Class Outline

2                  HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER

(which is the first commandment with a promise),

3                             SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU,

AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

4        Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,

but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Children obey; fathers discipline and instruct (:1,4 Imperatives)

Support:

• Honor your father and mother (:2-3 Quotation)
• You will prosper
• and live long

"Obey" is a stronger word than submit. It is unconditional, usually applied to our response to the Lord, whereas submit implies a preceding dialogue.

"Children" deals with a relationship and not an age group.

Exod. 20:12; Deut. 5:16

This passage flows from the "submit to one another" verse in 5:21. It elaborates on what Christian relationships look like specifically within the family. The main thrust of the passage seems to be "obey" while the instruction to the fathers is almost an add-on for balance. Really, they are two sides to the same coin. Yet, obey flows most directly out of "submit" in 5:21 that acts as a header for this section.

How is "honor" the first commandment? It is actually the fifth commandment in Exodus 20. It is the first commandment given that carries a promise with it.

Col. 3:20-21

God promises to bless us as we obey our parents. We are promised long life and prosperity. God honors a respect for authority. It is part of the order of the universe and it is right. Don’t mouth off to your parents or dishonor them in a subtle way. This applies to us as adults just as well as when we’re children.

Responsibility is never one way. Always within a relationship there are responsibilities for both parties, for children and parents, husbands and wives.

We as parents, especially fathers, are commissioned to be involved in the lives of our children. It is not something that we can pawn off to our wives. Practically we can do this by spending time with our children, also by talking about the Lord with them—not just talking about ministry.

with fear and trembling,

in the sincerity of your heart,

as to Christ;

6                            not by way of eyeservice,

as men-pleasers,

but as slaves of Christ,

doing the will of God from the heart.

7                  With good will render service,

as to the Lord,

and not to men,

8                             knowing that whatever good thing each one does,

                     this he will receive back from the Lord,

                              whether slave or free.

9                            And masters, do the same things to them,

                    and give up threatening,

                    knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven,

                   and there is no partiality with Him.

Obey your masters

Support:

• With respect (:5 subordinate)
• With Sincerity (:5 subordinate)
• As you would Christ (:5 subordinate)

         Not in appearances only (:6 subordinate)

         As slaves to Christ

• With good will

Knowing you will receive yr service back from Christ

Masters also serve willingly

"eye-service/man-pleasing" are defined within the context by being contrasted with sincerity.

The master slave relationship within the Christian community is to be markedly different than in the world. It is a relationship that presupposes a higher Master that both parties fall under. This confers an innate value upon slaves as persons made in the image of God.

Rom. 13; Col. 3:22-4:1

Service is being performed both ways in verses 7 and 9, slaves to masters and masters to slaves. It is not a one way relationship.

This applies directly to our employer/employee relationship. It is imperative for us to be respectful of our employers, no matter how wicked they are—as in my case:-) And furthermore we are to do this with sincerity, recognizing that Authority ultimately comes from God and is a good thing, Rom. 13:1-2.

We need to guard our hearts in this area if we are to be sincere as unto the Lord. Snide comments and disparaging words have a tendency to reveal what is hidden in the heart. Recognize that God has placed this person in this role.

Authority and submitting to authority is an essential part of being filled with the Spirit (5:18) and as such is part of the illuminating nature of Christian relationships upon the world.

11     Put on the full armor of God,

so that you will be able to stand firm against schemes of the devil.

12                For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,

but against the rulers,

against the powers,

against the world forces of this darkness,

against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13     Therefore, take up the full armor of God,

so that you will be able to resist/stand in the evil day,

and having done everything,

        to stand firm.

14                Stand firm therefore,

HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH,

and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLT OF RIGHT.,

15                          and having shod YR FEET W/ PREP OF GOSPEL OF PEACE;

16                                      in addition to all,

taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to

extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17                          And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION,

and the sword of the Spirit,

which is the word of God.

18     With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit,

and with this in view,

         be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for saints,

19    and pray on my behalf,

that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth,

to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

20                                for which I am an ambassador in chains;

that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly,

     as I ought to speak.

Be strong in God’s strength

Support:

• Put on God’s armor

         The war is spiritual

• Stand firm

          Having put on truth

          Righteousness

          Gospel preparation

          Faith

          Salvation

          Word of God

• Pray always

          Persevere for the saints

          Pray for my boldness

The repetition of the word "stand" echoes the repetition of the enemies assault which is unrelenting. (Pay attention to repetition it is usually there for a reason.)

"Struggle" palh, is a term common to wrestling in the first century. It highlights the intimate nature of the conflict. This war is not fought at a distance it is fought in our mind and in our circumstances.

"Gird your loins" refers to God’s truth. The metaphor is to the girdle or jock strap upon which all of the soldier’s armor hung. While not being a piece of armor it is the crucial piece of armor.

"Breastplate" refers to God’s righteousness secured through Christ’s death on our behalf.

"Shod feet" refers to the Roman caliga a tool which gave their army significant advantage.

"Preparation of gospel of peace": Does it mean that we have prepared the gospel or that the gospel has prepared us? What does it have to do with our feet? The Greek is vague but the OT context helps. Is. 52:7

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those…"

It is a readiness to proclaim the message of peace, the message of good news. In its original context there is a horizontal element as well as a vertical element. Fittingly, there is a horizontal and vertical element in Ephesians as well.

"Shield" refers to the qureoV or body shield. In Greek the word "door" is related to this word. It covered the entire person. The shield was made of wood and covered with metal straps and leather to extinguish flaming arrows. Refers to appropriating God’s promises on our behalf.

"Helmet" was a bronze piece that covered the neck and extended over the eyes and cheeks. It refers to salvation, the fact that we are alive in and seated with Christ by grace.

"Sword" refers to a short dagger for use in close combat situations. This sword is supplied by the Spirit and refers to the word, or rhma of God, being the word proclaimed.
We are to speak forth the message of peace—ironically—into the darkness in order to liberate those in bondage.

Is. 11:4-5; 59:17 The armor we are instructed to put on is God’s own armor which both Yahweh and the Messiah are depicted as wearing in the OT.

The letter to the Ephesians comes to its conclusion in this section, 6:10-20. As with much of this letter, there is an already-not-yet tension in this material. While defeated, "the prince of the power of the air" still rules the day which is why Paul says "the days are evil" in 5:16. We need to appropriate the victory that has been won and stand firm in the Lord. We can overcome the devil because God has ultimately overcome him and because God provides the power, the same power that raised Christ from the dead.

It is the "rulers and authorities in the heavenly places" which oppose the spread of the gospel and the "worthy living" to which we are called. The evil one opposes our walk with God. "Put on" the armor of God parallels the idea of "putting on" the new self created to be like God in holiness, righteousness and truth. "Essentially, then, to ‘put on the new self’ is the same as donning the armour of God," (O’Brien, p 462).

Because this warfare is spiritual it is fought with Spiritual weapons. It is fought primarily on the playing field of truth. Our position in Christ, the indicative truths which Paul has spent so much time elaborating on, is crucial to victory. It is crucial to our ability to stand firm in the battle. If we cannot stand firm or if we lose our footing in the battle, we’re cooked. Once we are able to stand firm, we can then fight a war that is waged offensively through biblical truth and prayer.

The last and critical element in our struggle is prayer. This element is not subordinated to the pieces of armor but it is separate in order to give it prominence.

Us:

In order to stand firm there are a few things we need to do, namely we need to prepare ourselves with the armor God has provided.

One of the ways in which the evil one would derail us is through temptation. Let’s relate these concepts back to chapter 4 where Paul tells us to put on the new self. Part of the wiles of the devil are to undermine our spiritual growth with God through temptation or opposition. Things that might derail our spiritual lives would be disunity, sensuality, greed, anger and unedifying speech.

To stand firm against the wiles of the devil requires a life of prayer! (Consider how Paul has modeled this in his letter.)

Do you pray for all the saints? God calls on us as mature believers to stand in the gap.

We ought also to ask for prayer for ourselves as we approach the battle. Consider that Paul as he writes this is waiting to make his defense, with all boldness, before Caesar!

Be strong bc you’re in a war!

To exhort the saints and call them to action.

Ancient battle array/armor.

1. A spiritual enemy

a. Reality of enemy.
b. Goals/How he opposes: Temptation, Opposition

2. Stand firm in God’s armor

a. Loins/truth
b. Breastplate/righteousness
c. Feet/gospel of peace
d. Shield/faith
e. Helmet/salvation
f. Sword/spirit

3. Pray always with Perseverance

Relevant antithesis to previous points.

1. Christians don’t understand we’re at war.
2. Christians think we’re at war with man-made institutions, structures.
3. Warrior without armor
   

a.

b.

c.

Results of not being alert to a war.

Coming to war in your underwear versus showing up fully armored.

1-3 Strong Indicative Truths

1:3-14

Praise God for His blessings in Christ

Chose us in Christ

He destined us for adoption

Forgiven by Christ’s blood

Revealed His will to us

Obtained an inheritance in Christ

Sealed with the promised HS

1:15-23

I pray that God give you understanding as you grow

I thank God for you

What is the Hope of calling

What are the riches of yr inheritance

What is the greatness of His power toward us

Same power at work in X Raised

Seated

Given Authority

2:1-10

God made us alive, raised us, and seated us with Christ

Formerly dead

God wants to show His incredible grace

Saved by grace

Created for good works

2:11-22

You are citizen saints of God's household

Remember your past

separate, excluded, strangers, hopeless, godless

Brought near by Christ

He has made peace

God’s growing household

3:1-13

Don’t be discouraged about me. (:13 Conclusion, "Therefore")

Stewardship for Gentiles

Prior mystery:

Fellow heirs, members, sharers in X

Results in God’s glory

by God’s grace

Suffer for your glory

3:14-21

I pray that God would strengthen you

Christ  may dwell in your hearts

You might comprehend the incomprehensible love of X

You might be filled w God

Praise God (conclusion of Paul’s prayer!)

4-6 Imperatives based on Indicatives

4:1-16

Walk in a worthy way

Qualities of the Way

Unity of the Way

Diversity of the Way

Unique gifts

Resulting stability and growth

4:17-24

Live according to the new self not the old

The old way is the way of the Gentiles

Futile, Dark, Lifeless

You were schooled in Christ

You were re-created like God

4:25-5:2

Act like God by walking in love

Speak truth

Be angered without sin

Do not steal but labor

Speak edifying words

Don’t grieve Holy Spirit

Put away bitterness

Be kind & forgiving

God forgave you

5:3-14

Do not walk in darkness but light

No room for immorality among God’s people

Immoral will not inherit KOG

Learn to please God

Expose what is evil

Light illumines darkness

5:15-21

Walk with care

Walk Wisely

Steward of time

Understanding God’s Will

Filled with Spirit

Don’t be filled with alcohol
Speaking to edify
Giving thanks
Submitting

5:22-33

Love your wife and respect your husband

Wives submit as to Christ

Marital headship like church and Christ

Husbands love as Christ

Christ died for church

To sanctify her

To glorify her

Love as yourself

6:1-4

Children obey; fathers discipline and instruct (:1,4 Imperatives)

Honor your father and mother (:2-3 Quotation)

You will prosper
and live long

6:5-9

Obey your masters

With respect

With Sincerity

As you would Christ

Not in appearances only

As slaves to Christ

With good will

Knowing you will receive yr service back from Christ

Masters also serve willingly

6:10-20

Be strong in God’s strength

Put on God’s armor

The war is spiritual

Stand firm

Having put on truth

Righteousness

Gospel preparation

Faith

Salvation

Word of God

Pray always

Persevere for the saints

Pray for my boldness

Heavens: Harmony broken in the universe.

• Christ made peace: Redemption (1:5-8, 14)
• Powers continue to influence humanity (2:2-3)
• God defeated/subjected the spiritual powers, made captives (1:21-22; 4:8)
• Christ fills all things (4:10 implications for church as body)
• Continued struggle (6:10-20)

Earth: unity restored.

• New Humanity

Blessed the church richly (1:3)

Reconciliation of Jew Gentile: one new man (2:11-22; 3:6)

Unity & Gifting of church (4:3-13)

New calling w/ ethical implications (2:10 good works)

• Christ’s destiny is ours: Redemption (1:5-8, 14)
  Inheritance (1:14,18)
  Power of Resurrection (1:19-20)

Filled with God/Spirit (3:16 strength with power; 6:10 be strong in Lord)

Raised and seated (2:5-6)

Election: What does it mean?

We have been chosen as God’s people- a new humanity in Him. The church is God’s elect in the same way that Israel was God’s elect. God didn’t choose specific individuals to be Israelites, nor did he choose us to be Christians. He chose the church and he predestined her to be one with Christ, a new humanity.

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