Sunday Sermon Ephesians 5.21-6.9

Yesterday I had the opportunity to preach at Agana Heights Baptist Church. I was scheduled to speak on June 30, but after some shuffling around due to illness I spoke yesterday. I have been doing a lot of study in Paul’s letters lately and reworked a sermon on a passage I have preached several times based on what I am seeing all through Paul’s letters. Here is the outline below taken from the power point slides…

Practical Application of Spiritual Power

Ephesians 5.21-6.9

• Context
• Driving Command: Be Filled with the Spirit 5.18
• Five Evidences (Participles) 5.19-6.9
• Speaking to one another
• Singing Songs
• Making Music
• Giving Thanks
• Submitting to another in fear of Christ (expanded)
• Exhortation about Spiritual Power/Armor 6.10 ff.
• Overview of Passage
• Driving Idea: Submission to One Another  5.21
• Practical Examples 5.22-6.9
• Husband-Wife Relationship 5.22-33
• Parent (esp. Father)- Child Relationship  6.1-4
• Master-Slave   6.5-9
• 1st Century Background
• Wives Were Property
• "Our ancestors, in their wisdom, considered that all women, because of their innate weakness, should be under the control of guardians."  Cicero
• Children Were Property
• Children legally belonged to the father, even after a divorce.  An orphan was said to have lost only his father, not his mother, and sometimes went to live with a tutor rather than his widowed mother.
• Slaves Were Property
• Slaves were considered property under Roman law and had no legal personhood. Unlike Roman citizens, they could be subjected to corporal punishment, sexual exploitation (prostitutes were often slaves), torture, and summary execution.
• Structure of 5.21-6.9
• Main Evidence: Mutual Submission 5.21
• The Powerless Positions          The Powerful Positions
• Wives  5.22-24                     Husbands 5.25-33
• Children  6.1-3                      Fathers 6.4
• Slaves 6.5-7 (8)                    Slave Masters 6.9 (8)
• The Issue?
• The Question is not, “Who is in charge?”
• If you are asking this question something is wrong and someone is not walking in the Spirit
• The Correct Question is, “How can I serve?”
• Submission of the powerful to the needs of the powerless and Selfless service of the powerless to Christ in whatever relational situation they are in are the best evidences that the Spirit is at work in the community.
• Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” New Living Translation Mk 10:45
• The Main Command/Evidence
• The Best Evidence of “Spirit Filling” is living out Christ’s example in basic human relationships. 5.21
• Key Evidence: Transformed Relationships
• Motive: Every Relationship is Under Jesus’ Authority
• Mission: To Serve Others
• Purpose of Power: To Protect, Train and Serve
• Position: Both “in” and “under” authority
• Transformed Roles #1
• Powerless #1 – The Wife  5.22-24
• “Submit” is not in the text. There is no verb but it is implied from 5.21
• The wife is a “corresponding helper” Gen. 2.18-25
• The wife should submit herself to work to benefit her husband 23
• Resist the desire to control the husband. Genesis  3.16
• Wife should do everything she can to develop the oneness (Head) with her husband as with Christ 24
• “Head-Body” primarily refers to “Connection” and secondarily to “authority”
• Whatever the cultural situation, the wife should live to benefit her husband
• Powerful  #1 – The Husband 5.22-24
• The Husband’s role is to submit to his wife’s needs by loving her 5.25-29
• He is to serve and care for her
• Give up own rights for her benefit
• Develop her love relationship with God and himself
• Set her free and enable her to reach her God-given potential
• Treat her, not as property, but as his own body
• The reasons for this…
• If the marriage relationship is bad all others will be bad 30
• Marriage is the picture of the image of God. 31
• Marriage pictures the relationship of Jesus and the church 32
• We are accountable to God for our marriages 33
• Transformed Roles #2
• Powerless #2 – The Children 6.1-3
• Children Serve Christ by Obeying Their Parents 1-3
• Definition: Children are people living in their parents’ home and culturally under their authority
• Command: Obey
• Limitation: “In the Lord”  Parental Authority is not absolute
• Reason: “It is Right”
• It is a child’s spiritual duty
• It is the way society is ordered
• It shows trust in God
• Result: A stable, prosperous culture
• Powerful #2 – The Father 6.4
• Note change from “Parents, γονευσιν” in 6.1 to “fathers, πατερες” in 6.4 He is speaking to the authoritative parent
• The Father is responsible to God for how he uses his authority to raise His children; He must not mistreat them …
• By disciplining them in anger
• By trying to make into his own image rather than God’s image
• Perfectionism, Criticism and Unreasonable Demands
• Smothering
• Responsibility: “To bring them up”
• Provide for their needs
• Training and Discipline
• Instruction by Word and Example
• Transformed Roles #3
• Powerless #3 – Slaves 6.5-7
• Paul is dealing with slaves who were property, not employees
• Paul undermines slavery throughout his letters but…
• Instead of rebellion commands service and building of relationships
• Command: Obey as if Jesus is giving the orders
• Give Respect
• Practical Recognition of cultural authority
• Singleness of Purpose: Serving God
• Advance the prosperity of the master because he is a brother
• Reasons
• Your obedience serves Christ
• Jesus will reward your work
• Powerful #3 – Masters 6.8-9
• Masters are not allowed to objectify their slaves. They must treat them as brothers and sisters
• This is how Paul undermines slavery throughout his letters
• See Philemon
• “The Same Way” = Submission
• Masters are to submit to the needs of their slaves
• They must model God’s authority  (serves and dies)
• Masters serve God by Advancing the prosperity of their slaves because they are brothers and sisters
• Reasons
• Slaves belong to God, not you.
• Same master: There is a basic equality before God.
• Jesus will reward your work. This could be good or bad depending on how the master, father, husband (same guy) uses his authority.
• Conclusion
• You serve God by serving others in daily, basic relationships
• The more authority and power you have the more accountability you have for how you use it.
• God gives us power, prestige, position and privilege so that we can give it away to others