If you are new to this blog, I encourage you to start with Intro [1] and then continue in order.
Before we look at any specific people, I think it would be good to get a big picture of how this section fits in with the previous section. The following is from my pastor's sermon notes (see 5:21-24), and I think it is a good visual to help us with that - the part that starts "WATCH CAREFULLY THEREFORE HOW YOU WALK".
So I think this helps us to see that wives submitting to their husbands, children obeying their parents, and bondservants obeying their earthly masters all fall under the "submitting to one another in the fear of Christ". And that goes along with giving thanks, singing and making melody, and speaking to one another in songs, which all fall under being filled in the Spirit and watching carefully how we walk.
Now that we have the all-important context, I have just a few thoughts...
As a wife, when I recently looked at this, I think I was most convicted by the phrase "in everything". You see, there are a lot of ways that I could appear to be submitting to my husband, but in everything is in everything. It is not enough to submit most of the time, or just to make sure I am setting a good example for the kids and other couples at church so I LOOK like I am submitting. I need to be submitting in everything inside and out! And the only way to truly do that, is "as to the Lord", because he is the Savior who loved me so much that he gave his life for me. And he knows EVERYTHING. So there is no point in trying to hide anything from him.
My husband and I recently had a marriage study in Ephesians. Obviously 5:22-33 talk specifically about marriage. But we found it helpful to look at 4:1- 5:21 thinking specifically about our spouses and the marriage relationship. One thing the women discussed was bringing the humility and patience mentioned in 4:2 into our marriage relationship. Also, there are many exhortations to be thankful. We discussed the importance of regularly thanking God for specific things about our hunbands.
To any of you who are not married, I would encourage you to think about your closest relationships, whether friends, family, roomates, or a small group at church, and read through 4:1-5:21 thinking about those relationships. Try to be open to any conviction or encouragement and what God wants to bring to light in those relationships.
"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."
I was curious about "Masters, do the same to them..." What does that really mean? I found my Pastor Timothy's notes helpful on the subject:
It’s like Paul says this: “Masters, if you want to know what the Gospel means for you, then just read what I said to the slaves.” You can see how eventually, the Gospel abolishes even the
institution of slavery. But before it does that, it’s most powerful work is to redeem both the slave and the master. It’s most powerful work is to make both the master and the slave, slaves together of one Lord. That’s the miracle working power of the Gospel. So just like the slave obeys only “as to Christ,” so also the master must rule only “as to Christ.”
There are a few more thoughts on this passage in my last blog, My Observations, as I answered questions.
Before we look at any specific people, I think it would be good to get a big picture of how this section fits in with the previous section. The following is from my pastor's sermon notes (see 5:21-24), and I think it is a good visual to help us with that - the part that starts "WATCH CAREFULLY THEREFORE HOW YOU WALK".
So I think this helps us to see that wives submitting to their husbands, children obeying their parents, and bondservants obeying their earthly masters all fall under the "submitting to one another in the fear of Christ". And that goes along with giving thanks, singing and making melody, and speaking to one another in songs, which all fall under being filled in the Spirit and watching carefully how we walk.
Now that we have the all-important context, I have just a few thoughts...
As a wife, when I recently looked at this, I think I was most convicted by the phrase "in everything". You see, there are a lot of ways that I could appear to be submitting to my husband, but in everything is in everything. It is not enough to submit most of the time, or just to make sure I am setting a good example for the kids and other couples at church so I LOOK like I am submitting. I need to be submitting in everything inside and out! And the only way to truly do that, is "as to the Lord", because he is the Savior who loved me so much that he gave his life for me. And he knows EVERYTHING. So there is no point in trying to hide anything from him.
My husband and I recently had a marriage study in Ephesians. Obviously 5:22-33 talk specifically about marriage. But we found it helpful to look at 4:1- 5:21 thinking specifically about our spouses and the marriage relationship. One thing the women discussed was bringing the humility and patience mentioned in 4:2 into our marriage relationship. Also, there are many exhortations to be thankful. We discussed the importance of regularly thanking God for specific things about our hunbands.
To any of you who are not married, I would encourage you to think about your closest relationships, whether friends, family, roomates, or a small group at church, and read through 4:1-5:21 thinking about those relationships. Try to be open to any conviction or encouragement and what God wants to bring to light in those relationships.
"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."
I was curious about "Masters, do the same to them..." What does that really mean? I found my Pastor Timothy's notes helpful on the subject:
It’s like Paul says this: “Masters, if you want to know what the Gospel means for you, then just read what I said to the slaves.” You can see how eventually, the Gospel abolishes even the
institution of slavery. But before it does that, it’s most powerful work is to redeem both the slave and the master. It’s most powerful work is to make both the master and the slave, slaves together of one Lord. That’s the miracle working power of the Gospel. So just like the slave obeys only “as to Christ,” so also the master must rule only “as to Christ.”
There are a few more thoughts on this passage in my last blog, My Observations, as I answered questions.
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