Children and Parents
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise-- 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."[1] 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves and Masters
5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
We looked at verses 21-33 of chapter 5, last time, but they go along with verses 1-9 of
chapter 6, in which Paul lays out “household rules,” what Christian behavior looks like
within specific relationships people have within the family and/or home. Paul continues
to teach us about the filling of the Holy Spirit, resulting especially in worship through
witness and servant-hood between husbands and wives, parents and children, and masters
and slaves (especially consider the Greco-Roman culture).
- V1-4 - In v1-3, Paul gives children – and every one of us qualifies as a child (Matthew 15:3-7) – three reasons for obeying their parents. First, children must obey their parents (in the Lord – that is, Christian parents; remember Paul is writing to Christians!) because it is right to do so. Throughout the world, people just know that children ought to obey their parents. It’s part of the created order, part of the natural order, and even pagans know right from wrong on certain things (Romans 1:32). Gentile culture displayed disobedience to parents as a sign of being under the judgment of the gods (Romans 1:30; 2 Timothy 3:2). Second, children must obey their parents because it is commanded. The command is to honor, but Paul says obey. Calvin notes that obedience is the outward sign, the evidence, of ongoing, inward honoring. God expressly commands children to obey their parents; and Paul quotes Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16 to prove it. Remember the first four commandments of God dealt with our relationship to Him directly. Those were the first-table laws. The second-table laws include the final six of the Ten Commandments, and this charge to obey parents is the first of them. Paul adds that this is, in fact, “the first commandment with a promise,” and that points him to a third reason that children ought to obey their parents – because obedience is rewarded. That this is the first commandment with a promise points to certain laws being more important than others (Matthew 23:23).
Isn’t it interesting that God says we must do something, but that when we do it, we receive rewards? We ought to do our duty simply because it is our duty (Luke 17:10). We who do our duty are still merely unworthy servants. But God is gracious. It is right to obey, but it is also good for us to obey. When you obey God, and specifically “your parents in the Lord,” “it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Think about typical parental commands. “Chew up and swallow your food before going out to play… Walk along the side of the pool and don’t run… Get to bed on time… Do not talk back when I give you a command…etc.” Consider reading through the Proverbs with your children and explaining them. These commands are for the children’s good. They are intended to aid the children in leading long and healthy lives. They are timelessly and culturally appropriate, and they’re not burdensome. Finally, the principle of honoring one’s parents never changes, though the method of honoring does change with age. How great is it that Christian parents can enjoy friendships with their grown Christian children! Consider that children’s obedience to their parents serves to unify generations in Christ. It’s therefore no surprise that John’s greatest joy was to hear that his children were walking in the truth!
In v4, fathers have authority over their children as expected and as was common in the culture, but the purpose of this God-given authority was to serve the children responsibly, nurturing and helping them to flourish. Parents exist for children, not vice versa as many believe, though it is true that children certainly benefit husbands and wives. The child’s mind, body, and emotions are entrusted to the parents, and the parents are to help the young divine image bearers to develop their own personhood before God. Paul gives a negative command first, and then he follows with a two-sided positive command. He’s addressing the fathers specifically, for they will give an account before God as to the spiritual health of their family. (It is for this reason that wives/mothers ought to aid their husbands through submission and loving obedience.)
Beginning with the negative command, Paul uses the word “exasperate.” It means “provoke to anger.” Paul says, “Don’t provoke your children to anger.” Colossians 3:21 elaborates, saying that embittered children will become discouraged, that exasperated children will lose heart. What father wants their child to lose heart and be discouraged? Fathers – and mothers too – struggle with impatience and selfishness, “unreasonable severity,” as Calvin says. Paul says not to let that happen – by expecting too much too soon (or too little when they’re capable) out of one’s children, or by exacting disproportionate measures or intensities of discipline (let the punishment fit the crime (avoid parental hypocrisy and unexplained double standards)) – and then he gives a double-edged positive command. “Instead, bring them up,” as opposed to tearing them down. It’s typical of Paul’s teaching: Do not do that, but instead do this. Encourage rather than discourage; enlighten rather than embitter; instruct or construct rather than destruct.
The Greek word translated “bring up,” according to Calvin, “unquestionably conveys the idea of gentleness and forbearance,” and so he translates the text, “Instead, let them be fondly cherished.” The words “training” and “instruction” refer to discipline, nurturing or shaping the human will through training, and admonition, nurturing or shaping the human mind through teaching. And so parents are to fondly cherish their children, not by failing to discipline, but by properly shaping their minds and wills to conform to the standards of God’s Word. Calvin says, “It is not the will of God that parents, in the exercise of kindness, shall spare and corrupt their children. Let their conduct towards their children be at once mild and considerate, so as to guide them in the fear of the Lord, and correct them also when they go astray. That age is so apt to become wanton, that it requires frequent admonition and restraint.”
That’s quite a task, so prayer, personal example, and precept are crucial in parenting. We dedicate our children to the Lord, rely on His grace through prayer (with and for our children), set godly examples before them in our lifestyle, and teach them sound doctrine. We must make consistent and constant efforts to convey loving affection toward our children, and children spell the word “love,” T-I-M-E. We must allow them to make mistakes and issue gentle correction. We need to establish limited and reasonable rules to follow and enforce them consistently. We ought to admit our own failures and ask for forgiveness from our children, making it easy and desirable for them to approach us in any and every circumstance. It’s that simple…and that hard.
Vincent Cheung says, “Just as the man is the head of the woman, he is also the head of his entire family; therefore, the responsibility finally rests upon him to bring up his children…He must bring them up in “the training (nurture) and instruction (admonition) of the Lord.” In other words, he must make sure that they learn and follow biblical doctrines. This has been the duty of parents, and especially the fathers, throughout the history of humanity (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). It also necessarily follows that, if you have not been teaching your children Christian theology, then you are a bad parent. This is the measuring stick of parenthood, and until it is first discussed and settled, all other considerations are trivial.”
- V5-9 - Paul has pointed to the created order as a primary motive for obedience in the marriage and parenting relationships, but there is no created order in regards to the master/slave relationship. So Paul’s instruction here is different. He doesn’t appeal to the created order; instead he appeals to Christ. Paul could have pointed to Old Testament law for his remarks here. Instead he looks at Christ and writes of the importance for slaves to respect authority, and he looks at Christ and writes of the importance for masters to treat slaves with respect in the same way. Paul’s culture was a slave culture; people would voluntarily sell themselves into bondage. This was a big deal, because even indentured servitude was a dismal, permanent lifestyle. Masters did not treat slaves well, and slaves often despised their masters, pitying themselves for their condition. Regardless, respect for authority was an absent virtue in Paul’s culture, and it is much the same in ours. We may be tempted to make a simple crossover from the master/slave topic that Paul addresses to the employer/employee relationship of our day. While the principles are good, we must remember that Paul is addressing slavery, not mere employment. Nevertheless, Paul makes clear, most importantly, the truth that our vocation is a spiritual matter.
Slaves are to do four things as Paul reveals. First, in v5, they are to respect their masters, just as they would respect Christ. Second, in v6, they are to obey their masters from the heart, as slaves of Christ, and not out of selfish motives. Third, in v7, they are to serve wholeheartedly as if they were serving the Lord. And fourth, in v8, they are to do good work, knowing that the Lord will reward them. (I can’t help but mentioning what was said earlier, about how God issues a command and when we obey and merely do our duty, we receive rewards (Colossians 3:23-24). How gracious! There is a saying in the world that no good deed goes unpunished. In other words, when we do good in this fallen world, we may suffer for it in one way or another. But that won’t be true in God’s eternal Kingdom. Good deeds done with right motives will be rewarded.) In all four instances, we see that slaves are to live their temporal lives of being under their masters with an eternal focus of being alongside Jesus Christ.
Paul also reveals four things to masters, all in v9. First, there is a principle of reciprocity. Masters are to treat their slaves “in the same way,” meaning with respect, or according to Calvin, “that which is just and equal” (Colossians 4:1). Calvin adds, “Masters and servants are not indeed on the same level; but there is a mutual law which binds them. By this law, servants are placed under the authority of their masters; and, by the same law, due regard being had to the difference of their station, masters lie under certain obligations to their servants. This analogy is greatly misunderstood; because men do not try it by the law of love, which is the only true standard.” Second, there is to be no threatening. Oftentimes, masters would threaten a severe beating to a slave for non-compliance or a bad attitude. Masters could even execute their slave for whatever reason they saw fit! Paul says not to threaten. Slaves knew their status in the world, and nothing good came from threats. Third, masters and slaves have the same master, Jesus Christ, so they are in essence, both slaves and would desire equal treatment from their heavenly master. Furthermore, the masters are here encouraged to consider that they will give an account before God regarding the treatment of their slaves. Fourth, along those same lines, God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34). Jesus is impartial when it comes to judgment. It won’t matter who was the slave and who was the master. Jesus will note each individual’s respect for authority (earthly and heavenly authority), regardless of social position.
All believers are called to share the humiliation of Christ and His sufferings, though Paul would not make anyone’s sufferings greater than they need be (1 Corinthians 7:21-23). Slaves are to work diligently and willingly, and masters are to treat slaves as Christ would treat His followers, since that is what we who follow Christ are – His bond-slaves. Paul is not a social crusader, but he knows that the gospel transforms lives of masters and slaves from the inside out (see Philemon). Christianity undermines slavery from within. Externally, one may be a master or a slave, but internally, we are brothers in Christ; and the internally reality ought to be reflected externally.
Vincent Cheung offers a conclusion, saying, “Conversion does not dissolve human relationships, obligations, and authorities. If you are a wife, you must still obey your husband; if you are a child, you must still obey your parents; and if you are a slave, you must still obey your master. However, there is one great difference: all Christians now have one common Master, and ‘there is no favoritism with Him,’ and ‘the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free’… The passage (6:5-8) provides the foundation for the matchless biblical work ethic that Christians had been famous for in times past, but now so few of them still demonstrate. This work ethic calls for a sincere respect and fear toward one’s superior, but also to look beyond them to the Lord: ‘Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.’ Alas, many professing Christians today are just as slothful and unproductive as the non-Christians. But Paul writes, ‘I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received’ (4:1).”
The Armor of God
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Final Greetings
21Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
We’re looking at verses 10-24 of chapter 6, in which Paul begins with the word, “Finally,” and comes to the end of his letter. In conclusion, we are taught and encouraged to stand firm in spiritual warfare against the spiritual forces of darkness. Paul gives us a call to arms against the real enemy (not flesh and blood) and details the armor (the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of readiness of gospel peace (reconciliation), the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation), weaponry (the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God), and strategy (stand firm in prayer) for battling this enemy successfully.
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V10-13 - Paul knows that Christians face many obstacles in this world, including the desires of the flesh and the tendencies to lean to the right into legalism or to the left into antinomianism. But the greatest obstacle to Paul is “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (v12). The Christian duty of unity and purity is complicated by hostile spiritual powers. In fact, there is a war ongoing! But this war is not against “flesh and blood.” It’s a battle against “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (v12). Christ has won the war, and victory will be finalized (Romans 16:20); however, though darkness is defeated, it is not yet harmless. And Paul can teach on sound doctrine, on applying that doctrine to our hearts and minds, and on living out that doctrine in the various relationships we have, but if we lack an understanding of this final category of struggle, then we will fail to overcome with great joy. So Paul explains how we are to persevere in this life en route to the next, how we are to make progress unto unity in the faith, how we are to stand firm in this spiritual war that is going on over us, in us, and in our midst.
Compare v10 to Ephesians 1:19; 3:16-19. We are to be strong, or perhaps better translated as be strengthened, in the Lord and in His mighty power, not our own, for we have none, especially none capable of battling the devil and his schemes. The new clothes Paul mentioned earlier (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10,12) have now become full battle gear, the full armor of God (v11,13). Paul combines Roman soldier armor with Old Testament imagery, especially that of the Messiah. Strikingly, Paul applies what is said of God in the Old Testament to believers in this passage. In Paul’s culture, Roman soldiers were everywhere. The source of Paul’s imagery is obvious. He takes the physical reality of warfare, that one prepared for battle requires weapons and armor crafted for physical battle by skilled craftsman, and turns it into an illustration of the reality of spiritual warfare, that one prepared for spiritual battle requires weapons (God’s Word and prayer) and armor (truth, righteousness, readiness for the gospel peace of reconciliation, faith, and salvation) crafted for battle by a skilled craftsman (God Himself).
The command here is to be strengthened, knowing how God has empowered us, and the word “stand” is used in this section four times (v11,13-14); it describes action, opposed to sitting in weakness and idleness in the faith. Though Paul’s emphasis here is on the defensive, his war analogies can prove be aggressively offensive as well (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Regardless, with the full armor of God on, when the day of evil comes, we will be able to stand our ground, and after we have done everything, to stand. In other words, we need to be strong to stand during battle, so that once the battle is over, we will be able to stand. Calvin says, “There will be no danger which may not be successfully met by the power of God; nor will any who, with this assistance, fight against Satan, fail in the day of battle.” 1 John 5:18 assures believers of victory as well.
So Paul’s message here is simply to be armed spiritually for what we’re up against spiritually for the sake of, first, survival and, second, progress and conquering and overcoming. To summarize, we need to realize the war we are in; we need divine strength to wage this war; we need to see the enemy for who he is (powerful and wicked) and what he will try to do (deceiving schemes that employ the “rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world,” to which, according to 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 2 Timothy 2:26, unbelievers are destined to fall prey); and we need to put on – intellectually (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) – the full spiritual armor that God gives us in order to defend ourselves and ultimately win this war in His strength.
- V14-17 - First, the belt of truth represents a life of authenticity and integrity based solely and firmly on the intellectual knowledge and understanding of sound doctrine. It is the confidence in decision-making that comes from knowing with certainty that God’s word is true. Jesus said, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:31-32). The belt, or girdle, of truth holds you up when the devil attacks your conscience and accuses you of hypocrisy. Ligon Duncan says, “To resist the devil, truth must have so taken hold of us inside-out, so that what we are inwardly is what we are outwardly.” When instructed doctrine becomes part of who you are, when your behavior is aligned with your right Biblical beliefs everyday and all the time, then you are wearing the belt of truth.
Next, the breastplate of righteousness represents a life lived in holiness and moral righteousness from the heart. Elsewhere (1 Thessalonians 5:8), Paul attributes the breastplate to faith and love. Perhaps here Paul is referring to Christ’s righteousness, which is imputed to us as He dwells in our hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17). Perhaps Paul is thinking instead of our righteous deeds, which we do with more and more consistency as we grow in faith (sanctification). Either way, the breastplate of righteousness is the confidence that enables us to resist temptation, to repent when we fail, and to always rest in grace assured of our justification before God. The breastplate protects our conscience.
Coming to v15, we have the shoes of readiness of the gospel of peace. Some have suggested that Paul has in mind Isaiah 52:7, the passage that speaks of beautiful feet bringing good news, but ironically, the peace that comes from the gospel readies one for war against evil. The Roman soldiers of Paul’s day wore a half boot, similar to a high-top football cleat. It was designed to enable fast and easy running – compared to plodding with full boots on – and firm footing on unstable ground in order to stand firm. Ligon Duncan says, “Paul is reminding us here that our ability to march for God and to stand firm in the day of evil is wholly dependent upon our having experienced the effect of the gospel,” which is reconciliation with God, or peace, along with a readiness to live for God and go where Christ directs as Lord. We need to be ready (1 Peter 3:15; Romans 1:16), prepared for battle, and to be prepared is to understand that we have peace with God through the gospel. Are you ready to move for God? Are you ready to stand firm in your faith in the midst of persecution? If you are wearing gospel shoes, then you have peace with God, reconciled to Him through Christ, and you are ready!
Next, the shield of faith, rather than the breastplate of faith and love as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, mentioned in v16 was a large full-body shield that, when dipped in water prior to a battle, could easily extinguish fiery arrows when they fell upon it. 1 John 5:4 says, “This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” To resist the devil we must have a living and active faith in the living and active God. We must trust and confide in Christ, knowing that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Calvin says, “The most necessary instruments of warfare – a sword and a shield – are compared to faith, and to the word of God. In the spiritual combat, these two hold the highest rank. By faith we repel all the attacks of the devil, and by the word of God the enemy himself is slain. If the word of God shall have its efficacy upon us through faith, we shall be more than sufficiently armed both for opposing the enemy and for putting him to flight.”
If you have a faith without works, then you might want to check to see if your faith is alive. The Bible says, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder” (James 2:14-19). Do you have the shield of faith? Prove it!
The helmet of salvation in v17 involves the confidence that God finishes what He starts (Philippians 1:6); there is a present experience and a future hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8), because God is the One working in you to will and to act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:13). The verb translated, “Take,” would be better stated, “Receive,” as it points specifically to the given nature of the object. When Roman soldiers prepared for battle, they would put on their armor, but the helmet and sword would be handed to them on the way out to battle. Receive from God the helmet, the intellectual and heart-felt assurance of your salvation. Ligon Duncan says, “If we’re going to stand firm in the day of evil, we must have a vital hope, a vital sense of God’s having saved us – of our present and future salvation. The Apostle Paul is saying that the knowledge that we are saved and secure, the knowledge that nothing can pluck us from God’s hand, the knowledge of Romans 8 that ‘...neither death nor life, nor angels, nor powers, nor principalities, nor nakedness nor famine, nor peril nor sword, can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus’; the knowledge that we are God’s, that we belong to Him, that we are kept by Him, that we are saved by Him, that we are safe and secure with Him, is vital to the whole project of the Christian life.”
Often called the lone offensive weapon in this passage, we have the sword, the word of God. In reality there are two, and we’ll consider prayer in the next set of verses. But this sword would have brought to mind for the reader a short sword used first and foremost for defense in hand-to-hand combat. Consider a jousting match where one knight falls from his ride and is injured. The other knight would only be victorious if he voluntarily dismounted and came over the fallen knight to finish him off. But the injured knight would not go down without defending himself; and he would use this kind of sword to cling to life as long as he could. Then after succeeding defensively, this sword would be used for offense. It brings to my mind Jesus’ one-on-one battles with Satan during the Spirit-led desert temptation. And from that example in its entirety (Jesus defends, turns the table, and offends in the three battles with Satan), we learn that to resist the devil, to fight successfully against the spirits of darkness, we must rely on God’s Word; we must be people of the Book; we must hide God’s Word in our hearts so that we don’t sin against Him; we must love His law and meditate on it day and night. That’s how we win the spiritual war against evil.
Like the helmet, the sword is received on the way to battle. Paul implies that the Word of God, which is the sword, is received by and through the Holy Spirit. In John 16:13, Jesus says, “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.” As we study the Word of God, the indwelling Holy Spirit instructs believers in the understanding and proper use of God’s Word for defense first and then offense. Vincent Cheung says, “Every time a Christian verbally defends Christian ideas and attacks non-Christian ideas in a biblical way, he is wielding the sword of the Spirit,” and then he quotes Gordon Fee as saying, “Paul is almost certainly referring still to the gospel, just as he does in Romans 10:17, but the emphasis is now on the actual ‘speaking forth’ of the message, inspired by the Spirit. To put that in more contemporary terms, in urging them to take the sword of the Spirit and then identifying that sword with the ‘Word of God,’ Paul is not identifying the ‘sword’ with the book, but with the proclamation of Christ, which in our case is indeed to be found in the book.”
The Word of God does not merely lead us to salvation; it builds us up and sustains us; God’s Word helps us grow and stay alive in Christ. “For the Word is living and active; sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates, even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Martin Luther’s A Mighty Fortress Is Our God speaks to power of God’s Word when it says, “That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth.” Vance Havner said, “Show me a Christian whose Bible is falling apart, and I’ll show you a Christian who isn’t.”
- V18-20 - In what is often excluded from the armor and weaponry section, Paul, in reality, includes prayer as an offensive weapon. In fact, for Paul, prayer is the weapon that one cannot do without. As Calvin says, “This is the true method.” Paul calls for militant intercessory prayer for two people. First is the group of people known as saints, or believers, and second is Paul himself, in his ministerial role. In v18 alone, he uses all/always four times; we are to pray on all occasions (in good and bad circumstances), with all kinds of prayers (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication), always (at all times – Martin Lloyd-Jones said, “The one urge that a Christian must never resist is the urge to pray.”) and in perseverance (never quit praying), for all the saints (believers everywhere, as a priority, but not to the exclusion of unbelievers, especially those in leadership positions).
In v19-20, Paul asks for specific prayer on his behalf. Plainly, you can see that he desires two things: first, he wants words from God whenever he opens his mouth; second, he wants to be fearless in his declaration of the mystery of the gospel. In asking his audience to pray these two specific things for him, Paul teaches us several other truths that we ought to consider. Let’s notice those things now:
First is the urgency of prayer for ministers. If the Apostle Paul needs prayer, certainly our pastors need prayer. When we pray for others, we bond to them in our hearts, and we come to love them more. And they are blessed and strengthened and encouraged by and through our prayer for them, whether they are in earshot of our prayers or not. We ought to pray for our pastors.
Second is the humbling power of the gospel message. Paul asks for prayer that whenever he opened his mouth, God’s Word would be proclaimed. That’s a reminder to the Old Testaments prophets, who literally spoke only what the Lord told them to say. Paul wanted to be like that. Ligon Duncan says, “God is never preached when one of two, or both of two, things occur: Either hearts are drawn closer to God and prepared for everlasting fellowship with Him, or hearts are hardened against God and His gospel, and an eternal decision of tremendous and terrible consequences is sealed more and more. And those things happen every time the gospel is preached, and all of us need to feel the solemnity of that, not just preachers…Paul understood that mere human oratory and rhetoric cannot bind up the brokenhearted or raise the dead again. Only the Spirit of God can do that. Only the word of God can do that. And so the best ministers, the very best ministers, need prayer. In fact, the better they are rhetorically, the better they are in their abilities to speak and to hold an audience captive, the more prayer they need that they won’t rely on those native abilities, they won’t rely on their own capacities and their cleverness and their intelligence, but that they would rely upon the Spirit of God and speak the word of God plainly.” Therefore, we ought to pray that our pastors would speak God’s word.
Third is the boldness with which the mystery of the gospel needs to be proclaimed. Twice Paul mentions the importance of preaching fearlessly. No doubt there are many pastors who do not proclaim the full gospel, the hard truths, because they are afraid, afraid of losing attendees, afraid of differing opinions on certain issues, afraid of criticism, afraid of being ushered out by some congregations that pay to hear what their itching ears want to hear. Thus Paul treats fearlessness as a great asset and covets prayers on his behalf for it. And we ought to ask God to give our pastors the words we need to hear, rather than what we want to hear, and to bless them with boldness and fearlessness before men.
Fourth is the mystery of the gospel that needs to be proclaimed. The goal of preaching the gospel is to reach the hearts and consciences of those who are the hearers of that preaching. And they need to hear about Christ; they need to see Christ exalted in the crucifixion that atoned for our sins and did away with the wrath of God and our guilt once and for all that believe on Him with saving faith. So Paul wanted his audience to pray that he would preach the gospel, not some watered-down practical tip of the week. And we ought to pray that our pastors would preach the gospel as it ought to be proclaimed.
Fifth is the obligation of preachers to preach in season and out of season with regard to their own personal trials and tribulations. Paul was an ambassador in chains – literally imprisoned while writing this letter. A faithful minister is one whom God has softened and broken down to build back up. Martin Luther said, “A minister is not made by reading books, but by living and dying and being damned.” In other words, Paul asks for prayers for his faithfulness even in difficult times of trials and persecution. And we ought to pray for our pastor not to be overly sheltered from hardship but to endure it and be faithful through it, because a pastor is a shepherd who needs to know where his flock is and has been.
- V21-24 - Paul now writes in his own handwriting one final word to the congregation, and in v21-22, he tells us about Tychicus and why he is sending him. In the course of commending Tychicus, Paul also reveals his own heart. He cares greatly for the church in a practical way (2 Corinthians 11:28) and thus is always working to cultivate unity, fellowship, and shared life for her members.
Tychicus (Colossians 4:7-8), whose name means “Lucky,” likely wrote and delivered this letter or at least followed up on each intended destination for it. The lack of specific personal greetings at the end is solid evidence that the letter was a circular letter, not solely intended for the church at Ephesus. Paul’s purpose in sending Lucky to deliver and/or follow up on the content of this letter was to inform his audience of his circumstances and condition. Everybody in Paul’s sphere of influence wanted to know how he was faring in the prison environment. And rather than occupy the body of the letter with those details, Paul chose to send someone who was with him to tell them in person. Knowing that they were anxious about him, Paul wanted to comfort and encourage them in person, not merely by letter. It’s a way that Paul practically strives to unite the Body of Christ into a more intimate relationship. And we could do the same with a phone call or personal visit rather than an e-mail or voice mail or text message or facebook post.
This style of Paul’s reminds me of Acts 20. Paul’s a busy man, always on the go, and he stops to write letters and meet with people. On his way from Greece to Jerusalem, he informs the elders in Ephesus of his plans and they come to meet him at the halfway point. Their love for one another was so strong that they end up crying and praying, and Paul has to tear himself away from them to continue his journey. Paul is not mechanistic; he’s relational. And that’s how Jesus was; that’s how God is. We ought to be as well.
Now we come to Paul’s double benediction, or word of blessing from God to the audience. His trademark was “grace and peace.” Here Paul starts with “peace to the brothers,” and then he adds “love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” And he wraps up with “grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.” Paul wants God to continue to bless His people with peace (the end of hostility / prosperity and harmony / reconciliation and the shalom rest) and love (the full and fatherly and benevolent and overflowing love of God) with faith (the continued indwelling of the Holy Spirit that brought us to and preserves us in Christ) and grace (God’s riches at Christ’s expense / free and undeserved favor). Calvin says, “From this prayer we learn that faith and love, as well as peace itself, are gifts of God bestowed upon us through Christ – that they come equally from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” through the Holy Spirit.
But who are His people? For whom is this benediction intended? We find out at the very end: “Those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.” The word undying means sincere and incorruptible. In other words, a sincere love for Christ is one that never ends and can’t cease to be strong. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 16:22, “If anyone does not love the Lord – a curse be on him.” The only hope we have is to love the Lord. And Paul writes that message here. That Ephesians began with God the Father’s predestination and election, covered the total depravity of man, expounded on the purpose of the atonement of Christ, elicited prayers for the essential and effectual work of the Holy Spirit in bringing us to faith and sustaining us in faith and growing us in sanctification through faith, and concludes now with the doctrine of perseverance of the saints in no surprise. God has chosen and elected and predestined a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to unite in Christ by the power of His Holy Spirit according to His vast riches of grace for His eternal glory – and those people who have freely come to love Christ through that power will never cease to do so, because He graciously sustains them in faith and love to fulfill His eternal purpose. That some deny these teachings of Paul, known commonly as the five points of Calvinism is surprising, given Paul’s clarity. But this is the consistent teaching of Paul in his epistles and, I believe, the clear teaching of all of Scripture.
Footnotes
- 6:3 Deut. 5:16
Bible text from
Gospelcom.net. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by
International Bible Society.