephesians in the SSnet.org series Lesson 11, may the Holy Spirit be
the speaker to your heart. The Topic today is: Ephesians 6 and Parental
Power in Roman Times and the Bible for Morning Manna of the Sabbath School
Lesson Ephesians. The Opening Hymn will be 229
"Spirit of the Living God". The Sabbath School Quarterly,
downloadable from SSnet.org in the Teacher's Edition is on page 139ff. The SSnet.org allows anyone, anywhere to
read the lesson in their own language. Choose your own language to see God
speaking also to your heart. Why don’t you click on this link right
now: https://www.adultbiblestudyguide.org/pdf.php?file=2023:3Q:SE:PDFs:EAQ323_011.pdf ---“No license is given in God’s Word
for parental severity or oppression or for filial disobedience. The law of God,
in the home life and in the government of nations, flows from a heart of
infinite love.”—Ellen G. White, Child
Guidance, p. 259. ---The authority of the father in Roman
times were very strong and it was during the second century that it became
weaker (Carcopino 1938, Daily Life in Rome page 77ff). Source: https://archive.org/stream/dailylifeinancie035465mbp/dailylifeinancie035465mbp_djvu.txt ---“relationship through the male line (agnatio) and the unlimited power of the pater familias”.was in Jesus and Paul
and John’s day the way Romans had control over their children. ---In the second century AD they also
recognized the female line and it was called cognatio. ---The father’s power was weakened by
this. ---In the old Roman laws, a woman had no
rights over her son who had died intestate (no testament of allocation of
property) ---If she had three children then she
could have the power to inherit her son’s land. Emperor Hadrian decided that. ----Then later an emperor ruled that the
children can inherit from their mother. ---The blood line was considered the
best way to pass on inheritance. ---The father had absolute power over
his children and over his wife. The wife was placed in his hand as if she were
one of his daughters. (Carcopino 1938, page 77). ---That was still in the days of Jesus,
Paul and John. But in the Second Century under emperor Hadrian, these powers
disappeared. ---In the time of Jesus, Paul and John,
the father had right of life or death over the son given to him by ancient
Roman laws. ---In the second century AD, this power
was taken away. ---If the father did not want the
new-born baby, he could leave it on a garbage heap for dogs to be killed but by
the Third Century AD that was considered “murder” in Roman Law. ---In emperor Trajan’s time, his record
shows that 179 legitimate children will get financial assistance, 145 boys and
34 girls. There are two bastards (spurii), a boy and a girl. This means these
bastards were not murdered or killed by dogs. ---If a father does not kill an unwanted
baby then the unwanted baby could not be sold as a slave later. ---Emperor Hadrian punished a father for
killing his son because he slept with his second wife. ---Emperor Trajan forced a father who
had maltreated his son to give the son up for adoption and when the boy died
the father cannot share in his property ---Emancipation of a child means that
the child is cut off from the family and cannot inherit. ---Pliny says "A father," he
writes, "was scolding his son for somewhat excessive expenditure. . . . As
soon as the young man had gone I said: 'Well, well, and did you never do
anything yourself which might 'have deserved a re- proof from your father?' " 14 ---Pliny the Younger preached a tolerance
or, if the word is preferred, a liberalism which appeals to us. ---But there is a sad part to this
kindness. Discipline is not meted out timely and properly. ---Result: corruption. ---The Roman society were similar than
today “They were not content to lessen the old severity; they yielded to the
impulse to become far too complaisant. Having given up the habit of controlling
their children, they let the children govern them, and took pleasure in
bleeding themselves white to gratify the expensive whims of their offspring.” (Carcopino
1938 page 79). ---The father who’s love is to gain lost
in the Second Century AD the proper way to raise his children and corrupt them.
---For example, the great rich advocate
Regulus who was an enemy of Pliny the younger gave everything for his son: dogs
of every breed, parrots, all kinds of birds, all kinds of horses, and when his
mother died, he inherited her rich property. ---The boy spend his inheritance foolishly
and died very young and his wealth fell back to the father. (Carcopino 1938,
page 79). ---Notice and in the Bible and Spirit of
Prophecy, discipline is an ingredient of proper education for the children. ---Do you have children? Are you
properly balanced with love and discipline?