Exegetical outline of Ephesian Chapter 6:1-4
Exegetical Idea. Here Paul’s is commanding to both the children and the parent how to live a life of Christian.
Background. This Epistle has few detailed indications, either of the personal condition of the writer, or of the circumstances of those to whom it is addressed. But one point is made perfectly clear, that it was written by St. Paul when he was the prisoner of Jesus Christ (Eph 3:1; 4:1), suffering some special tribulations for them, which he bade them consider as their glory (Eph 3:13), and being an ambassador for Christ in a chain (Eph 6:20) - the word hero used being the same as in Acts 28:20, and being a word almost technically describing the imprisonment with a soldier that kept him (Acts 28:16). All these things point unmistakably to what is called St. Paul's first Roman captivity. That captivity began about A.D. 61, and lasted, without change, for at least two full years. In the letter to Philemon, sent by Onesimus, who is associated with Tychicus, the bearer of this Epistle, in Col 4:7-9, St. Paul prays him to prepare him a lodging, against the speedy arrival, which he then confidently expected. Hence our Epistle must be placed late in the captivity - not earlier than A.D. 63.
1. Christian Children (Eph. 6:1-3)
1.1. They are Christians in the Lord (v. 1a).
1. 2. Obedience is right (v. 1b).
1. 3. Obedience is commanded (v. 2a).
1. 4. Obedience brings blessing (vv. 2b-3).
2. Christian Fathers (Eph. 6:4)
2.1. He must not provoke them (v 4a)
2.2. He must nurture them (v 4b)
2.3. He must discipline them (v 4b)
2.4. He must instruct and encourage them (v 4c)
1. Christian Children (Eph. 6:1-3)
Paul did not tell the parents to admonish the children; he did it himself. Children were present in the assembly when this letter was read. Did they understand all that Paul wrote? Do we understand it all? Christian families attended the public worship together, and no doubt the parents explained the Word to the children when they were at home. He gave them four reasons why they should obey their parents.
1.1. They are Christians in the Lord (v.1a).
This argument is an application of the theme of the entire section, which is submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God (Eph 5:21). When a person becomes a Christian, he is not released from normal obligations of life. If anything, his faith in Christ ought to make him a better child in the home.
To the Colossians Paul enforced his admonition with for this is well pleasing unto the Lord (Col 3:20). Here is harmony in the home: the wife submits to the husband as unto Christ; the husband loves His wife even as Christ also loved the church; and the children obey in the Lord.
1.2. Obedience is right (v. 1b).
There is an order in nature, ordained of God that argues for the rightness of an action. Since the parents brought the child into the world, and since they have more knowledge and wisdom than the child, it is right that the child obey his parents. Even young animals are taught to obey. The modern version of Eph 6:1 would be, Parents, obey your children, for this will keep them happy and bring peace to the home. But this is contrary to God’s order in nature.
1.3. Obedience is commanded (v. 2a).
Here Paul cites the fifth commandment (Ex 20:12; Lieut. 5:16) and applies it to the New Testament believer. This does not mean that the Christian is under the Law, for Christ has set us free from both the curse and the bondage of the Law (Gal 3:13; 5:1). But the righteousness of the Law is still a revelation of the holiness of God, and the Holy Spirit enables us to practice that righteousness in our daily lives (Rom 8:1-4). All of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament epistles for the Christian to observe except, Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. It is just as wrong for a New Testament Christian to dishonor his parents as it was for an Old Testament Jew.
To honor our parents means much more than simply to obey them. It means to show them respect and love, to care for them as Icing as they need us, and to seek to bring honor to them by the way we live. A young couple came to see me about getting married, and I asked if their parents agreed to the wedding. They looked at each other in embarrassment then confessed, we were hoping you wouldn’t ask about that. I spent the next hour trying to convince them that their parents had a right to rejoice in this event, and that to exclude them would cause wounds that might never heal. Even if they are not believers, I said, they are your parents, and you owe them love and respect. They finally agreed, and the plans we made together made both families happy. Had we followed the couple's original plans, the two of them would have lost their testimony with their relatives, but, instead, they were able to give a good witness for Jesus Christ.
1.4. Obedience brings blessing (vv. 2b-3).
The fifth commandment has a promise attached to it: That thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee (Ex 20:12). This promise originally applied to the Jews as they entered Canaan, but Paul applied it to believers today. He substituted earth for land and tells us that the Christian child who honors his parents can expect two blessings. It will be well with him, and fie will live long on the earth. This does not mean that everyone who died young dishonored his parents. He was stating a principle: when children obey their parents in the Lord, they will escape a good deal of sin and danger and thus avoid the things that could threaten or shorten their lives. But life is not measured only by quantity of time. It is also measured by quality of experience. God enriches the life of the obedient child no matter how long he may live on the earth. Sin always robs us; obedience always enriches us.
So, the child must learn early to obey father and mother, not only because they are his parents, but also because God has commanded it to be so. Disobedience to parents is rebellion against God. The sad situation in homes today is the result of rejecting God’s Word (Rom 1:28-30; 2 Tim 3:1-5). By nature, a child is selfish, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, a child can learn to obey his parents and glorify God.
2. Christian Fathers (Eph. 6:4)
If left to themselves, children will be rebels, so it is necessary for the parents to train their children. Years ago, the then Duke of Windsor said, everything in the American home is controlled by switches - except the children! The Bible records the sad results of parents neglecting their children, either by being bad examples to them or failing to discipline them properly. David pampered Absalom and set him a bad example, and the results were tragic. Eli failed to discipline his sons and they brought disgrace to his name and defeat to the nation of Israel. In his latter years, even Isaac pampered Esau, while his wife showed favoritism to Jacob; and the result was a divided home. Jacob was showing favoritism to Joseph when God providentially rescued the lad and made a man out of him in Egypt. Paul tells us that the father has several responsibilities toward his children.
2.1. He must not provoke them. (v 4a)
In Paul’s day, the father had supreme authority over the family. When a baby was born into a Roman family, for example, it was brought out and laid before the father. If he picked it up, it meant he was accepting it into the home. But if he did not pick it up, it meant the child was, rejected. It could be sold, given away, or even killed by exposure. No doubt a father’s love would overcome such monstrous acts, but these practices were legal in that day. Paul told the parents, Don’t use your authority to abuse the child, but to encourage and build the child. To the Colossians he wrote, Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged (Col 3:21). So, the opposite of provoke is encourage.
I was addressing a group of Christian students on the subject of prayer, and was pointing out that our Father in heaven is always available when we call. To illustrate it, I told them that the receptionist at our church office has a list of names prepared by me, and these people could get to me at any time, no matter what I was doing. Even if I was in a staff meeting, or in a counseling session, if any of these people phoned, she was to call me immediately. At the top of this list was my family Even if the matter seems to me inconsequential, I want my family to know that I am available. After the service, one of the students said to me, Would you adopt me? I can never get through to my father, and I need his encouragement so much!
Fathers provoke their children and discourage them by saying one thing and doing another - by always blaming and never praising, by being inconsistent and unfair in discipline, and by showing favoritism in the home, by making promises and not keeping them, and by making light of problems that, to the children, are very important. Christian parents need the fullness of the Spirit so they can be sensitive to the needs and problems of their children.
2.2. He must nurture them. (v 4b)
The text reads, But nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. The verb translated bring them up is the same word that is translated nourisheth in Eph 5:29. The Christian husband is to nourish his wife and his children by sharing love and encouragement in the Lord. It is not enough to nurture the children physically by providing food, shelter, and clothing. He must also nurture them emotionally and spiritually. The development of the Boy Jesus is our example: And Jesus increased in wisdom and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). Here is balanced growth: intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social. Nowhere in the Bible is the training of children assigned to agencies outside the home, no matter how they might assist. God looks to the parents for the kind of training that the children need.
2.3 He must discipline them. (v 4b)
The word nurture carries with it the idea of learning through discipline. It is translated chastening in Heb 12. Some modern psychologist oppose the old-fashioned idea of discipline, and many educators follow their philosophy. let the children express themselves! they tell us. If you discipline them, you may warp their characters. Yet discipline is a basic principle of life and an evidence of love. Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth (Heb 12:6). He that spareth him chasteneth him diligently (Prov 13:24, literal translation).
We must be sure, however, that we discipline our children in the right manner. To begin with, we must discipline in love and not in anger, lest we injure either the body or the spirit of the child, or possibly both. If we are not disciplined, we surely cannot discipline others, and flying off the handle never made either a better child or a better parent.
Also, our discipline must be fair and consistent. My father would use a cannon to kill a mosquito! a teenager once told me. I either get away with murder, or get blamed for everything! Consistent, loving discipline gives assurance to the child. He may hot agree with us, but at least he knows that we care enough to build some protective walls around him he can take care of himself ‘I never knew how far I could go,’ a wayward girl told me, because my parents never cared enough to discipline me. I figured that if it wasn’t important to them, why should it be important to me?
2.4 He must instruct and encourage them. (v 4c)
This is the meaning of the word admonition. The father and mother not only use actions to raise the child, but also words. In the Book of Proverbs, for example, we have an inspired record of a father, sharing wise counsel with his son, our children do not always appreciate our counsel, but that does not eliminate the obligation we have to instruct and encourage them. Of course, our instruction must always be tied to the Word of God (see 2 Tim 3:13-17).
When the Supreme Court handed down its ruling against required prayer in the public schools, the famous editorial cartoonist Herblock published a cartoon in the Washington Post showing an angry father waving a newspaper at his family and shouting, What do they expect us to do - listen to the kids pray at home? The answer is: Yes! Home is the place where the children ought to learn about the Lord and the Christian life. It is time that Christian parents stop passing the buck to Sunday school teachers and Christian day school teachers, and start nurturing their children.
Conclusion: From this exegetical study we can clearly see what Paul’s meant to say concerning the parent and the children of God. How they should function their life and work together foe good and how to glorify God. He gave the greatest commandment to obey and do the work accordingly so that we all may live long on this earth.
