LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for November 21: Being respectful

In our text for this week, the Apostle Paul continues his theme of mutual submission. In the last part of chapter 5, he instructs the church to reflect their submission to Christ first by being submissive to each other in their walk with the Lord. Paul then shares how this submission should be lived out within marriage with “wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (v. 22). He then instructs husbands to “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (v. 25).  

Our faith and submission in Christ are shown and proven in how we relate to those who know us best. In 6:1-4, Paul expands the teaching in sharing children and parents have a responsibility to each other. He instructs children to respond to their parents by “obeying” and “honoring” them.

There is a difference in these actions. To obey means to do as one is told. The child must learn early to obey the parents, not only because they are his parents, but because God has commanded it. However, they are not commanded to disobey God when they obey their parents. Also, adult children are not asked to be subservient to domineering parents. Children are to obey while under their parents’ care, but the responsibility to honor them is for life.  

To honor our parents means to respect and love them. Paul quotes from Moses in this admonition. To the first century Christian who was exposed to the Law of Moses, it was understood that honoring one’s parents meant the children would do so in at least two ways. First, they were to care for their parents as long as they were needed. Second, the children were to bring honor upon the parents by the way they lived their lives.

Christian parents and Christian children will relate to each other with thoughtfulness and love. This will happen when the parents and children put the others’ interests above their own. When we show respect, we show submission.

In 6:4, fathers are instructed to be sensitive in the disciplining of their children. They are told not to “exasperate” them but to “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (v. 4). Christian parents need the fullness of the Spirit of God so they can be sensitive to the needs and problems of their children.

Parenting is not easy. It takes patience to rear children in a loving, Christ-honoring manner. When discipline is necessary, Paul instructs parents not to provoke their children through anger and frustration, but to act in love—the type Jesus would show in the disciplining of the people he loves. This will help children to grow in understanding of what they did wrong and help them to understand what Jesus is like.

In the churches of the New Testament, a number of slaves were part of the fellowship. Although they were slaves to their masters, the gospel had freed them from their spiritual enslavement to sin.

At the same time there were slave masters who were also part of the fellowship. In 6:5-9, Paul shares how the Christian slaves and their Christian masters should submit to one another. It is worth noting that Paul’s instruction neither condemns nor condones slavery. He is addressing a real issue and way of life in the society and church of the first century.

To the slave, Paul demanded actions that were quite radical. He called for them to obey their masters, to do good work whether or not they were being watched, and to serve as if they were doing it for Christ.  

Paul’s admonition to the slaves of his day certainly can apply to the Christian employee of today. It is God’s will for any Christian employee to do a good job. The Christian’s life and testimony should not distinguish between the sacred and secular. A Christian can perform any good work as a ministry of Christ to the glory of God.

For this reason an employee must do his job “wholeheartedly” (v. 7). As used here, “employers” is a broad term and includes immediate supervisors, those above them and company owners. As Christian employees, we submit to and show respect for those who employ us by getting along with them, by doing good work all the time and by keeping in mind our relationship with the Lord.

Paul completes this passage, by encouraging the Christian masters to treat their slaves in the same way the slaves were instructed to treat them. He urged these Christian slave owners to motivate their slave not by threatening them but by showing attitudes and taking actions that reflect the relationship they both have with Jesus Christ.

As application for today, if we have any employees who look to us for guidance, we should show respect for them with compassionate, fair and impartial treatment that reflects our relationship with the Lord.  

Therefore, Paul encourages us to show respect for our parents, our children, our employers and our employees. If we do this in submission to Christ, we will give the testimony that will honor God and honor those with whom we have the closest relationships.