Ephesians 6:5-9
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Introduction
Discussion
Read the text
Biblical Theology of Slavery
Continuity with Marriage, Fatherhood, and Slavery
Three institutions in the ten commandments: Exodus 20.
Three institutions in Ephesians
Three institutions in Colossians
The way the church is described in revelation
‘Slaves’ in heaven
And a voice came from the throne, saying,
“Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”
‘Marriage’ in heaven
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”
‘Sonship’ in heaven
Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.
“He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
And a voice came from the throne, saying,
“Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”
Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,
in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;
Study the text
All these institutions image our relationship w/ God in some way.
(vs. 5) Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
(vs. 6) not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
(vs. 7) With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
Paul encourages slaves to
Be obedient, doing the will of God, render service (
application
in sincerity of your heart, from the heart, with good will
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as to Christ, as slaves of Christ, as to the Lord
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according (in) the flesh, not… as men-pleasers, not to men
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Your reward is not from man but from the Lord
(vs. 8) knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
Masters
(vs. 9) And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
“Do the same thing to them”
One commentator: Golden Rule
All the one another’s still apply though there is authority in the relationship.
The Master too is to forsake threatening knowing that he will one day stand as an equal with his slave before God as slaves together of Christ.
All these institutions are temporary to be superceded by the greater relationship we have w/ God in heaven.
Christ will be our bridegroom
God will be our Father, and
God will be our Master.
All of these temporary roles within these institutions are to be exercised before God knowing we will stand before Him one day to be rewarded.
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