Yahweh created the institution of
the family, one man and one woman in a monogamous covenantal commitment to each
other for the duration of their life, for the glory and fame of his name. After creating Adam and Eve in His image, He
gave them dominion over all the earth (Gen 1:27) and commanded that they be
fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:28). It is
at this point the family dynamic changed from merely expressing Yahweh’s glory
to actively advancing His glory in all the earth. Unlike their parents, Cain and Abel are
introduced into the family by natural means and are in need of knowledge of
their Creator; and so it will be for the rest of humanity. From this point forward, children are to be
brought up in the fear of the Lord so that when they become adults they will
give Yahweh glory and teach their children to do the same.
Yahweh has expressed in His word a
method by which He desires the spiritual rearing of children in the family to
be observed; namely that parents and children are to cooperate with each other
in their suited roles in testifying to His supreme value and glory.
It is my contention that when Paul
addresses the Ephesian church, specifically fathers and their children, that he
is highlighting this cooperation giving instructions for both parents and
children. Paul speaks directly to the
discipleship process of parents teaching their children the glorious works of
Yahweh, and the child’s role in receiving that instruction and testifying to it
in the world. The child's obedience to their parents and the Lord's instruction is a mark of their commitment to the gospel, and shows they are in a rightful position to receive the blessing Paul pronounces in Ephesians 6:3, " that you may live long in the land." I further contend that this blessing refers to the possibility to longevity on earth rather than actual inheritance. Paul roots his instruction and blessing in the Torah and the sermon Moses gives to Israel just before Joshua leads them
in inhabiting the promise land (Deuteronomy 1-6).
Original Context and Meaning of the Ephesians 6:1-4
Broad
Context of the Book of Ephesians
Since the fall of man, there has
existed a tension in his heart. Man was
created in God’s image with a will to obey his creator and enjoy life. Sin entered the world through disobedience
and broke the fellowship and unity with God and creation and brought
death.
The book of Ephesians is a revelation
of the great mystery of how Yahweh is bringing a fragmented and alienated world,
both things in heaven and on earth, together in the Messiah. Christ is the centerpiece of Yahweh’s divine
purpose in restoring everything that was lost and broken at the fall of man,
and placing it under the supreme rule of Christ (1:9-10). With the same power that raised Christ from
the dead and seated Him at Yahweh’s right hand (1:20), Yahweh is going to not
only raise sinners who are dead in their trespasses to life (2:1), but is also
going to unify a bitterly divided people into one holy family (3:21).
Paul has structured the book of
Ephesians in a way where he spends the first three chapters explaining how
Yahweh accomplishes reconciling the world and uniting humanity in Christ
(1-3). He spends the remaining three
chapters showing what it looks like to live reconciled and unified in Christ
(4-6).
Obedience: A Divine Distinguishing Mark
Unity in the family is just as essential and God glorifying as it is in the church. In 5:22-6:4, Paul explains how Spirit filled husbands and wives and children are to glorify God. Wives are to submit to the husbands as to the Lord (5:22). Husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies and how Christ loved the church (5:25, 28). Children are to obey their parents in the Lord giving them the honor that is due to them (6:1-3). Paul ends this section with an exhortation to the fathers to properly bring their children up in the training and instruction of the Lord; not recklessly with malice or neglect, but with intention and gentleness (6:4). The family is to live out the Christian ethic before the world so that God will be glorified not only in the church, but also in Christ to all generations forever and ever (3:21). In short, the family is to cooperate with each other in their suited roles in testifying to Yahweh’s supreme value and glory.
In Ephesians 6:1-4, Paul explains
how parents and children are to cooperate with each other in their suited roles
in testifying to Yahweh’s supreme value and glory. He gives two imperative commands to both
children and fathers. Children are to
obey and honor their parents (6:1-3), while fathers are to not exasperate their
children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. In a general sense, these imperatives speak
to the discipleship of children in the home.
Paul is speaking to believing parents and exhorting them to teach and
instruct their children in sound theology; particularly of the law and how
Christ fulfills that law (2:15-16). The
parents, predominantly fathers (6:4), are to take the lead role in discipling
their children.
Paul gives specific instructions in
how this is to go about in the home. The father is not to parorgizete ta tekna umwn, or to provoke his child to anger. The father is not to rear his children in
such a manner that is demoralizing. This
involves using attitudes, words, and actions which would drive the child to
angry exasperation or resentment.[3] Parents must use discernment and care in
disciplining the child and setting reasonable expectations, not subjecting the
child to humiliation or misplaced shame.
On the positive side, parents are to
consistently bring up their children in the training and instructing of the
Lord. Paul uses the present active
imperative of ektrefw (to nourish, to rear, to bring up) with the nouns paidea
(training, discipline) and nouqesia
(admonition, warning) to command fathers to continuously and intentionally live
and teach the things of God before their children. Fathers are to take every opportunity to
teach the full scope and sequence of the law and how Christ fulfills the law to
their children. The father is also to
correct transgressions of the law with the intent to point the child to Christ.
The children are not to be just hears
of the word, but also doers of the word as well (James 1:22). Just
as the parents take an initiative to instruct, the children are to take an initiative
to obey and honor their parents as they would to the Lord (6:1). The obedience Paul speaks of here is upakoute,
a term typically used to describe absolute obedience to Christ (Mark 1:27,
4:41; Romans 10:16; Philippians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:14). Paul seems to imply that to honor your
parents is to honor Yahweh Himself; “as to the Lord.”
At this point it might be well to
note the echo of Leviticus 19:3 in this text; “Every one of you shall revere
his mother and father.” As Moses is
reiterating the Decalogue to the people of Israel, he is reminding them that a
proper response of genuine love for Yahweh is to keep his commands (Deuteronomy
6:4-9). In short, they are to be holy for Yahweh is holy (Lev 19:2). Obeying your parents was to be a divine distinguishing
mark of Yahweh’s people. Keeping this
command also helped assure them that they would dwell with God in the land
enjoying long life and prosperity (Lev 18:5, 24-30; 26).
Parents are the chosen instrument of the Lord
to arbitrate His will to the family. Peter
O’ Brien points out that “within the Ten
Commandments, and even within the Pentateuch, the command to honor ones parents
has pride of place among the ‘horizontal’ commandments. It provides a hinge between the first four
commandments to do with God’s holiness and the remaining commandments in that
the parents to be honored stand in the place of God and mediate his will to the
entire household. Obedience to ones
parents is mandated, to disobey your parents is tantamount to disrespect for
Yahweh. It is put on par with treason
and idol-worship (Exodus 21:15, 17; Lev 19:3; 20:9; Deut 21:18-21; 27:16).[4]
The same idea seems to be intended
here with Paul. A child who honors and
obeys his parents, in the Ephesians context, signifies their commitment ‘in the
Lord.’ This is an example of submission
that arises out of Godly fear (5:21), and this submission is a distinguishing
mark of those who are filled by God’s Spirit (5:18).[5] In other
words, a defining mark of a child who is receiving the instruction of their
parents and believing it unto faith is obedience to their parents. Their obedience shows that they have life.
Paul further supports this instruction
with a reference to Exodus 20:12 in Ephesians 6:2-3; “Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a
promise, so that it may go well with you
and that you may have a long life in the land.” Moses spoke of this when he gave the commandments
at Mount Sinai and before Israel entered the promise land. As they entered the land, Yahweh gave them
the Torah and cautioned that if they kept the Law that it would go well with
them and they would live long in the land and if they did not obey they would
perish. Paul is using this reference in
Ephesians 6:3 to inform the children that their obedience to their parents is
connected to their longevity on earth.
[1]Kostenberger,
Andres J. The Cradle, The Cross, And The Crown. Nashville, TN: B&H
Publishing, 2009.
[2]Jr.,
James Hamilton. God's Glory In Salvation Through Judgment. Wheaton, IL:
Crossway, 2010.
[3] Cleon
L Rogers Jr., Cleon L. Rogers III. The New Linguistric and Exegetical Key To
the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998.
[4] Obrien,
Peter T. The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to The Ephesians.
Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999.
[5] Obrien,
Peter T. The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letter to The Ephesians.
Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999.
No comments:
Post a Comment