CHILDREN AND PARENTS; SLAVES AND MASTERS

Passage: Ephesians 6:1-9

Key verse: 6:1

NIV

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.(A) 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”[a](B)

4 Fathers,[b] do not exasperate your children;(C) instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.(D)

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect(E) and fear, and with sincerity of heart,(F) just as you would obey Christ.(G) 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ,(H) doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,(I) 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do,(J) whether they are slave or free.

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours(K) is in heaven, and there is no favoritism(L) with him.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Ephesians 6:3 Deut. 5:16
  2. Ephesians 6:4 Or Parents
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Children and Parents

6 (A)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 (B)“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, (C)but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Bondservants and Masters

5 (D)Bondservants,[a] obey your earthly masters[b] with fear and trembling, (E)with a sincere heart, (F)as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as (G)people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 (H)knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, (I)whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, (J)and stop your threatening, knowing that (K)he who is both their Master[c] and yours is in heaven, and that (L)there is no partiality with him.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Ephesians 6:5 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 6; likewise for bondservant in verse 8
  2. Ephesians 6:5 Or your masters according to the flesh
  3. Ephesians 6:9 Greek Lord
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

First, children, obey your parents (1-4). As we live to please our Father God, obeying him, so our children are to obey their parents in the Lord. God's commandment gives a promise to all obedient children: it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on the earth. Fathers have great hope and expectation for their children, which can often lead them to exasperate them in high standards and impatience. Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord, practicing the gospel of grace, patience, and mercy in the home. Second, serve wholeheartedly (5-9). We don't have slavery today, but still we are to have an attitude of slaves of Christ, doing God's will from our heart, serving earthly masters as if we are serving the Lord, not people. God sees, and will reward. If we find ourselves in positions of authority, we should live in the fear of God, knowing he will call all to account.

Prayer: Thank you for being my heavenly Father. Help me to obey you. Help us live out the gospel in our families and working places.

One Word: Serve the Lord