Colossians 3.20-The Children in the Colossian Christian Community Must Continue to Obey Their Parents in Every Circumstance Because It Pleases the Lord
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday November 20, 2016
Colossians: Colossians 3:20-The Children in the Colossian Christian Community Must Continue to Obey Their Parents in Every Circumstance Because It Pleases the Lord
Lesson # 95
Colossians 3:20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. (NASB95)
“Children” is the noun teknon (τέκνον), which speaks of one’s own immediate offspring but without specific reference to sex or age.
The word speaks of offspring of human parents and here in Colossians 3:20, the word is used in a literal sense speaking of the offspring or children of those men and women which compose the Colossian Christian community.
“Be obedient” is the verb hupakouō (ὑπακούω), which means “to be obedient, to obey.”
The second person plural form of this verb refers to the children in the Colossian Christian community as a corporate unit.
It is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions expressing the fact that each and every child in the Colossian Christian community is required to obey this command to obey their parents.
The present imperative form of the verb hupakouō is a customary present imperative which has the force of continuing to perform an action habitually.
Here the idea is that these children in the Colossian Christian community must continue to exist in the state of making it their habit of obeying their parents in all things.
This interpretation of the present imperative is supported by Paul’s teaching in Colossians 1:3-5 and 2:5 which affirm the Colossians were already obeying the commands in this epistle.
“To your parents” is the noun goneus (γονεύς), which pertains a person’s biological or legal parents.
Here it is used of the parents of the children in the Colossian Christian community.
“In all things” is composed of the following: (1) preposition kata (κατά), “in” (2) adjective pas (πᾶς), “all things.”
The accusative neuter plural form of the adjective pas is used as a substantive in the plural and means “all things” referring to the various circumstances in which the parents of the children in the Colossian Christian community might experience in relation to their parents.
The word is used in a distributive sense meaning “each and every” emphasizing no exceptions.
Thus, Paul wants the children in the Colossian Christian community to continue making it their habit of obeying their parents in “each and every circumstance.”
The adjective pas is the object of the preposition kata (κατά), whose root meaning is “down,” which in our present context suggests submission to authority.
This preposition thus denotes conformity to a particular authority.
Therefore, Paul is commanding the children in the Colossian Christian community to continue making it their habit of obeying their parents, “submitting” in each and every circumstance.
“For this is well-pleasing to the Lord” presents the reason for the command.
“This” is the demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), which is pointing back to the previous command which required that the children in the Colossian Christian community continue making it their habit of obeying their parents, submitting in each and every circumstance.
“Well-pleasing” is the adjective euarestos (εὐάρεστος), which pertains to giving pleasure and satisfaction to someone.
“To the Lord” is composed of the following: (1) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (2) noun kurios (κύριος), “the Lord.”
This prepositional phrase identifies who this obedience gives satisfaction and pleasure to, namely the Lord Jesus Christ.
The noun kurios refers to Jesus Christ since the last time the word was used which was in Colossians 3:17-19, it was used with reference to Him.
The noun kurios is the object of the preposition en which is functioning as a marker of a particular standard or rule specifying the rule or code of conduct a person follows or the standard of conduct to which he or she conforms.
Therefore, this indicates that the continue obedience of these children in the Christian community to their parents is “in conformity with” or “consistent with” or “in agreement with” the command in Exodus 20:12 to honor their father and mother.
Therefore, the noun kurios contains the figure of metonymy meaning that the person of the Lord is put for His will or teaching in Exodus 20:12.
Colossians 3:20 Children, each of you continue making it your habit of obeying your parents, submitting in each and every circumstance because this is well-pleasing in agreement with the will of the Lord. (My translation)
After the commands, he issued to the husbands and wives in the Christian community, the apostle Paul here in Colossians 3:20 issues a command to their children, which required each of them to continue making it their habit of obeying their parents, submitting to them in each and every circumstance.
This obedience implies a readiness to hear and carry out the orders or instructions of one’s parents.
Then, he presents the reason why these children should do so, namely, because this obedience to their parents is well-pleasing and in agreement with the will of the Lord.
Paul’s statements in Colossians 1:3-5 and 2:5 make clear that like their parents, the children in the Colossian Christian community were already obeying this command since these verses affirm the faithfulness of the Colossian Christian community.
This command is in agreement with the will of the Lord because it is in agreement with the Lord’s teaching to Moses and the Exodus generation in Exodus 20:12 which required that the Israelite children must honor their father and mother.
Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” (NASB95)
Now, when Paul says that the children were to submit to their parents in each and every circumstance, he is using hyperbole to teach a general principle so as to emphasize with the children the importance of obeying their parents.
However, there are instances in which the child would be justified in not obeying their parents if their parents required them to disobey God.
There are times when a Christian is justified in disobeying legitimate authority as in the case of the Hebrew midwives disobeying Pharaoh orders to kill the Jewish infants at birth (Ex. 1) or Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego disobeying Nebuchadnezzar’s order to worship an idol of himself (cf. Dan. 3).
The apostles disobeyed the orders of the Jewish Sanhedrin for them to stop proclaiming the gospel in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 5:27-32).
Now, we must be aware of the fact that this command which Paul issues the children in the Colossian Christian community is not only according to the fifth commandment but also according to cultural standards of his day in the first century in the Roman Empire.
Male children were subject to their fathers until the day that they died.
If they were the oldest child in the family, they would become the patriarch of the family with the rest of the children of the family becoming subject to him.
Thus, if he wasn’t the oldest, he was under the authority of his oldest brother.
Female children were under the authority of their father until they got married.
If they remained single and did not get married they would be under the authority of their father until he died and then under her oldest brother.
Of course, the cultural standards in America in the twenty-first century are completely different than those in Paul’s day.
The application of the command in Colossians 3:20 for Christian children today in America in the twenty-first century would be that they must obey their parents and submit to their authority until they leave the home and get a place of their own or leave the home because of marriage.
Paul’s command to the children in the Colossian Christian community is not directed at toddlers or infants but rather children who can understand this command whether they are young children between the ages of 5-12 or teenagers.
It is not directed to adult children who no longer live in the home.
Warren Wiersbe writes “The child who does not learn to obey his parents is not likely to grow up obeying any authority. He will defy his teachers, the police, his employers, and anyone else who tries to exercise authority over him. The breakdown in authority in our society reflects the breakdown of authority in the home. For the most part, children do not create problems; they reveal them. Parents who cannot discipline themselves cannot discipline their children. If a father and mother are not under authority themselves, they cannot exercise authority over others. It is only as parents submit to each other and to the Lord that they can exercise properly balanced spiritual and physical authority over their children.”
Paul’s commands in Colossians 3:20-21 are echoed in Ephesians 6:1-4 since both passages teach Christian parents their responsibilities towards their children and the responsibility of their children towards them.
Ephesians 6:1 Children, 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 SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. (NASB95)
