Colossians 3:20

τὰ τέκνα. || Ephesians 6:1-3.

ὑπακούετε, Colossians 3:22. See note on ὑποτάσσεσθε, Colossians 3:18.

τοῖς γονεῦσιν. In contrast to a mark of the ungodly (γονεῦσιν�) both then, Romans 1:30, and in the last days, 2 Timothy 3:2.

κατὰ πάντα. Emphatic. Such a case as that contemplated in Matthew 10:35-37 || Luke 12:53 would not exist in a strictly Christian household, and in any case τέκνα implies an age with which independent thought and action are hardly consistent. The terms in the Gospels are ἄνθρωπος, υἱός, θυγάτηρ.

τοῦτο γὰρ, i.e. this complete obedience.

εὐάρεστόν ἐστιν, “well-pleasing.” The compound adjective, verb and adverb are peculiar to St Paul and the Epistle to the Hebrews. Ct. ἀρεστός in St John (John 8:29 and 1 John 3:22) and Acts (Acts 6:2; Acts 12:3). In || Ephesians 6:1 obedience is called δίκαιον, here it is regarded as giving pleasure. To whom is not stated, presumably to any and all who see it, including of course Him to whom the very springs of our actions are open, Hebrews 4:12-13.

ἐν κυρίῳ. Cf. Colossians 3:18. It is impossible to follow the Peshiṭta in translating “before our Lord” (cf. Hebrews 13:21, τὸ εὐάρεστον ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ; cf. 1 John 3:22). It, however, probably read τῷ κυρίῳ; cf. its translation of Ephesians 5:10.