Institute for Creation Research

Ephesians 6:1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2

Honour thy father and mother; ° which is the first commandment with promise;

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That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

4

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

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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;

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Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

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With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

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Knowing that whatsoever ° good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

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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.

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Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

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Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

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For we wrestle not against ° flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

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Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

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Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

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And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

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Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

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And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

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Praying always ° ° with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto ° ° with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

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And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open ° my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

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For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

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But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

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Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

23

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

Ephesians 6:2

6:2 Honour thy father and mother. Paul here implicitly endorses all ten of God’s commandments to Israel, applying them to Christians as well as Jews. The fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) is actually the only commandment accompanied by a specific earthly promise. Obedience and honor to those who gave them birth and life is regarded as a virtue among all nations and religions; how much more should this be true in the case of children whose parents have led them into spiritual birth and life as well!

Ephesians 6:4

6:4 nurture and admonition. “Nurture” (Greek paideia) is the same as “chastening” in Hebrews 12:5,7, and “instruction” in II Timothy 3:16. It has particular reference to child-training, carried out with both firmness and gentleness as needed in each particular case. “Admonition” (Greek nouthesia) means literally “putting in mind”; thus “admonition of the Lord” implies teaching the Lord’s ways through His Word. Note that both—instruction through actions and instruction through verbal teaching—are primarily the responsibility of the father, although others (especially the mother—note, e.g., Proverbs 1:8) may be called upon by him to participate in the child-training activities. It is significant that the first reference in the Bible to teaching has to do with Abraham’s responsibility to bring up his own son in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Genesis 18:19).

Ephesians 6:5

6:5 Servants. See also the similar passage in Colossians 3:22-25. The “servants” here are actually “bond-servants” or “slaves.” Although the institution of slavery seems repugnant to us today, and certainly inconsistent with Christian ideals, it was a basic part of social order in the ancient world, impossible to eliminate without a revolutionary overturning of the entire society. Consequently, neither Paul nor the other apostles nor even Jesus Himself ever argued against it. Rather they urged true Christian behavior on the part of both master and slave, and eventually these principles would change society itself, as an indirect effect.

Ephesians 6:5

6:5 trembling. This is an idiomatic expression indicating serious recognition of the importance of a given responsibility, used by Paul of his own attitude in preaching the gospel (I Corinthians 2:3).

Ephesians 6:8

6:8 whatsoever good thing. One’s lot in this life, whether high or low, is merely a preparation for eternity. “Neither is there respect of persons” with God (Ephesians 6:9), and our position then is determined by faithfulness now, not eminence. Paul himself could say: “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

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