Ephesians 6:4 – “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Fits with what Patrick said. Teach them that God’s way is good and how to follow it.
Ephesians 6:6-8 – If this is how slaves were to act, how then should I act as a mere employee? Or as a spouse? A church member? Sometimes it can be hard to do the right thing, to obey and authority or to respond with sincere respect and submission. But, it is good to remind ourselves, God is watching and he will reward me. Of course, truly following this passage would mean not doing the good looking for reward from God, but think it’s OK in the spirit of the passage to be comforted by its expectation.
I never noticed before, as I do now, the pairs of relationships addressed here in Ephesians 5-6. Paul has instructions, and challenging ones, both both wives and husbands, parents and children, slaves and masters. Their instructions are complimentary – wives must submit, but husbands better love them on the same level as Christ did the church; children obey, but fathers, don’t provoke them; slaves obey, but masters, remember they serve the same God in heaven. there is more responsibility laid on the leader’ to create and environment where the obedience is possible and even easy.
In both Ephesians 6:11 & Ephesians 6:13, Paul says to put on the full armor of God. Don’t leave any piece off. Though it may seem that your burden is lighter, you are left exposed. That involves truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, the word of God and prayer. It’s too easy to leave one of these behind, or to put one down in order to pick up another.
In Ephesians 6:12 he reminds us that we are fighting a battle that is largely hidden in another realm. The battle s within our hearts and souls. Who will we be there, where no one but God can see?
Hi Doug,
I think we’ve all heard misuse of the Eph 5:21. The general teaching has been that everyone is to submit to everyone. That doesn’t make sense in the context that follows.
Eph 5:21 is an introduction to the subsequent discourse on these pairs of relationships. Each of the pairs of relationships has an order. Wives submit to husbands. Children obey their parents. Slaves submit to their masters. (note parallel passage in Col 3:18-4:1)
It would make no sense for a parent to submit to their child. That is not what Eph 5:21 is saying. So also it is not saying that husbands are to submit to their wives, nor that masters are to submit to slaves (or employers submit to employees, as the analogy is often drawn).
There is an order of authority implied throughout this passage. In our American culture we don’t like authority, so we try to invalidate it, minimize it, sidestep it, or otherwise avoid having to submit to it. I think the teachings we have heard from Eph 5:21 have often been misguided because of our cultural biases. As a result we have children who don’t respect their parents, wives who don’t respect their husbands, employees who don’t respect their bosses, etc. We just don’t like authority.
Funny thing is, it seems God considers authority a good and healthy thing.
Eph 5:21ff does address the proper way to carry that authority. When done according to the scriptures, it is practically invisible. And it gives security and empowerment to those under the authority. But the authority is real, and ordained by God.
Not politically correct, I know.
Alan
See also 1 Pet 2:13-3:7
Same ideas.