In this study we examine God’s will for Parents, then Slaves, and finally Masters. If you would like to know the Biblical work ethic, look no further. Paul spells it out quite clearly for us here!
Teaching Notes:
God’s Will For Parents
Ephesians 6:4
1. The Negative Command:
Fathers: It’s interesting that Paul doesn’t use the same Greek word that he does in 6:1 translated “parents.” The word “fathers” can mean parents, as it does in Heb.11:23. So, Paul is including the mothers when he says “fathers”. However, by using the term “fathers” Paul is teaching Dads that they are ultimately responsible for their children, even if they delegate much of the hands on daily training to the Moms.
Do not provoke your children to anger: Col.321 says, “don’t exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.” How can we provoke or exasperate our kids?
- Showing favoritism: the way Jacob and Rebekkah did.
- Being overprotective: children need guidance and protection, but as they mature they need to be given more freedom. Freedom involves risks. A measure of risk-taking is necessary for development. If a little bird remains in its nest, it will never learn to fly. We say, “Don’t go in the water until you learn to swim!” Well, he’ll never learn to swim, and never go in the water.
- Demanding perfection: sometimes Dads or Moms push their kids to unrealistic standards, because they get a personal sense of satisfaction through their kids’ accomplishments, like a Dad pushing his son to be the best athlete, because he never really made it as a kid.
- Being overly critical: this happens when the parents never praise or compliment their children, but instead always bring up what they do that is wrong. Eventually the child loses hope and becomes convinced he or she is incapable of doing anything right.
- Neglect: sometimes a father is so wrapped up in his work or himself that he just ignores and neglects his kids. Doesn’t play with them, attend their little league games, attend school plays, or take the family on vacations. This leaves permanent scars on a child’s heart even well into adulthood.
- Tyrannical or unreasonable discipline: this takes place when there is inconsistent spanking out of anger.
2. The Positive Command:
Bring them up in the discipline of the Lord: the words “discipline” and “instruction” are very similar, but discipline points to correcting behavior by actions, whereas instruction is to correct by words. The word for discipline is used several times in Hebrews 12, where it is synonymous with a scourging. It is used in Luke 23:16 of the physical scourging of Jesus. This verse, then, points to the idea of corporal discipline in order to bring correction to a child. However, it must be the discipline of the Lord. All our correction must be designed to bring the child under the authority of God. If we only seek to make our children submit to us alone, we have failed. It is not Biblical discipline to slap a child and say, “Don’t do that again!” The discipline of the Lord includes correcting our children with the Scriptures.
Fathers: the father is held responsible to be the primary disciplinarian and instructor of the children. During the day when he is at work, he can delegate this role to the mother, but he must always remember it is delegated, and when he is at home, he must take responsibility again.
What Does Proverbs have to say about the rod? 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15.
Directions for Spanking:
Ask specific questions: What did you do? What does God say about it? What should you do in the future?
Spank for direct defiance, not childish irresponsibility.
Never discipline in anger. This only shows your children that you are venting your frustration (perhaps because they have embarrassed or hurt us). The goal of all discipline is to correct misbehavior and wrong attitudes, not to vent. God’s discipline is corrective, not punitive.
Be consistent. This, of course, is the hardest of all. Never issue a warning without following through. Don’t get into counting to 10, repeating yourself, or raising your voice. Seek first time, immediate obedience.
The instruction of the Lord: The father must take the initiative to teach his children God’s Word. This can happen in family devotions, teaching a catechism, reading spiritual biographies with them, or seizing teachable moments throughout the day. In order for our instruction to be effective, we must practice what we preach!
God’s Will For Slaves and Masters
Ephesians 6:5-9
In this paragraph, we have the 3rd & final subsection in the section of Ephesians which begins at 5:22 and ends at 6:9. Wives & Husbands 5:22-33; Children & Parents 6:1-4; Slaves & Masters – 6:5-9. Notice that there is a descending order here. 5:21 – mutual submission. 5:22 – wives submit to husbands; 6:1 – children obey parents. 6:5 – slaves obey masters. Wives – children – slaves. Slaves occupied lowest place in Roman society.
Now, someone could protest this morning, “Brian, why don’t we just skip over this passage? After, all there are no more slaves or masters today. This passage has no relevance for us!” Well, perhaps when you see what a slave’s role was in biblical days, you’ll see that there is a lot of relevance for today!
Estimate: 1/3 of population slaves. 60 million! Made up almost entirety of work force. Free men did not labor! Believed was beneath their dignity – entire empire functioned by slave labor. Who were these slaves & what was their life like? Might surprise you – did me! Aristotle: “a slave is a living tool, just as a tool is an inanimate slave.” But by 1st century, various reforms had taken root. Life of slaves improved greatly. Most of cruel treatment had been overcome. Slaves under Roman law in 1st century could generally count on eventually being set free. Very few reached old age as slaves. Slave owners were releasing slaves at such rate that Augustus Caesar introduced legal restrictions to curb the trend. Almost 50% of slaves were freed before age of 30. Also, while slave remained master’s possession, he could own property, including other slaves! He completely controlled his own property, so that could invest and save to purchase his own freedom. Regarding outward appearance, usually impossible to distinguish slave from free persons. Slave could be salesman, doctor, or teacher. Roman slavery in 1st century far more humane and civilized than American slavery.
In this respect, slave/master rel. is pretty close parallel to employee/employer relationship. Slave would sell selves to gain Roman citizenship & entrance into society. Have given selves to another to render services for benefits gained. Same true of employees.
Why didn’t NT condemn slavery outright? 1) NT teaching doesn’t focus on reforming human systems – never root cause of human problems. Issue always man’s heart. When heart wicked will corrupt best systems, and when good will improve worst. If man wicked will find ways to oppress others whether or not slavery exists. If heart right w/ God will have harmonious relationships with others, no matter what system live under. Primary purpose not to reform ungodly society – but to bring gospel to ungodly individuals. As evil men are made good men through new birth, society will be transformed! Some want to force make political issues primary objective of society – this NOT apostles’ objective! But by directing slave/master’s duties toward one another, did do away w/ negative aspects of slavery. Dishonesty, laziness of slave replaced by willing service, integrity & hard work. Cruelty & brutality of masters replaced by considerateness and love. Resulted in loving relationships.
Interesting that Paul even addressed them. To him, owner & slave alike were servants of Christ & brothers in Lord. In early church, slave might be teacher over his master, while at home was submissive servant!
1. God’s Will For Slaves: summed up in 1 word — “obedience”. Verb that drives 5-8.
A. To Whom: “your masters according to the flesh”. This is in contrast to “your master according to the Spirit.” They have a Heavenly Master. However, while they are living on this earth, they must learn to obey their earthly master. There is comfort in the fact that these slaves had another Master who watches over them, is just & merciful to them, and to whom both they and their masters were accountable.
B. How?
Positively:
With Fear and Trembling: lest you mar your Christian testimony and dishonor your God by the way you work for your master.
In the Sincerity of your Heart: with no ulterior motive, hypocrisy, not pretending to be something you are not, but working as if you were working for Jesus Christ.
As to Christ: This is the key of the entire section! Notice that Paul mentions Christ in every verse for the slave. We may have cruel or unreasonable bosses, but if we serve as to Christ, it will sweeten and elevate every job we do. It is possible for a housewife to cook a meal as though Jesus was going to eat it, clean windows as though Jesus was going to enjoy the view, sell real estate as though Jesus was the prospective buyer, build boats as though Jesus was going to own it! Paul says this 3x. “As to Christ”; “as slaves of Christ”; “as to the Lord.” One housewife had a sign above the sink which read, “Divine service held here 3 times daily.”
Doing the will of God from the heart: this explains “in the sincerity of your heart” mentioned earlier. But notice, for a slave to obey his master, was doing the will of God. It was not just doing the will of his earthly master. One of the most often asked questions is, “How can I know the will of God for my life?” Well, here it is – do your work as unto Christ! And do it from the heart. Put your heart into it. That’s what Paul means by “with good will render service.”
Negatively:
Not by way of eyeservice: working hard only when your boss is watching you, and then goofing off when he’s not. They old saying is appropriate here, “When the Cat is away, the mice will play!” If we work as unto Christ, it won’t matter if our boss’s eye is upon us or not, because Christ’s eye is always upon us.
Not as men pleasers: working to gain your boss’s favor. Rather we should work as God pleasers. That way, it won’t matter if our boss has his eye on us or not. We will always be diligent, hard working, honest and true.
Not to men: this is the opposite of working “as to the Lord.” Paul is emphatic. He states it again and again in many different ways.
C. Why? Vs.8 “knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.” God will reward you, whether or not you are ever rewarded by your earthly master. Even if you are underpaid, and overworked, and not appreciated, it doesn’t matter. God will reward you and show His pleasure and appreciation one day. Notice that working for Jesus is called a “good thing.” The story is told of an elderly missionary couple who were returning home on a ship after many years of sacrificial service in Africa. On the same ship was Theodore Roosevelt, who had just completed a highly successful big game hunt. As the ship docked in New York harbor, thousands of well-wishers and dozens of reporters lined the pier to welcome Roosevelt home. But not a single person was there to welcome the missionaries. As the couple rode to a hotel in a taxi, the man complained to his wife, “It just doesn’t seem right. We give 40 years of our lives to Jesus Christ to win souls in Africa, and nobody knows or cares when we return. Yet the president goes over there for a few weeks to kill some animals and the whole world takes notice.” But as they prayed together that night before retiring, the Lord seemed to say to them, “Do you know why you haven’t received your reward yet, My children? It is because you are not home yet.” We usually think of heavenly rewards being given out for great evangelistic activity or great sacrificial service of feeding the poor. However, heavenly rewards will be given for how you worked for your boss!
2. God’s Will For Masters:
A. Do The Same Things To Them: Show the same interest in them and in their affairs as you hope they will show in you and your affairs. Don’t demand more labor than what due. Pay them a fair wage. Be considerate of their private lives and families.
B. Give Up Threatening: give up threatening. Must been constant temptation to owners to try to get most out of slaves by holding over heads threats of punishments would receive if work not done satisfactorily. Masters shouldn’t throw their weight around or lord it over their slaves. They were never to be abusive of them.
C. Why? “knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” You are no better than them in the eyes of God. God is equally your and their Master. He shows no partiality to you. Both you and your slaves must appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
Questions for Personal Application:
1. In your work, are you a man-pleaser or a God-pleaser?
2. Do you consciously work unto the Lord?
3. Is your work characterized by resentment, complaining, or lazyness? If so, what would bring positive change in this matter?
4. How do you treat your employees? Are you just and fair (Col.4:1)?
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