14/01/18 Ephesians 6:1-9 “Unity in the Church needs unity in the households”
Ephesians 6:1 – Children,
obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
obey – listen to; harken to; harken to a
command; be obedient to; submit to.
right – just; righteous; observing divine laws;
acting according to the commands of God; approved of or acceptable of God;
faultless.
obey ….. in the Lord – be obedient according to your obligation to obey God. See:
Colossians 3:23 – And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as
to the Lord, and not unto men;
“Children be
obedient to your parents as you would obey the Lord, for this is acceptable to
God.”
Parents in the
Lord could also mean that
whenever a godly parent gave a godly command, this was to be obeyed as if the
child were serving God. Not all marriages were holy, though, so at times
children may have had conflicts between godly and ungodly commands. But note
the following:
1 Corinthians 7:14 – For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the
wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your
children unclean; but now are they holy.
Ephesians 6:2-3 – 2 Honour
thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with
thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
This quotes the 5th
commandment with an added comment in brackets.
Exodus 20:12 – Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may
be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Deuteronomy 5:16 – Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy
God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go
well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
This is the first
(the only one, in fact) of the commandments that adds a promised blessing for
obedience.
Honour – honour; value; revere; venerate.
first – first in time; first in importance or
influence; chief; principal; first in rank.
promise – or blessing
earth – ge (the
ground; the earth; a country; territory; region)
“Honour (Value; Revere) your father and mother; which is the principal
(or main) commandment with a promised blessing, that
it might be well (prosperous) with you, and that you might live long on
the earth (your
days might be prolonged).”
It is clear though
that while this promise appears to indicate a long life physically, not all
obedient children do live long lives! However, a life lived in obedience to God
is unlikely to result in illnesses and diseases contracted by godless living
(such as drugs or alcohol), and this promise may simply be talking about living
the full lifetime as planned by God without shortening it through sinful
living. In other words, God has given all of us a certain measure of life, but
we may, through disobedience and carelessness, cut it short. Note our
appointment with death as per
Hebrews 9:27 – And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but
after this the judgment:
Ephesians 6:4 – And, ye
fathers (or parents), provoke not your children to
wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
provoke … to
wrath – parorgizo
(to rouse to wrath; provoke; exasperate; anger) Stir up trouble!
nurture – paideia (the whole training and
education of children; instruction for increased virtue; chastisement;
chastening)
Translated as
“instruction” in 2 Timothy 3:16 – All scripture [is] given by inspiration of
God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness:
and “chastening” in
Hebrews 12:5 – And ye
have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto
you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening
of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
bring …. up – nourish; nourish up to maturity; nurture;
bring up.
“And, you fathers,
do not provoke to wrath (stir up trouble or anger; exasperate) your children, but (instead) bring them up
(provide them
with nourishment in order to grow to maturity, notably spiritual maturity) in the nurture (training and education
including chastisement so they will increase in virtue) and admonition (or exhortation) of the Lord.”
A similar phrase (different
Greek though) is used in Colossians 3:21 – Fathers, provoke not your children [to anger],
lest they be discouraged.
Certainly chastening is permitted, which could
provoke some measure of wrath from the child, yet provoking to wrath for the
sake of provocation itself is not permitted.
A related word for
“wrath” (parorgismos) is used in the
following:
Ephesians 4:26-27 – 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down
upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.
It does appear as
if the context of today’s passage is aimed at avoiding the relationship
conflicts that could open the way for Christians to give way to the devil
through sin, including anger. In fact, that’s where this passage is leading:
into the passage on the whole armour of God which we will commence upon next
time.
Ephesians 6:5 – Servants,
be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with
fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Servants – doulos (slave;
bondman; servant; attendant; metaphorically: one who gives himself up to
another’s will; devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests)
be obedient – see “obey” in Ephesians 6:1 above
masters – kurios
(Lord; lord; master; supreme or sovereign one; one who has control of a person
or thing; the possessor and disposer of a person or thing; title given by
servants to their master; title given to God the Messiah)
Translated “the
Lord” in Matthew 1:22 – Now all
this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord
by the prophet, saying,
and as “Sir” in John 4:49 – The nobleman saith unto him, Sir,
come down ere my child die.
kurios is used 7 times in today’s passage: Eg “the Lord” (vs 4) and “masters” and “Master” (vs 9).
masters
according to the flesh –
Those who have the physical (fleshly) power of possession and disposal over
their servants and slaves.
fear – phobos (fear;
dread; terror; reverence)
trembling – tromos
(a trembling or quaking with fear)
Philippians 2:12 – Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling.
singleness – singleness; simplicity; sincerity; mental
honesty; free from pretence and hypocrisy.
“Servants, be
obedient to (submit
in order to obey) them that are
your masters (lords;
those who hold your lives in their hands) according to the flesh (have physical control of you); (be obedient) in fear (terror or reverence) and trembling (quaking with fear),
being single-minded without hypocrisy in your hearts, (serving them) as you would serve Christ.”
The slaves’ (or
hired servants’) masters only had power over their physical beings. The masters
could sell, injure or even kill the body, but he had no such control (or should
have no such control) over their spiritual beings. It brings to mind a similar
comparison between those of the world, and the eternal judge, God.
Matthew 10:28 – And fear not them which kill
the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but
rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Ephesians 6:6 – Not with
eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of
Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
eyeservice – ophthalmodouleia
(service performed [only] under the master’s eyes, for the master’s eye usually
stimulates to greater diligence; his absence, on the other hand, renders
sluggish) That is, only being obedient when you are being watched.
menpleasers – studying to please man; courting the
favour of men.
Galatians 1:10 – For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to
please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
That is, if you are
a manpleaser, then you’ll carry out eyeservice for
your master. But if you are the servant of Christ, then you’ll do all things
according to the will of God from your heart (that is, truly, without hypocrisy).
See Colossians 3:23. Also note:
Colossians 3:22 – Servants, obey in all things [your] masters
according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers;
but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
Such people will do
excellent work even when no-one can see them or their work, even when no-one
will ever see their work.
Ephesians 6:7 – With good
will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
goodwill – or “kindness”
doing service – douleuo (to
be a slave; serve; do service; to obey; submit to; can mean to yield to
temptation or giving one’s self up to something bad) Related to doulos (servant; slave)
Whatever you do
when serving man will demonstrate your service to God. If you say you’re a
Christian, then act like it! (Especially when serving others.)
Colossians 3:23 – And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as
to the Lord, and not unto men;
“With good will (kindness) doing service (submitting to others) as if you were serving God, and not just
men.”
Ephesians 6:8 – Knowing
that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the
Lord, whether [he be] bond or free.
bond – doulos
free – eleutheros (freeborn; not a slave; not bound
by an obligation; in an ethical sense: free from the yoke of Mosaic law)
1 Corinthians 7:39 – The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband
liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at
liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
Note the following
where to be the servant of the Lord was to be truly free. MacArthur obviously
ignored this passage when he wrote “Slave”!
1 Corinthians 7:22 – For he that is called in the Lord, [being] a
servant (doulos), is the Lord’s freeman (apeleutheros): likewise also he that is
called, [being] free (eleutheros), is Christ’s servant (doulos).
That is, a servant of the Lord is not a slave of the Lord, and he that
is called to serve, being not a slave of the Lord, is Christ’s servant.
For whatever good
work you do (in service to others), you will receive the same response
(blessing?) from the Lord, regardless of whether you are bond (slave; servant)
or free (freeborn; not a slave). God doesn’t repay differently just because you
are a slave and another is a freeborn man. He is impartial; He judges you for
what you do, not who you are. (See Ephesians 6:9 below)
Also, if you do
right and are punished for it, this is acceptable with God, that a man should
endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
1 Peter 2:18-21 – 18 Servants, [be] subject to [your] masters
with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this [is] thankworthy,
if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20
For what glory [is it], if, when ye be buffeted for your
faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for
it], ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God. 21
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for
us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Ephesians 6:9 – And, ye
masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that
your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
forbearing – to
send back; relax; loosen; give up; omit; not uphold.
Hebrews 13:5b – for he hath said, I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee.
Acts 16:26b – and immediately all the doors were opened, and
every one’s bands were loosed.
respect of
persons – respect of
persons; partiality. We could call it being unfair.
“And you who are their
masters (lords) do the same things to them (treat them as you would like
them to treat you in that situation), forbearing (omitting) threatening,
knowing that your master (Lord) also (indeed) is in heaven; neither is there any respect
of persons (partiality;
unfairness) with (from) Him.”
God does not treat
you any differently just because you are a slave or servant. Often being a
slave was simply a matter of what family or society you were born into. You do
not receive a lesser inheritance from God because you happened to be a slave.
Nor do you get special preferential treatment from God because you were born to
a ruling family.
If you are a master
(lord) of slaves (servants), think about how you would like God to treat you,
for you serve God in the same way that the slave or servant serves you! Treat
them not only as you would like them to treat you if the positions were
reversed, but also consider how you would like God to treat you (as His slave
or servant), and treat your slaves (or servants)
accordingly.
And at this point
in Ephesians, Paul considers that they have had sufficient instruction on how
to live proper Christian lives in unity with each other in the body of Christ,
the Church. Now he is ready to tackle the problem of how to overcome all the
pressures they are going to face in order to live at peace with each other, Endeavouring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3).
We have an enemy
(the devil, satan) who hates man because man has dominion over all the earth,
something satan can never have. Satan, or course, knows this all too clearly,
and so he strives for the next best thing: dominion over all those who have that
dominion over all the earth! If he cannot have dominion, then he’ll rule those
who do. If he can take control of those who do have dominion, then he can
dictate what they do with their dominion. It isn’t exactly the same as having
dominion, but it’s the best satan can hope for. If only he can control all
mankind, then he can at least make some sort of claim to having dominion over
all the earth.
However, it’s never
been quite as simple as all that, as satan has found out over the centuries. While
man is quick to rebel against God, he is also just as quick to rebel against
anything else that tries to tell him what to do. And, there have always been
those who have refused to bend the knee to satan.
1 Kings 19:18 – Yet I have left [me] seven thousand in
Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which
hath not kissed him.
In every generation
there have been faithful men and women who have not bent the knee to Baal. Such
people have, by their faithfulness to God, made themselves enemies of satan.
Such people prevent satan from gaining his complete supremacy over all the
earth. Kings and rulers who have been inspired by satan to do his dirty work
for him (read “have handed over their dominion to satan for him to use and
abuse”) throughout history have tried to wipe out those pesky irritating people
of God who just won’t bend the knee. Rulers such as King Herod, and, in more
modern times, Hitler and Stalin, to name a few. Believers such as Shadrack etc,
Daniel, Elijah, Paul, were to stand up against those who served satan, not
fearing what the enemy might do; choosing instead to serve God in fear and
trembling.
Hebrews 11:36-38 – 36 And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea,
moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they
were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about
in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of
whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains,
and [in] dens and caves of the earth.
In the great tribulation satan will attempt to gain the control over
every person on earth at that time. If he can’t control them, he’ll get rid of
them. All who oppose him will be put to death, if caught. And ultimately, at
the very end of the tribulation, satan will gather his forces under the
leadership of the antichrist and march against that one last stronghold of his
enemy, the city of God, Jerusalem. But even then he’ll
be unable to gain supremacy. Jesus the Messiah comes back to earth (the second
coming) to protect and defend His people, those who have not bent the knee to
Baal. But, while it has been those of the people of the Church for 2000 years
or more who haven’t bent the knee to Baal, during the tribulation it’ll be
those of Israel once again who refuse to bend the knee. Starting with the
144,000 sealed (12,000 from each of the 12 tribes – see Revelation 7:2-10), and
the two prophets in the streets of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1-12), to those at
the end who give God (and not satan) the glory after that great earthquake in
Jerusalem (Revelation 11:13), satan just cannot overthrow those of God who
stand their ground and refuse to hand over the victory, even when things look
as bad as they could ever get.
However, satan only has to get a foothold which he will use as a
foundation for building greater control of a person’s life. Satan and his
demons are termed occult, that is, secret or hidden. They work most effectively
when they are occult (hidden from your senses). The less you know of their
activities, the more effectively they can work on taking control. So it is obvious that satan (and his demons) must put in a
significant amount of effort in order to maintain that secrecy. This particularly
applies to Christians who should have at least some knowledge of satan and his
workings. Christians are like soldiers in the army, supposedly more effective
than civilians who generally know little or nothing about warfare against the
enemy. (Of course, this assumes that Christians have been properly trained to
fight, and that they are willing to put their training into practice.)
But this enemy fights with stealth, sneaking up upon his prey unawares
(see Galatians 2:4; Jude 4; 1 Peter 5:8), ambushing unwary Christians,
attacking them before they are fully aware of what is happening. And it’s not
necessarily big issues that ambush Christians; instead it is generally the
little “insignificant” sins that start the rot. It’s like white ants that start
chewing away a small hidden section of wood, and you just don’t know they’re
there, until you push on that bit of wood and the paint cracks, and all of a
sudden you have a massive gaping hole! If only we could see white ants out in
the open before they could do so much destruction. (Like that road out to the
clifftop carpark at Loch Ard Gorge; the sea had eaten
away most of the rock underneath! But no-one knew until it was almost too late.)
Paul has written to the Ephesians trying to emphasise the need for
unity in the Church, especially Jews and Gentiles, but also those other
seemingly insignificant problems of lack of unity in the families of the
Church. I think he’s saying that if we want unity in the Church, we have to
start with ourselves and those “insignificant” sins. If we as individuals do
not give place to the devil, then the Church as a whole will not give place to
the devil. And that’s where we are heading toward next time.
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