Post by Shepherd on Mar 19, 2009 7:55:20 GMT -6
EPH-6-I CHILDREN AND FATHERS
EPHESIANS 6:1-4...CHILDREN , OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD; FOR THIS IS RIGHT. HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER; WHICH IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE; THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE, AND THOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. AND, YE FATHERS, PROVOKE NOT YOUR CHILDREN TO WRATH; BUT BRING THEM UP IN THE NURTURE AND ADMONITION OF THE LORD.
Do you realize that a Christian should act toward other persons not on the basis of what they deserve but in line with what God wants him to do?
The Christian, as he lives daily in the world, has close relations with others. To begin with, Christians were born into this world so there is the relationship between children and parents. The Christian as a child, or as a parent, has a special relation- ship is unique because as far as my children are concerned there is no one else like them, they are mine. If a Christian, as a child or as a parent wants the blessing of God, there is a definite style of behavior he is to follow. It is important that he seek God’s will for him as he lives each day. If the Christian is to be fulled with the Holy Ghost, he will have to be obedient. Paul has written to husbands and wives how they can be obedient. Now he will write to children.
Paul writes to Christian children as to how they might qualify for the blessing of God. CHILDREN, OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD; FOR THIS IS RIGHT. HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER; WHICH IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE; THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE, AND THOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH..EPHESIANS 6:1-3.
THE Christian is to act toward his parents as the Lord will lead. Jesus of Nazareth set the example. He was born into this world as the child of Mary. He grew up in the home of Mary and Joseph, and while there He was subject to them. He set the example and Christ’s will is activated in the Christian by the Holy Ghost leading him to do likewise.
How the Christian is to live can be seen in the revelation in Scripture, as set forth in the Ten Commandments. If we wanted to know how Jesus Christ lived in this world, we should read the Ten Commandments. He may have done more than is in the Ten Commandments but He did not break any of them.
HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER; WHICH IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE; THAT IT MY BE WELL WITH THEE, AND THOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.
The earth referred to in this passage as well as in Exodus 20:12 , refers to the Promised Land or Canaan. HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER; THAT THY DAYS MAY BE LONG UPON THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE.
The first commandment with promise, all though it is the fifth in the Ten Commandments, is honor thy father and thy mother. The others, the first four, deal with reference to God. The godly person will obey this fifth commandment, because it is the law of God.
Paul pointed out that the law, the ten words, prevails among all men, even if they do not have the Scriptures. WHICH SHEW THE WORK OF THE LAW WRITTEN IN THEIR HEARTS, THEIR CONSCIENCE ALSO BEARING WITNESS, AND THEIR THOUGHTS THE MEAN WHILE EXCUSING OR ELSE EXCUSING ONE ANOTHER..ROM. 2:15.
Thus the idea of children obeying their parents is felt in the hearts and souls of people all over the world, that children should be respectful to their parents and the they should honor their parents can be seen as practiced among many pagan people. for instance, the Chinese, who are Christians to have one of the oldest living cultures in the world today, magnify respect for parents. Paul reminds Christians that if they will respect their parents, they will put themselves in line for blessing.
Christians are to obey their parents IN THE LORD. This seems to open the way for a Christian child to reserve compliance if the parents for any reason were to request them to do something that they would feel to be contrary to the will of God.
Apparently Christian young people would not then be expected to obey their parents.
We can see this when Peter and John did not obey the leaders of that day, as we see in Acts 5:29. They were told that they should not preach. Peter told the rulers they would have to judge for themselves whether it was right or wrong for them to forbid the apostles to preach, but the apostles could do only what God told them to do. Peter and John respected those leaders, and never had any intention to undo or upset those leaders. The leaders were making the mistake. The government was a using its prerogative to control conduct. Peter and John obeyed their conscience and suffered the consequences, but they did not rebel against the leaders. Compliance with the guidance of parents is to be exercised within the inner understanding as led by the Spirit of God. In this context we can relax, for most of the things parents require of a child are generally right and proper.
Paul continues; AND, YE FATHERS, PROVOKE NOT YOUR CHILDREN TO WRATH. EPHESIANS 6:4. Even thought the father might be a Christian, he could in his human way be wrong in exercising his authority as a parent. A father could be excessively domineering with harsh treatment. This could provoke a child because such control could be unfair. Again, as father would criticize sharply and harshly without showing any mercy. That is not right. Any father is not righteous, if he doesn’t show mercy. The father could be inconsistent, allowing a child to do something on Monday, allowing him to do it on Tuesday, stopping him on Wednesday, letting him to do it on Thursday, stopping him on Friday. If he were to keep this up for awhile such control would upset a child.
For a parent to discipline his own impulsive conduct requires sel-denial on his part. Paul is pointing out to parents that they are to submit themselves to the responsibility of being parents. One cannot be a real parent and do as he please. To be a parent as one ought requires self-denial if one is to bring children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Spiritual blessing will belong to children who respect their parents, and to parents who are faithful to their responsibilities.
EPHESIANS 6:1-4...CHILDREN , OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD; FOR THIS IS RIGHT. HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER; WHICH IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE; THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE, AND THOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. AND, YE FATHERS, PROVOKE NOT YOUR CHILDREN TO WRATH; BUT BRING THEM UP IN THE NURTURE AND ADMONITION OF THE LORD.
Do you realize that a Christian should act toward other persons not on the basis of what they deserve but in line with what God wants him to do?
The Christian, as he lives daily in the world, has close relations with others. To begin with, Christians were born into this world so there is the relationship between children and parents. The Christian as a child, or as a parent, has a special relation- ship is unique because as far as my children are concerned there is no one else like them, they are mine. If a Christian, as a child or as a parent wants the blessing of God, there is a definite style of behavior he is to follow. It is important that he seek God’s will for him as he lives each day. If the Christian is to be fulled with the Holy Ghost, he will have to be obedient. Paul has written to husbands and wives how they can be obedient. Now he will write to children.
Paul writes to Christian children as to how they might qualify for the blessing of God. CHILDREN, OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD; FOR THIS IS RIGHT. HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER; WHICH IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE; THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE, AND THOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH..EPHESIANS 6:1-3.
THE Christian is to act toward his parents as the Lord will lead. Jesus of Nazareth set the example. He was born into this world as the child of Mary. He grew up in the home of Mary and Joseph, and while there He was subject to them. He set the example and Christ’s will is activated in the Christian by the Holy Ghost leading him to do likewise.
How the Christian is to live can be seen in the revelation in Scripture, as set forth in the Ten Commandments. If we wanted to know how Jesus Christ lived in this world, we should read the Ten Commandments. He may have done more than is in the Ten Commandments but He did not break any of them.
HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER; WHICH IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE; THAT IT MY BE WELL WITH THEE, AND THOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.
The earth referred to in this passage as well as in Exodus 20:12 , refers to the Promised Land or Canaan. HONOR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER; THAT THY DAYS MAY BE LONG UPON THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE.
The first commandment with promise, all though it is the fifth in the Ten Commandments, is honor thy father and thy mother. The others, the first four, deal with reference to God. The godly person will obey this fifth commandment, because it is the law of God.
Paul pointed out that the law, the ten words, prevails among all men, even if they do not have the Scriptures. WHICH SHEW THE WORK OF THE LAW WRITTEN IN THEIR HEARTS, THEIR CONSCIENCE ALSO BEARING WITNESS, AND THEIR THOUGHTS THE MEAN WHILE EXCUSING OR ELSE EXCUSING ONE ANOTHER..ROM. 2:15.
Thus the idea of children obeying their parents is felt in the hearts and souls of people all over the world, that children should be respectful to their parents and the they should honor their parents can be seen as practiced among many pagan people. for instance, the Chinese, who are Christians to have one of the oldest living cultures in the world today, magnify respect for parents. Paul reminds Christians that if they will respect their parents, they will put themselves in line for blessing.
Christians are to obey their parents IN THE LORD. This seems to open the way for a Christian child to reserve compliance if the parents for any reason were to request them to do something that they would feel to be contrary to the will of God.
Apparently Christian young people would not then be expected to obey their parents.
We can see this when Peter and John did not obey the leaders of that day, as we see in Acts 5:29. They were told that they should not preach. Peter told the rulers they would have to judge for themselves whether it was right or wrong for them to forbid the apostles to preach, but the apostles could do only what God told them to do. Peter and John respected those leaders, and never had any intention to undo or upset those leaders. The leaders were making the mistake. The government was a using its prerogative to control conduct. Peter and John obeyed their conscience and suffered the consequences, but they did not rebel against the leaders. Compliance with the guidance of parents is to be exercised within the inner understanding as led by the Spirit of God. In this context we can relax, for most of the things parents require of a child are generally right and proper.
Paul continues; AND, YE FATHERS, PROVOKE NOT YOUR CHILDREN TO WRATH. EPHESIANS 6:4. Even thought the father might be a Christian, he could in his human way be wrong in exercising his authority as a parent. A father could be excessively domineering with harsh treatment. This could provoke a child because such control could be unfair. Again, as father would criticize sharply and harshly without showing any mercy. That is not right. Any father is not righteous, if he doesn’t show mercy. The father could be inconsistent, allowing a child to do something on Monday, allowing him to do it on Tuesday, stopping him on Wednesday, letting him to do it on Thursday, stopping him on Friday. If he were to keep this up for awhile such control would upset a child.
For a parent to discipline his own impulsive conduct requires sel-denial on his part. Paul is pointing out to parents that they are to submit themselves to the responsibility of being parents. One cannot be a real parent and do as he please. To be a parent as one ought requires self-denial if one is to bring children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Spiritual blessing will belong to children who respect their parents, and to parents who are faithful to their responsibilities.
