Ephesians 6:1-9
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
So much of good Bible reading comes down to simply learning to ask the right questions of the text and then finding ways to answer those questions from God’s Word. Below are a handful of what I call “breadcrumb” questions. In my study, I’ve gone just ahead of the class in the text and created questions that I believe will help guide you in understanding the passage. When we gather on Sunday, we’ll walk through these questions together. Over time, you’ll develop a greater ability to ask these questions on your own and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, find the answers in His Word.
Breadcrumb Questions
- Context
- Paul continues addressing the human relationships in which his readers might find themselves. Last week, he addressed wives and husbands.
- What are the two relationships he addresses in this week’s text?
- Notice that this isn’t a one-sided affair- both parties are consistently addressed in each passage.
- What do you notice about who he addresses first each time? What kind of role does the first person have in each relationship?
- With this in mind, ask yourself, “What caused Paul to launch into this teaching on human relationships?” Is there a word or phrase which triggered these thoughts in his mind?
- (Hint) Look back at 5:21 and see if you can pick out the phrase that these verses expound upon.
- Paul continues addressing the human relationships in which his readers might find themselves. Last week, he addressed wives and husbands.
- Verses 1-3
- What is Paul’s basic command to the children in these verses?
- Look back at 5:22 and see how this command to “obey” is different from what Paul calls wives to do in regard to their husbands. What do you feel is different about these two commands?
- Paul doesn’t just tell them to obey but to obey “in the Lord.” What detail does this phrase give the command?
- The gospel divided families, with some households containing believers and unbelievers. How might this phrase “in the Lord” motivate a believing child to obey his/her unbelieving parents?
- Paul gives two truths that ground his command to the children.
- The first reason follows Paul’s most common grounding word, “for.” What is this first, very simple reason?
- Does this reason seem to be sufficient (especially for children ☺︎)?
- What is the second reason he gives in v.2-3?
- How should we understand this “promise?” Is it saying that if children obey their parents then they’re guaranteed a long, peaceful life?
- The first reason follows Paul’s most common grounding word, “for.” What is this first, very simple reason?
- What do you think obeying this command looks like for children as they progress from childhood to adolescence and on into adulthood?
- What is Paul’s basic command to the children in these verses?
- Verse 4
- What are fathers warned against doing here?
- How might fathers provoke their children to anger?
- Note that this Greek word correlates to the word used to describe Israel provoking God to wrath through their sinful practices in the OT.
- How might fathers provoke their children to anger?
- And, positively, what is Paul commanding fathers to do in regards to their children?
- What does is look like for a father to bring up his son or daughter “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord?”
- Are there nuances of difference between discipline and instruction?
- What does is look like for a father to bring up his son or daughter “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord?”
- What are fathers warned against doing here?
- Verses 5-9
- Before considering the commands here to bondservants and masters, it is important to acknowledge the differences between slavery in the first century Roman era and that of the New World, especially 17-19th century America. What differences are you aware of?
- Look at v.5-8 and see how many descriptors you can pick out of the way Paul is calling bondservants to serve (and not serve) their masters.
- In v. 8, Paul reminds them that “whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord.” In what sense is this true? In what sense is it false?
- Interestingly, Paul tells the masters in v.9 to “do the same to [the bondservants].” What do you think he means by this?
- How does the reminder that Christ is “both their Master and yours” motivate them to follow this command?
I look forward to meeting and discussing this text with you all.
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