Posts

Ephesians 6:12 – Spiritual Wrestling Match

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Will

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Truth to Learn

We are in a spiritual battle and we are on the winning side.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “wrestle” is palē. This is derived from the verb pallō, meaning “to shake” or “to vibrate.” Palē refers to “struggling,” “wrestling,” or “hand-to-hand combat.” It is specifically a reference to a struggle between individual opponents rather than entire military forces.

“Principalities” is from archē, which literally means “a beginning.” However, this word can also refer to persons, indicating their priority or preeminence. It can also refer to a position of authority, indicating the first position in power or dominion. This is how the word is used in today’s verse.

Exousia is the Greek word translated “powers.” It refers to "permission, authority, or power to do something." When used as it is here it indicates someone with power or authority.

The word “rulers” is from kosmokrator, which is made up of kosmos, meaning “world system” and a form of krateō, meaning “to have control by virtue of strength.”

“Spiritual” is from pneumatikos, based on pneuma meaning “a spirit.” It refers to “spirit beings” or “angelic beings.”

The word “wickedness” is translated from ponēria, which refers to “badness” or “wickedness.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now tells us why it is so important for us to put on our battle armor. The opening part of this verse literally reads, “because to us the wrestle is not against …” He wants our focus in this lesson to be on us and our preparedness, not on the enemy. At the same time, however, Paul wants us to know what kind of enemy we are battling with.

The descriptive words translated “principalities … powers … rulers of darkness … spiritual hosts” indicate an organization of wicked angelic beings, who exist in the spirit world but who have great power and influence in our physical world as well. In his apocalyptic writing, the Apostle John described a vision of Satan (the dragon) gathering one third of all angels to his side in his battle against God and His people:

And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. (Revelation 12:3-4a)

It is these “fallen angels,” organized by Satan into positions of power and authority, which are bringing the battle to us. It is a spiritual battle and we can either roll over and “play dead” or we can engage the enemy and stand firm with all the power and ability that our God has given us.

Application

Every Christian who has ever committed himself or herself to serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has experienced spiritual battles. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but we must never give up. Remember, we are not fighting for victory, we are fighting from victory! Our leader, our Savior, our God has already overcome the enemy. He is the Victor!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:11 – Protective Armor

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Will

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Truth to Learn

We Christians need protective armor for our spiritual battles.

Behind the Words

“Put on” is translated from the verb enduō, which is made up of en, meaning “in” and the verb duo, meaning “to sink.” Thus we see that enduō, literally means “to sink in;” that is “to get into” or “to put on” a garment or an outfit. It is expressed here in the middle voice, indicating something that we are to do to ourselves (not done to us by someone else).

“Whole armor” is from the Greek word panoplia. This word is made up of a form of pas, meaning “all” or “every” and hoplon, meaning “an implement, a tool, or a weapon.” We see that panoplia literally means “every tool” or “all the weapons.”

The words “be able” are from the Greek word dunamai, meaning “to have the ability or the authority to do something.”

“Wiles” is from methodeia which, as you can see, is the source of our English word “method.” Methodeia refers to “following an orderly procedure or process.” It is expressed here in the plural indicating that Satan has more than one method.

The word “devil” is translated from the Greek word diabolos, which is from the verb diaballō, meaning “to falsely accuse.” Thus, diabolos is “a false accuser.”

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse Paul told us to be strengthened in God and in the power of His strength. He told us to do this because, whether we like it or not, we are at war. In today’s verse, he tells us who we are at war with and what we are to do about it. We are at war with the false accuser, Satan.

Because we are God’s soldiers and we are at war, Paul tells us that we need to be prepared for battle. In order to be prepared, we need to have all the weapons available to us and we need to use them in the appropriate way. As we said in Behind the Words, the word panoplia refers to all the “weapons,” and yet the translators translated it as “the whole armor.” The reason for this is that all but one of the weapons described are defensive weapons; that is, protective armor.

We need this armor in order to be able to take a stand against Satan and his minions. We need to do battle against all of his methods. So, the obvious question is, “What are the methods that Satan uses?” Nowhere in Scripture are we ever given a specific list, but here are some of them: he opposes God’s workers (Zechariah 3:1), he perverts God’s word (Matthew 4:6), he hinders God’s servants (1Thessalonians 2:18), he blinds people’s minds from knowing the truth (2Corinthians 4:4), and he snares the righteous (1Timothy 3:7).

Yesterday we used a sports analogy talking about the final pep-talk a coach gives his team just before the big game. However, no self-respecting coach would give such a pep-talk and then send his team out on the field without the proper protective gear. Without the protective “armor,” a football player or a soldier would be slaughtered, no matter how skilled and prepared they might be. We are no different in this battle.

Application

Fighting spiritual warfare without the proper protective equipment is a sure-fire recipe for defeat. We need to be prepared and protected before we go into battle. Pay attention as Paul describes our armor in the next few verses.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:10 – Be Made Strong!

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Will

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Truth to Learn

Christians need to prepare for spiritual warfare.

Behind the Words

The word “finally” is translated from loipos, meaning “that which remains.” There is some variation in Greek manuscripts as to whether this should be “for the rest” or “as to the rest.” Either way, this expression is an introduction into Paul’s final teaching in this letter.

The words translated “my brethren” do not appear in the better Greek manuscripts, so these should probably be excluded.

“Be strong” is from the Greek verb endunamoō, which is a compound word made up of en, meaning “in” and a form of dunamis (from which we get our English word dynamite), meaning “power” or “strength.” Endunamoō means “to make strong.” It is expressed here in the passive voice and imperative mood, so it is a command to “have yourself be made strong.”

“Power” is from the Greek word kratos, which refers to “power that is demonstrated or shown.”

The word translated “might” is ischus, which is composed of is, meaning “strength” and echo, meaning “to have.”

Meaning Explained

Having concluded his teaching about behavior within the body of Christ, the family unit, and the working world, Paul now gives one final word of encouragement. Actually, it is more than just an encouragement to be strong, it contains instruction on how to be strong. Paul knows that Christians are engaged in a constant battle against the forces of evil. So, like a football coach giving his team one final challenge before entering into the biggest game of the year, Paul gives a challenge to the Christians at Ephesus (and to those of us who read this letter).

His challenge is to “be made strong.” Notice that Paul did not say “make yourselves strong.” We can’t make ourselves strong, but we can do those things which will allow us to be made stronger. When I was in high school, I participated in the sport of wrestling and, because it is a sport that is partially dependent on strength, I began weightlifting. What I was surprised to learn is that lifting weights does not make you strong. In fact, if you do it correctly, lifting weights actually causes minor injuries to your muscles. While you sleep, however, your body miraculously heals itself and adds a little more muscle where the small injuries occurred.

Similarly, I learned that losing a wrestling match actually helps you to win a match in the future. Not only do your muscles rebuild, just like with weightlifting, but with the help of a coach you discover the moves and techniques that defeated you. Then your coach teaches you how to overcome those moves and techniques.

As Paul will tell us in a couple of verses, we are in a spiritual wrestling match, whether we like it or not. In order to be victorious in these battles we need two things. We need to work our spiritual muscles, and we need to learn about the attacks of our adversary.

Application

Are you in the middle of a spiritual battle? Don’t be discouraged when you fall. Get up again, listen to your coach (God), learn the enemy’s attacks, and get back in the battle!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:9 – God-Honoring Bosses

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Will

And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Truth to Learn

Bosses are to do their job in a God-honoring way.

Behind the Words

The words “giving up” are from the Greek verb aniēmi. This is made up of ana, meaning “up” or “back” and hiemi, meaning “to send.” Literally, this word means “to send back.” In other words, aniēmi means “to dismiss,” “to let go,” or “to let up.”

“Threatening” is translated from the noun apeilē, which is from the verb apeileō, meaning “to threaten.” Thus, apeilē refers to “a threat.”

“Heaven” is translated from ouranos, meaning “heaven.” There are three places referred to as “heaven” in the Bible: the atmosphere of earth (the first heaven), the starry universe (the second heaven), and that place outside of creation where God’s throne room exists (the third heaven). In today’s verse it is a reference to the third heaven, God’s throne room.

The word “partiality” is from prosōpolēpsia, which is composed of prosōpon, meaning “a face” and a form of lambanō, meaning “to take” or “to receive.” Thus it literally means “to receive a face;” that is, “showing favoritism” or “showing partiality.”

Meaning Explained

The first thing to notice in today’s verse, as Paul talks to Christian bosses, is that he recognizes the need for a hierarchy of authority even in the work force. He doesn’t tell bosses (or slave masters) to quit being a boss and get to work with the workers. And, he doesn’t tell bosses to stop telling the workers what to do. Within the church body we are all equals (we’re all sinners saved by grace), but in our jobs there are different positions of authority and responsibility.

Paul told us that as God’s slaves we are to do God’s will from the heart (verse six) and to perform our work with good thoughts as if we were working directly for God (verse seven). He also told us that when we do this type of work and do it well, God will do good things for us. God created each of us to do good works; He even determined ahead of time what kind of work we should do. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul said:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

Now, he tells bosses the same thing he told workers: do your job as God’s servant and do it for His glory. Do what you were called to do, but don’t abuse your position. Don’t threaten your workers. They are God’s workers just like you are and you are to treat them the same way God treats you. God doesn’t tell us that bosses are more important than workers or that workers are more important than bosses. What he does say, in the seventh chapter of 1Corinthinas, is to be content in whatever job we have. Here he tells us, whether boss or worker, we are do our very best. We are working for God. Let’s give Him the glory.

Application

If you have people working under your direction, this verse is specifically for you. God has placed you in a position of authority, so do your job in a God-honoring way. Guide and oversee your workers, but don’t abuse or threaten them.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:8 – Rewards, Temporal or Eternal?

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Will

knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Truth to Learn

Living for God will produce eternal rewards from God.

Behind the Words

“Knowing” is from the Greek verb eidō, which means “to have seen with perception.” Thus, it is often expressed in English as “to know.” Here it is expressed as a perfect participle, indicating past completed action (having seen) with an ongoing effect (therefore I know) where the emphasis is on the effect.

The phrase “whatever good anyone does” is really a third class conditional clause in Greek. A literal translation might be, “each one if he should do anything good.” The three conditional classes of Koinē Greek are: 1^st class (assumption that the “if” statement is true), 2^nd class (assumption that the “if” statement is false), and 3^rd class (a true conditional in which no assumption is made about the “if” clause).

“He will receive” is translated from the Greek verb komidzō, meaning “to obtain” or “to acquire.” When used as it is in this verse it means “to receive in return for something done.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has taught us that in our jobs we are to be obedient to our bosses, performing our duties with good thoughts. And, we are not to work just for show, but with a singular focus as if we were working directly for God. Now he tells us why we are to work this way: because we know that whatever good we do will come back to us from God.

On the surface this sounds like we are to be selfish, only working for what we can get for ourselves. However, this verse keenly demonstrates the difference between an earthly “now” focus and a heavenly “forever” focus. God made us with desires. When these desires are focused on what we want in the material world they can lead to sin:

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 1:14-15)

However, if our desires are focused on what God wants us to do while on this earth, we are promised rewards in heaven:

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

God wants our entire life to be focused on Him. Whether it is in our paycheck-earning job, our ministry, our worship, our giving, or our interactions within our family and within the church, God wants us to do it all for Him. If we give our all to Him while on this earth, He will give us eternal rewards.

Application

We all have a choice in this life to live for ourselves or to live for God. Living for ourselves may produce fame and fortune, which will vanish one day. Living for God will result in eternal, heavenly rewards from Him. Which would you rather have? It’s all a matter of where your life focus is.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:7 – Give Your Best!

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Will

with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Truth to Learn

God gave us His best, so we should give Him our best.

Behind the Words

The word “with” is from the Greek preposition meta, which indicates accompaniment. It is different than the Greek preposition sun, which implies “union with” or “integrated with.” Meta means “in the midst of, among, or along with.”

Eunoia is the Greek word translated “goodwill.” It is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of nous, referring to “the mind and its thoughts or feelings.” Therefore, we see that eunoia literally means “good thoughts” or “good feelings.” In the New Testament, eunoia refers to the actions which result from good thoughts; that is, benevolence or goodwill.

“Doing service” is translated from the Greek verb douleuō, which is derived from doulos (a bond servant or slave). Douleuō means “to be subject to and perform service for a master.” The verb is expressed here as a participle in the present tense, indicating continual action in the present.

“Lord” is from kurios. We saw in verse five that this refers to “a person who is in a position of authority over you.” When accompanied by the definite article as it is here, it is a reference to “the Lord,” that is to God, who is our Lord and our Master.

Meaning Explained

Paul is in the middle of teaching us how we are to behave at work. Nearly all of us have a boss, and even those of us who work for ourselves recognize that our customers are like a boss. A fortunate few of us have a boss whom we really like, but many of us have a boss that we don’t like or that is difficult to work for.

Paul makes no distinction between good and bad bosses, and Peter, in 1Peter 2:18, says we are to be submissive no matter what kind of boss he or she is. In yesterday’s verse we were instructed regarding how not to do our jobs. We are not to perform our work just to give the appearance that we are doing well, and we are not to do our job just to please someone (like our boss).

On the surface this seems a bit contradictory; if we aren’t selfishly doing our job just for appearance sake and we aren’t doing our job just to please our boss or someone else, then who are we doing it for? Today’s verse gives us the answer. We are to perform our job as if we were working directly for our Lord God.

In Exodus 35:35, Daniel 1:17, and Daniel 9:22, we see that God is the one who bestows abilities on us. Couple this with James 1:17 and we see that any gift, talent, or ability we have is a gift from God. Therefore, we should use the talents He has given us to the best of our ability as before Him and unto Him. And, Paul specifically tells us here that we are to do our jobs with good thoughts and with a servant’s heart.

Application

As God’s children we are also God’s servants (bond slaves). We have been bought with the blood of Christ; He has purchased us and given us specific gifts and abilities. For these reasons, and in gratitude for all that He has done for us, we should perform whatever task we undertake as if we were doing it directly for Him. We need to give Him the best we have. After all, He gave His best for us, didn’t He?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:6 – Jesus, Our Boss

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Will

not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

Truth to Learn

We are to work at our jobs as if our boss was Jesus himself.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “eyeservice” is ophthalmodouleia, which is composed of ophthalmos, meaning “eye” and douleia, meaning “slavery” or “service.” Thus, this word literally does mean “eyeservice.” Ophthalmodouleia implies work that is being done only when someone is watching or work that is done only for appearance sake.

“Men-pleasers” is from anthrōpareskos. This word is made up of anthrōpos, meaning “man” and areskō, meaning “to be agreeable” or “to be pleasing.” This word describes the action of those who try to gain favor with others. The implication is that they are focused on pleasing other people instead of focusing on pleasing God.

The word “bondservants” is doulos, the same word Paul used in the previous verse, meaning “someone who, either voluntarily or involuntarily, is in a position of servitude to someone else and whose will is completely submitted to that of his or her master.”

Meaning Explained

Yesterday we learned that Christian slaves are to be obedient to their masters and they are to serve their masters with singleness of heart. In other words, they are to listen attentively to their masters, doing what they are told without attempting to deceive. In addition, based on what we learned yesterday, we can safely say that this message applies to anyone who works for someone else, anyone who has a boss. In 1Peter 2:18, the Apostle Peter tells us that we are to submit (under-rank ourselves) to our bosses:

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.

Between Ephesians 6:5, 6 and 1Peter 2:18 we can learn a lot about how we are to perform at our jobs. First of all, we are to listen attentively to our bosses, learning what we can from them and obediently doing what they ask (or tell) us to do. Second, we are to serve them with singleness of purpose. Third, we are to do our work for them as if we were doing the work for our Lord Jesus Christ, as His slaves. Fourth, we are to always be diligent at what we do, not just when someone is watching us, but at all times. Fifth, we are not to perform our jobs just to impress someone. Finally, we are to have a submissive attitude with regard to our boss. And we are to do so not just for the gentle bosses we might have, but to the harsh bosses as well. Incidentally, the Greek word translated “harsh” in the 1Peter passage above literally means “crooked.”

Whatever job we might find ourselves in, we need to recognize that God has placed us under the authority of our boss. Therefore, in a very real sense, we are doing our job for the Lord. We need to perform our work as if Jesus Christ was working right beside us. And – our Lord deserves the full credit for any success that we might have.

Application

Do you have a lousy boss? If so, remember that God has placed you under his (or her) authority and you need to perform your work for him (or her) as if Christ himself was your boss. Can you do that? Is so, you might be surprised at the results.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:5 – Obedient to Masters

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Will

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;

Truth to Learn

Christians are to be respectful and obedient to their bosses.

Behind the Words

“Bondservants” is from the Greek word doulos, which refers to “someone who, either voluntarily or involuntarily, is in a position of servitude to someone else and whose will is completely submitted to that of his or her master.”

The word translated “obedient” is hupakouō. In verse one of this chapter, we learned that this literally means “to hear under.” As used here it means “to listen attentively and obey.”

The word “masters” is translated from kurios, meaning “a person who is in a position of authority over you.”

“Fear” is from the Greek word phobos, which is related to the verb phebomai, which means “to flee from.” In Greek writing, Phobos has several nuances of meaning including: honor, respect, reverence, fear, or terror.

Tromos is the word translated “trembling.” It generally refers to “trembling of the body as a result of extreme fear.” When combined with phobos (as it is here), it is a reference to “great timidity or profound reverence, respect, or dread.”

The word translated “sincerity” is haplotēti. This word is derived from a (a particle of connection or union) and the base of plekō, meaning “to braid together.” Thus, haplotēti refers to the characteristic of not being divided, but being a single unit.

Meaning Explained

In the Roman society in which this letter was written, slaves made up between twenty and forty percent of the population. Bond slaves were considered legal property of their owner and they had no rights within Roman society. Most slaves were owned by individuals, but some were owned by the Roman people. Some of these public slaves did menial work while others did skilled office work such as accounting and secretarial duties.

A person became a slave in one of three ways: people who were defeated and captured by the Roman army, a Roman father had the right to sell his children into slavery, or a person could voluntarily surrender himself into slavery. In addition to bond slaves, there were household servants (Greek word oiketēs) who worked within a household but were not owned by the master of the house

The Apostolic teaching of the first century does not declare that slavery is wrong; however, within the church all members are considered equal. Paul’s teaching here and in Colossians 3:22 was specifically directed at bond slaves, but the Apostle Peter says the same thing to household servants in 1Peter 2:18.

Both Paul and Peter taught that servants and slaves were to be respectful and obedient to their masters, recognizing that they were under the authority of their master in the same way that all Christians are under Christ’s authority.

Application

All Christians are to be respectful and obedient to those who are in authority over them. Whether your boss is kind or mean, honest or devious, being sincerely obedient to him or her is the same as being obedient to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:4 – Godly Parenting

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Will

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Truth to Learn

Parents should be an example of God’s love in the way they raise their children.

Behind the Words

The words “provoke … to wrath” are translated from the Greek verb parorgidzō, which is made up of para meaning “near” or “beside,” implying movement toward something, and orgidzō, meaning “to provoke” or “to cause anger.” Hence, parorgidzō literally means “to move someone to the point of anger.”

The words “bring them up” are from ektrephō. This is composed of ek, meaning “out of” but used as an intensifier, and trephō, meaning “to stiffen or fatten;” that is, “to nourish.” Ektrephō means “to bring up a child” or “to nurture a child.”

“Training” is from paideia, which refers to “education and training accomplished through instruction and discipline.”

“Admonition” is translated from the Greek word nouthesia, which is made up of nous, referring to “the mind” or “intellect” and a derivative of ththēmi, meaning “to place” or “to stand.” The basic meaning of nouthesia is “to instruct by calling attention to something or by giving a warning.”

Meaning Explained

Paul’s current subject of instruction is about how we are to behave within a family. At the end of the last chapter he talked about how a husband and wife are to relate to each other. In the past few verses he talked about how we are to think and act with respect to our parents. Now he teaches how fathers (and mothers) are to treat their children.

During the first century, the world was under Roman domination. With each area the Romans defeated, they imposed their laws and their lifestyle. For the most part, however, they allowed the conquered countries to continue their own religious practices as long as they recognized the emperor (Caesar) as a god also. Within Roman society the man was ruler of his household and could do almost anything he wanted with his wife and children. In that society wives and children were viewed as little more than possessions. Because of this, abuse and what we would consider crimes against women and children were commonplace in Roman households.

In teaching about family relations within a Christian household, therefore, Paul addresses the role of the father more than any other member of the family. In today’s verse he tells fathers what to do and what not to do with regard to their children. First, he tells Christian fathers (and by association, Christian mothers) not to drive their children to anger. In Colossians 3:21 we learn that this actually causes children to become discouraged. Then, he tells fathers to educate their children, to train them, and to give them warnings about the consequences of certain actions. Paul tells them to do all this within the framework of God’s guidance and oversight.

Application

How we raise our children has a profound influence on how our children will relate to God later in life. If we demonstrate godly parenting, we can be firm, correcting, and loving all at the same time, demonstrating how God loves and treats us. Do your children see God in the way you are raising them?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:3 – Faithful Obedience from Love

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Will

That it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.

Truth to Learn

We should be obedient to God because we love Him, not because we want or expect something from Him.

Behind the Words

The verbal phrase “it may be” is translated from the Greek word ginomai, which means “to begin to be,” “to come into existence,” or “to come into a given condition or state.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood indicating the possibility or probability of occurrence.

“Live long” is from the Greek adjective makrochronios. This is the only place in the New Testament where this word occurs. It is made up of makros, meaning “large” or “long” and chronos, meaning “a length of time.” Thus, makrochronios literally means “long-timed” or “long- lived.” A literal translation of the second half of this verse might be, “and you will be long-lived on the earth.”

Meaning Explained

As we learned yesterday, Paul is basically quoting the fifth commandment. The first thing we have to notice is that he didn’t quote it exactly. We’ll see why in just a minute. Like the rest of the Law, this commandment was given to the Israelites after they left Egypt and before they entered the Promised Land. It specifically promises long life in the land of Canaan. But, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul modified the contents of the commandment to apply its principle to Christians living throughout the world.

As we have mentioned before, Christians are not under the Law of Moses. Keeping the Law does not make us righteous any more than it makes devout Jews righteous. In fact, Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians to address this very issue. In that church there were some who claimed that Christians had to keep the Law even after faith in Christ. He taught very clearly that we are not justified by obedience, we are justified by faith in Christ and we are no longer under the Law.

Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Galatians 3:24-25)

The other thing we need to observe is that this is not a “magic formula” for God’s blessing; rather, it is given to us as a general principle. There are many people who have honored their parents and yet died young. That doesn’t make God a liar. Paul gives us these verses to teach us that it is proper for us to obey our parents and that, in general, God blesses those who do. Far too many Christians today believe that obedience to a set of rules is what pleases God. Their religion is no better than that of the Jews who ultimately rejected the Messiah they claimed to be waiting for, even though they followed all the rules. Keep in mind what the writer of Hebrews said:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Application

Our obedience to God should be because of our love for Him (see John 14:23), not because we want to win His favor. So, let us honor God by honoring our parents.

In God's service, for His glory,