Ephesians 6:1
CHILDREN. "Obey even your unbelieving parents in everything compatible with your duty to the Lord. It is your Christian duty to do this, because of your reverence for Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHILDREN. "Obey even your unbelieving parents in everything compatible with your duty to the Lord. It is your Christian duty to do this, because of your reverence for Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
HONOR. "It is your _duty_ to obey; _honor_ is the attitude that motivates you to obey." The quotation is Deuteronomy 5:16. 3, SO THAT. "God added this promise to the commandment. To honor your parents still brings a blessing!" Disobedience to parents grows out of failing to honor them, and Paul se... [ Continue Reading ]
PARENTS. "Do not make your children bitter and hostile by your harsh and unreasonable treatment of them! (See Colossians 3:21) Be gentle in your punishment and teach them in love, because of your reverence for Christ!... [ Continue Reading ]
SLAVES. "Since the Good News does not cancel the social structure which you are part of, I tell you who are slaves to obey your human masters, with fear and trembling rather than with pride and arrogance! And do it with a sincere heart, motivated by love and your reverence for Christ!" Compare 1 Cor... [ Continue Reading ]
DO THIS. "The point of your obedience to your human masters, is not just to make them think you are a good servant; but you are to do this because of your reverence for Christ!" See Colossians 3:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHEERFULLY. "You must not misunderstand your freedom in Christ! You must view yourselves, not as slaves to men, but as servants of Christ! You must not be rebellious, but serve cheerfully, because in serving them faithfully, you are serving Him!" Christian love causes us to _relate_ with others _thr... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER. "Remember what the Good News teaches you! Whether you are rewarded in this world for your good work or not, the Lord will reward every man (Revelation 22:12)! Whether slave or free, your attitude should be based on this fact!... [ Continue Reading ]
MASTERS. "Like parents, masters have obligations as well as rights. Let your reverence for Christ guide you in your behavior toward your slaves. Remember that all of you have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and that your Master will judge both you and your slaves by the same standar... [ Continue Reading ]
BUILD UP YOUR STRENGTH. "Finally, to show you how important it is for you to pay close attention to the _ethical life style_ you follow, I show you this picture of what we are actually doing!... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT ON ALL THE ARMOR. Paul uses the symbolism of a Roman soldier getting ready to go into battle. Armor protects against the weapons of the enemy. THE DEVIL'S EVIL TRICKS. This shows that the battle is actually religious/moral (since the two cannot be separated).... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE ARE NOT. Paul shows us another of God's secrets. The evil angels fight against men and continually try to tempt them into sin! "Our real battle is not against the idolatrous rulers and other evil men of this present age (we want to bring them to Christ and save them). Our real battle is again... [ Continue Reading ]
SO TAKE UP! "God has given you defensive armor against the wicked spiritual powers, but you must put it on!!! Then when the evil day of temptation comes, you will be able to resist the attack of these evil powers, and when they have done their worst to destroy you, you will still hold your ground!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
SO STAND READY. Being able to stand ready involves the soldier's own act of preparation. "The spiritual soldier who still holds his ground, must again stand ready to face another such crucial battle, should it come! I show you what you must do before you take your stand." TRUTH FOR A BELT. The soldi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE READINESS. This means: (1) active preparation; (2) preparedness. [This can be translated as the NIV has done, but Johnson, MacKnight, et. al., understand it as the TEV has done.] It is the _readiness to announce_ that forms the shoes. This includes such things as: courage, self-discipline, e... [ Continue Reading ]
FAITH AS A SHIELD. _Johnson_ says: "The Roman oblong shield, four and a half feet long, covered the whole body and was a protection in itself." _Faith_ is: the firm belief of the teachings and promises of the Good News, which actively holds firmly to these things. BURNING ARROWS. This is a literal t... [ Continue Reading ]
SALVATION. _MacKnight_ understands this to protect the Christian from the fear of death. WORD OF GOD. This is the sword that the Spirit gives the Christian to use to defeat the forces of evil. The Spirit conquers through the individual Christian. See also Hebrews 4:12 and note.... [ Continue Reading ]
DO ALL THIS. "As soldiers identify each other by means of pass-words, let your identification as soldiers of Christ be your prayer in Jesus' name! Be sure to ask for God's help as you face the battles of the day! AS THE SPIRIT LEADS. Compare Romans 8:26; Ephesians 2:22; Jude 1:20; Galatians 4:6 and... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO FOR ME. Paul often asks this. The context shows he, even in prison, may have the wisdom and the boldness to speak the secret of the gospel in an effective way. Compare Luke 21:12-13; 2 Timothy 4:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE SAKE OF THIS GOSPEL. _Johnson_ says: "As an ambassador is sent to a foreign court to declare the will of the king, so he, though in chains, was Christ's ambassador sent to Rome to declare the will of his King.... [ Continue Reading ]
TYCHICUS. He probably delivered this Letter, and could give them a report on Paul's condition. Tychicus was a native of the Province of Asia (Acts 20:4), possibly of Ephesus itself. He was a close associate to Paul, and it is probable that he went to Jerusalem with him, as Trophimus did (Acts 21:29)... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT IS WHY. "I am sending this faithful brother to you to tell you about my condition, and to give you comfort and strength!... [ Continue Reading ]
MAY GOD. "I give you my benediction and blessing, to the church at Ephesus and to all the others who read this!" This Letter was certainly intended for all the churches in Asia.... [ Continue Reading ]