Faithfulness in Family (6:1-4) & Workplace (6:5-9) Ephesians 6:1-9 GRACE EVANGELICAL SOCIETY National Conference 2019

Paul answers two important questions re. family: What is the responsibility of Christian children in the home? What responsibility do Christian parents have in parenting?

Submitting to One Another in the Fear of God (Ephesians 5:21)

Ephesians 6:1-9 Is Part of Eph 5:21—6:9. Paul ends his general discussion about the wise walk (Eph 5:1-21) by saying, “subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of God.” He then gives three examples. Ephesians 5:21 sets the stage for Eph 5:22-23, wives and husbands, 6:1-4, children and parents, and 6:5-9, slaves and masters.

Glorifying God in the Parent-Child Relationship (Ephesians 6:1-4)

How Christian Children Can Glorify God (6:1-3) Abbott says, “‘In the Lord,’ not as defining the limits of the obedience…but rather showing the spirit in which obedience is to be yielded” (p. 176). Part of the good works which God has prepared for the church to do (Eph 2:10) are obedient godly children.

How Christian Parents Can Glorify God (6:4) 1. Evangelize and disciple the kids. 2. Don’t provoke them. In verse 4 Paul speaks only of fathers. J. B. Bond says, “The father is singled out since he is the head of the home…This responsibility for the early training of children is given not to the local church but to fathers” (TGNTC, Vol. 2, p. 887). How to provoke them: yell, grab, shake, shame them, disrespect them, be super picky, always changing rules, mistreat your spouse.

Glorifying God in the Workplace (Ephesians 6:5-9)

Paul answers two important questions re. employees and bosses: What responsibility do Christian employees have toward their bosses? What is the responsibility do Christian bosses have toward their employees?

Christian Employees Glorify God in the Workplace by Working Hard (6:5-8) Part of the good works which God prepared beforehand for the church (Eph 2:10) are exemplary employee- employer relations. Christian employees should serve wholeheartedly, as to the Lord, even if they do not like their bosses. The Bema is clearly implied in Ephesians 6:8. Foulkes: “To him [our Master in heaven] both must give account” (p. 176).

Christian Bosses Glorify God in the Workplace by Being Fair, Kind, and Loving (6:9) Application regarding Christian bosses not threatening is hard to apply in the modern workplace. Here are some suggested application re. not threatening your employees: Avoid yelling at them. Avoid cussing at them. Avoid embarrassing and insulting them. Avoid grabbing or pushing them. Avoid micromanaging them. Instead, love and encourage and correct them as needed.

Christian Workplaces Are Not Exempt from the Pressures of the Modern World Christian employees at churches and Christian organization can easily feel entitled. Sometimes Christian employees in Christian workplaces feel they work too many hours and receive too little pay. They can develop bad attitudes and bad habits. Pastors and parachurch workers can become so discouraged that they end up leaving the ministry over workplace conflict. Christians in Christian workplaces (both bosses and those being supervised) especially need to apply Eph 6:5-9.

Conclusion: May Our Lives at Home and Work Glorify God It is harder today for Christians to be good parents and good employees because in many cases both parents work full time outside the home. If anything, the increased work of Christian women outside the home makes the message of Eph 6:1-9 that much more important.