Lesson 85 - November 16, 2003
6:4 Exhortation to Fathers Read!
- This verse is just as revolutionary in the Greco-Roman world of the 1st century;
Paul approaches this exhortation first from the negative; then from the positive.
The negative: "And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger;"
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- All this can be done in a number of ways:
* Unreasonableness is very common. Some parents ask things beyond the child's capacity, or load the child with so many exacting demands that frustration is inevitable.
* Another way to exasperation and provoking to anger is by neglect.
* Another way is inconsistency; saying one thing and doing something else;
Always being critical never giving praise for accomplishments.
Making promises and not keeping them; showing favoritism.
** All of these together often produce bitterness not the instruction that is to be taking place.
Now the Positive: What Fathers are to do!
"bring them up"
evktrefw; same word found in 5:29; to feed or to nourish;
** Who has the responsibility for nurturing??
What's the emphasis of nurturing here? "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
- "discipline"
- Encompasses the total training and education of children; all phases; intellectual, social, spiritual, and physical.
- This is the word used in the LXX for
rs'Wm (musar) corrective instruction all the way to physical discipline.- "instruction"
nouqesi,a basic to place or set in the mindThe framework around which our discipline and instruction is to revolve is "of the Lord."
Discipline and Instruction: Some applications
1. Always let a child know what is expected of them!
2. Let a child know why it is expected of them!
3. The purpose of discipline is to put or place in the mind, correct vpt.; to impact the thinking process so that in subsequent situations the child has the info to make the right decisions.
4. Let the child know what are the consequences of disobedience.
The drill with the child might go something like this:
Do you know what you did, that you were not to do?
Do you know why you were not to do that?
Do you know that now you're going to experience the consequence of that action; administer it and then drop it!
** The context of the home is to revolve around our relationship with the Lord and therefore must be BD'ly based, the Word is the foundation; the home is not to be psychologically based!!!
This is a logical next step in the sequence of relationships; move out of the family context, to how we relate in a work, profession type situation;
6:5-8 focuses on Servants; While 6:9 turns to the Masters;
What is the Biblical perspective relating to slavery?
Even with the extensive existence of slavery the Bible neither condones slavery nor advocates its violent overthrow.
Point is that all believers are to live righteously in whatever circumstances they may find themselves.
- It would be under the expanding Christian influence that slavery as a viable practice was undermined.
6:5 1st the requirement of slaves: which is to obey.
- next is given the reason, the motivation is given "as to Christ."
*** Your job, whatever it is, is related to the temporal order of things, even so, how it is performed has eternal impact!
- Your final paycheck for your job will come from God at the JSC not from your employer!
- The approach to be taken toward their responsibilities as a slave is noted in the next phrase; "with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart,"
- Their service was to be with "singleness of your heart, [purpose, motivation] as unto the Christ."
*** To be a slave was no disadvantage in serving the Lord!
Only thing that is really important in life is being obedient to and serving the Lord.
In vs:6-7 Paul details how we are to do our jobs God's way.
- First "not by way of eye service, as men pleasers" describes those who go to great lengths to appear to be faithful workers, when in reality they are not!
*** Secondly in vs:6b-7 a principle: Doing our job well is the same as doing the will of God.
"with good will"
But even stronger is the implication that the service being performed faithfully for our earthly master is actually doing the will of God.
6:8 reinforces this by saying that the Christian slave can expect proper recognition at the hands of his heavenly Master.
Whether your a slave or free, whether your earthly master is great or a bum; not the issue; the real issue is your motivation as you fulfill your responsibilities.
With verse 9 Paul turns his attention to "masters"; the slave owners, the bosses.
- To "do the same things to them," this is not saying they are to obey commands from the slaves; but the focus is to exhibit the same "good will"; to operate from the same motivation as the slaves
- "and give up threatening"
He exhorts these Christian masters to avoid the harshness and threatening that so often characterized most slave owners.
For the master, Christ should inspire kind treatment of their subordinates because He will someday judge these masters.
For the master, Christ should inspire kind treatment of their subordinates because He will someday judge these masters.
The word for partiality or favoritism literally means "lifting up the face"; the idea is that your looking to see who someone is before deciding how to treat him.
What's the point?? God judges all by the same righteous standard!
What impresses God is righteous conduct not social standing, or our material possessions.