PAUL COMPLETES HIS LETTER
ADVICE ON FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for
this is right. 2
Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3
so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.
When Paul spoke about husband and wife relationship he did
not use the word obey. Obedience is
honoring you parents. Paul reminds
children to obey their parents (Proverbs
6:20; 23:22;
Colossians
3:20). Children must be taught
obedience to God and then to their parents.
Obedience to taught through discipline.
There are two types of discipline: 1) Self-discipline - disciplining yourself to form good habits
such as reading God word or praying daily.
2) Imposed discipline which is imposed by others. Parents will use discipline needed to achieve
obedience. Wise parents will use only as
much discipline as needed to teach life’s lessons.
Obedience demonstrates is the highest form of honor to God
and the child’s parents. Remember we too
are children of God and also must learn obedience to His will.
(2) Adherence to the 5th commandment is
critical. Children who honor their
parents in this way, also honor the Lord.
God has given them (parents) authority over their children, which should
be used with love, wisdom, and knowledge of the Word. The 5th commandment is the first
one giving a promise and reward by abiding in His will (Exodus
20:12 ; Deuteronomy
5:16 ).
(3)
The promise found in verse three is a twofold promise; “it may be well with you”
– This statement goes further than the avoidance of corporal punishment; and it
further means the lessons learned from their parents will serve them well in
the future. The second part of the
promise “that you may live long upon the earth” – Perhaps Paul had proverbs
10:27 in mind, when he made this statement.
Paul may have been referring to the promise to the Israelites to live in
the land of Cannon (Deuteronomy 5:33;
6:2;
11:8).
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to
anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
“Roman
fathers could do anything that he wanted with his children. He could make them
work in the fields. He could even put chains on them. He could sell them as
slaves. He could punish them, as he liked. He could even kill them. When a girl
was born, the father might throw her away.”[6]
Fathers are warned not to do or say things they know will
anger their children. A child brought to
anger will rebel against any instruction from the father.
“bring them up in discipline and instruction” – What is
discipline, why is it important, how should it be ministered?
I spoke of discipline as showing honor in the commentary to
verses 1-3. Discipline your children
with love, understanding they will make mistakes. Use only as much discipline as it takes to
correct the child. Time outs will not
always work, nor is corporal punishment always the answer. Praise the child when they do right, and correct
them when they do wrong.
5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your
masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of
your heart, as to Christ; 6 not by way of eye-service, as men-pleasers,
but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
“Slaves” – translated from Greek: doulos doo'-los from 1210;
a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore
in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency):--bond(-man), servant. see
GREEK for 1210. [2]
In some translations the word servants is used. These servants could have committed
themselves to their master as bond servants (perhaps to pay off a debt).
They were the property of their master in that ultimate
authority over to master even unto death.
These servants were in most cases bond servants, although some may have
been placed in servitude against their will (Colossians
3: 22-25).
BY NO MEANS DOES THIS MEAN GOD ADVOCATES SLAVERY!
(5) Paul recognized the culture he was
ministering to supported slavery. I
don’t believe Paul was condoning slavery but rather recognizing its existence,
and as such gave those who were servants’ guidance as he did other family
members.
“the sincerity of your heart” – This was translated from the
Greek word haplotes hap-lot'-ace from 573; singleness, i.e. (subjectively)
sincerity (without dissimulation or self-seeking), or (objectively)
generosity (copious bestowal):--bountifulness, liberal(-ity),
simplicity, singleness. see GREEK for 573.
Paul is telling the servants not to serve with motivations
of reward in this world, but rather with a giving heart as the followers of
Jesus; to do their best.
(6)
Paul tells us; not to strive to please men by our works but rather strive to
please God, who wants us to do our work to the best of our abilities, and in
doing so, we honor God. Paul gives no
stipulation as to whether we are treated well or not, we are still to do our
best.
Believers in Jesus are not just children of God but we are
His ambassadors here on earth, representing the very attributes of Jesus. We call this the Christian work ethic. Christians are to work for their employer as
though they were working for God; giving 8 full hours of work for 8 hours of
pay. We should do the very best job we
can, on each task given to us, as though whatever we do bore our
signature.
7 With good will render service, as to the
Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one
does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
Continuing on with the Christian work ethic. It does not matter what task is set before
you; do it as though you were doing for our Lord, for His glory will be
magnified by your Christian work ethic (Colossians
3:23).
(8)
To work for earthly gains is a futile task; for any gains, or rewards are
temporary at best. If we are given recognition for our efforts we should accept
them in humility as Jesus told us in (Luke 17:
8-10). Our rewards are not of this earth but in heaven; when our master
says, “well done good and faithful servant” (2
Corinthians 5:10).
9 And masters, do the same things to them, and
give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and
there is no partiality with Him.
“the oldest manuscripts read, "the Master both of them
and you": "their Master and yours." This more forcibly brings
out the equality of slaves and masters in the sight of God. SENECA [Thyestes,
607], says, "Whatever an inferior dreads from you, this a superior Master
threatens yourselves with: every authority here is under a higher above."
As you treat your servants, so will He treat you.” [8]
Paul gives the masters instruction; pointing out, in God’s
eyes there is no difference in value between master and slave.
Jewish law provided that each slave would be set free on the
7th year of servitude. At
that time the slave could either stay or go.
Maters were to be as benevolent towards the slave as Jesus
is towards them.
Masters are advised to give up threats, as threats tend only
to produce terror which over the long run hurts more than the lash.
CHRISTIANS PREPARE FOR WAR
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the
strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you
will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Make no mistake, anyone who accepts the Lord Jesus as savior
is in mortal combat with Satan. We are
no match for Satan in our own power and might.
It is only through the power and might of God which allows
us to prevail in this ongoing battle.
This war will not be won until Jesus comes again. He will vanquish
Satan, and throw him into the lake of fire.
We must, from this time forward, put on the whole armor of
God in our daily walk.
What then is the whole armor of God?
Notice there are more defensive parts of this armor than
offensive.
Paul probably drew this analogy from the Roman soldier’s
armor. Everyone knew of the Roman
soldier’s armor and how it protected them while in battle.
In Romans
13:12 Paul refers to the armor of God as the armor of light, meaning armor
of righteousness.
We will study in depth the different parts of the armor and
what their use is.
Paul stressed, the importance of putting on the full armor
of God, not just part of it. Satan is a
powerful foe. We cannot defeat Satan in
our own power, but only through Jesus can victory be realized.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of
this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly
places.
When we ask for salvation, we join the army of Christ, and
become actively engaged in a spiritual war between the forces of darkness, and
the forces of light with Jesus as its commander.
The forces of
darkness are comprised of Satan and his legions, who stop at nothing to sway
any child of God away from His light. In
Ephesians
2:2 Paul tells us Satan is the prince of the air, which is the first heaven
(Revelation
21:1). When watching TV news or
reading the paper about the increasing evil in this world, we might think Satan
is winning.
We should not worry about things we have no control over. We
need to fight our own battles, using the power of Jesus; which is the only
power more powerful than that of Satan.
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so
that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to
stand firm.
How can one take up the full armor of God?
Each day upon waking ask the Lord to give you strength
against the influences of Satan. I say
each day because, unlike the Roman soldier, who only occasionally took up his
armor to fight a physical battle, we on the other hand face the battle every
moment of every day; and therefore we must be ready.
Paul, while watching his guard put on his armor in a certain
order; uses this observation to draw a visual picture of the spiritual armor we
all must wear.
Paul goes on the verse 14 and following to describe the full
armor of God.
14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins
with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16
in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able
to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Paul was using the Old Testament teachings found in Isaiah
59:16-17 as a basis for the analogy of a soldier’s armor.
To stand firm is to not give way, not even a little. If we compromise our righteousness, faith,
reading the gospel, or yielding to public pressure to disguise the whole truth
of God, so as not to offend anyone; we make ourselves vulnerable to Satan. Satan will look for weak spots in our armor
to gain a foothold in our lives.
So far the armor deals with protection. But what of the helmet and sword?
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The helmet of salvation is our most important piece of
equipment. Paul listed it last; however,
it is the first thing a person needs to have.
Without salvation there would not be any of the other pieces of armor.
The sword used by the Romans, during Paul’s time, was two
edged, and about two feet long; a formable close quarters weapon. The word of God is a living document and the
best weapon against Satan. When Jesus
was tempted by Satan He quoted scripture to attack Satan’s guile (Matthew
4:1-11). Jesus quoted Deuteronomy
8:3 when tempted by Satan to turn stone into bread.
Allan Turner writes
a compelling commentary on verse 17 which I encourage you to read.
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all
times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all
perseverance and petition
for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be
given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery
of the gospel, 20
for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak
boldly, as I ought to speak.
What does it mean to pray in the Spirit?
The capital “S” is used telling us this refers to the Holy
Spirit (Romans
8:11; ). The Holy Spirit dwells in
each of us who are borne again (1
Corinthians 3:16;
2
Timothy 1:14), and when we can’t find the words to pray; He intercedes for
us with groans (Romans
8:26).
We read in John 4:24
that “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and
truth.” Does this mean we leave our
prayers up to the Holy Spirit? There are
times when corporate vocal prayer is appropriate and other times when silent
prayer is used. In either of these
circumstances it is the inner man (your soul) who is reaching out in spirit to
God through Jesus the Christ.
(18)
Paul tells us to be persistent, this does not mean to be repetitive in our
prayers, but rather to persevere in our prayers; to offer prayers and petitions
(requests) for the saints (from the Greek word hagios which means those who are
consecrated).
(19) Although still in prison, Paul was not asking
for anyone to pray for his release; but rather for wisdom in preaching God’s
Gospel, and that God would put the very words he must say into his heart and
mind. This is sound guidance we all good
benefit from, when reading or speaking Gods word.
(20)
Paul tells us he is Christ’s ambassador, which is translated from the Greek
presbeuo, meaning representative in the
realm of the Gentile.
He was commissioned by Jesus, Himself to preach the gospel
to the Gentile (Acts 9:15). Even as Paul was still in prison his mission
must not stop.
He finishes his statement by saying that the gospel must be
preached boldly. We can learn a lesson
from Paul; to speak confidently, and without fear, when speaking to others
about Jesus.
21 But that you also may know about my
circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful
minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.
Paul was in prison and in chains making writing very
difficult. I believe Tychicus, a
Christian, was a close friend of Paul and penned this letter to the church in
Ephesus.
Who was this man called Tychicus? (/ˈtɪtʃikəs/),[1] an Asiatic
Christian who, with Trophimus,
accompanied the Apostle
Paul on a part of his journey from Macedonia to Jerusalem. He is also
alluded to have been with Paul in Rome,
where the apostle sent him to Ephesus, probably for the purpose of building up
and encouraging the church there.[2] In the New
Testament, he is mentioned five times (Acts
20:4; Ephesians
6:21; Colossians
4:7; Titus
3:12; 2
Timothy 4:12).[3]” [4]
22
I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us,
and that he may comfort your hearts.
There must have been many rumors about Paul’s confinement
and perhaps even his death; even though scripture does not specify this. Paul knew there would be much concern and
even feelings of abandonment by them.
Tychicus would carry the letter, and more importantly tell them Paul was
alive and as well as can be expected, thereby reassuring them.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with
faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord
Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.
Alan Turner writes in his commentary on Ephesians: “23. Peace
to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. (24) Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in
sincerity. Amen. Paul closes this wonderful letter with four of his
favorite words: peace, love, faith, and grace. Note: Paul did not fail in his
mission, and neither must we. Like Paul, ultimately, victory is ours. With the
full armor of God, we know that we are “thoroughly equipped for every good
work” (II Timothy 3:17) and that we are “more than conquerors through Him who
loved us” (Romans 8:37). As such, we are confident that “neither death nor
life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things
to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans
8:38--39). In other words, we know we have no excuse for failing to win the
battles of life.” [8]
By faith, we know we can do everything the Lord has
determined that we should do (cf. Philippians 4:13). By faith, we know that
“those who are with us are more than those who are with [our enemy]” (II Kings
6:16).
Credits and Citations
[2]- Greek translation are derived from Crosswire.org/study
bible and Strong’s Exhaustive concordance
[4] – Wikipedia.org
[6] – Commentary Christian
beliefs and behavior
Back to last slide
