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Texts -- Ephesians 6:1-22 (NET)

Context
6:1 Children , obey your parents in the Lord for this is right . 6:2 “Honor your father and mother ,” which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise , namely, 6:3 “that it may go well with you and that you will live a long time on the earth .” 6:4 Fathers , do not provoke your children to anger , but raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord . 6:5 Slaves , obey your human masters with fear and trembling , in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ , 6:6 not like those who do their work only when someone is watching – as people-pleasers – but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart . 6:7 Obey with enthusiasm , as though serving the Lord and not people , 6:8 because you know that each person , whether slave or free , if he does something good , this will be rewarded by the Lord . 6:9 Masters , treat your slaves the same way, giving up the use of threats , because you know that both you and they have the same master in heaven , and there is no favoritism with him .
Exhortations for Spiritual Warfare
6:10 Finally , be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power . 6:11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil . 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood , but against the rulers , against the powers , against the world rulers of this darkness , against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens . 6:13 For this reason , take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day , and having done everything , to stand . 6:14 Stand firm therefore , by fastening the belt of truth around your waist , by putting on the breastplate of righteousness , 6:15 by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace , 6:16 and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit , which is the word of God . 6:18 With every prayer and petition , pray at all times in the Spirit , and to this end be alert , with all perseverance and requests for all the saints . 6:19 Pray for me also , that I may be given the message when I begin to speak – that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel , 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains . Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak .
Farewell Comments
6:21 Tychicus , my dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord , will make everything known to you , so that you too may know about my circumstances , how I am doing . 6:22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts .

Pericope

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Arts

Hymns

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  • Betapa Indah Harinya [KJ.395]
  • Hai Bangkit Bagi Yesus [KJ.340] ( Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus )
  • Lawanlah Godaan [KJ.436] ( Yield Not to Temptation )
  • Mahakasih Yang Ilahi [KJ.58] ( Love Divine, All Loves Excelling )
  • Maju, Laskar Kristus [KJ.339] ( Onward, Christian Soldiers )
  • Majulah, Majulah [KJ.253]
  • Naikkan Doa Tak Enggan [KJ.452] ( Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare )
  • Sertai Kami, Tuhan [KJ.345]
  • Setialah [KJ.446]
  • Sungguh Kerajaan Allah [KJ.247]
  • Syukur Kami padaMu [KJ.320]
  • Tak Kita Menyerahkan [KJ.54]
  • Takhta Mulia di Tempat Baka [KJ.108] ( Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne )
  • Ya Allah Yang Mahatinggi [KJ.246]
  • Ya Yesus, Tolonglah [KJ.28] ( Lord Jesus, Think on Me / Mnooeo Khriste )
  • Yang Turun ke Kubur [KJ.209]
  • [Eph 6:10] Be Strong In God
  • [Eph 6:10] Behold! The Christian Warrior Stand
  • [Eph 6:10] Truehearted, Wholehearted, Faithful And
  • [Eph 6:11] All The World For Jesus
  • [Eph 6:11] Arm These Thy Soldiers, Mighty Lord
  • [Eph 6:11] Awake! For The Trumpet Is Sounding!
  • [Eph 6:11] Christian, Dost Thou See Them?
  • [Eph 6:11] O Christians, Leagued Together
  • [Eph 6:11] O When Shall I See Jesus?
  • [Eph 6:11] Soldiers Of The Cross, Arise! (waterbury)
  • [Eph 6:11] To Arms! To Arms! Ye Soldiers!
  • [Eph 6:11] Stand, Soldier Of The Cross
  • [Eph 6:11] Stand Up, My Soul
  • [Eph 6:12] Angels Your March Oppose
  • [Eph 6:12] Conflict Of The Ages, The
  • [Eph 6:12] Forward!
  • [Eph 6:12] God Is Keeping His Soldiers Fighting
  • [Eph 6:12] Hark, How The Watchmen Cry
  • [Eph 6:12] O Hear Them Marching, Marching
  • [Eph 6:12] We Are Living, We Are Dwelling
  • [Eph 6:12] Ye Soldiers Of The King Of Kings
  • [Eph 6:13] Onward, Christian!
  • [Eph 6:13] Sinner, Art Thou Still Secure?
  • [Eph 6:13] Soldiers Of Christ, Arise
  • [Eph 6:13] We’ll Battle To The End
  • [Eph 6:12] My Faith, It Is An Oaken Staff
  • [Eph 6:14] Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus
  • [Eph 6:17] Gird On The Royal Armor
  • [Eph 6:17] Hear The Call
  • [Eph 6:17] Inspirer Of The Ancient Seers
  • [Eph 6:17] O Blessed Word
  • [Eph 6:17] Precious Bible! What A Treasure
  • [Eph 6:17] Soldiers Of The Cross, Arise! (how)
  • [Eph 6:17] Stand Like The Brave
  • [Eph 6:17] When Thy Soldiers Take Their Swords

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

God-Ordained Authorities; Ephesians 4:11-15; God-Ordained Authorities; Unclean Spirits; Acts of Satan; Spiritual Warfare; The Pull of Sin; Guidelines for Managers and Others in Authority; The Will of God, Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else; What to Expect from Your Pastor; Guidelines for Workers and Those Under Authority; R. A. Torry; Paul; Ephesians 6:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; World Originally Created Good; Believer’s Warfare; Qualities Needed in Parenting; Parenting; Things to Pray for; Pray - Praise - Preach; Prerequisites for Answered Prayer; The Spirit’s Assistance in Prayer; Greek Words; Slavery; Double-Mindedness; Proverbs 30:24-28 (Excuse-making); Categories of Angels; One Faith; Exodus 20:4; Psalm 18:2

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • "The first four commandments set forth the principles guiding Israel's relationship to Yahweh; and the last six commandments set forth the principles guiding Israel's relationship with the covenant community, and more broadly...
  • The meal (grain, cereal) offering was also an offering of worship. It evidently symbolized the sacrifice and commitment of one's person and works to God as well as the worshipper's willingness to keep the law (cf. Rom. 12:1-2...
  • The first four commandments deal primarily with man's relationship to God. The last six deal with man's relationship to man (cf. Matt. 22:37-39).The first part of this verse contains a precept. "Honor"means to respect, revere...
  • These instructions deal with how Israel was to come into possession of the Promised Land (cf. Num. 33:50-56). They are in the context of civil legislation because Israel did not have a standing army. Soldiers volunteered to g...
  • Israel's continuing success led her enemies to exert increasing opposition against the people of God. This chapter records the Canaanites' first aggressive action against the Israelites.10:1-5 The Jebusites lived in and aroun...
  • There were three warriors who received higher honor than all the rest (vv. 8-12): Josheb-basshebeth, Eleazar, and Shammah. What their relationship to The Thirty was is hard to determine.313Three men from The Thirty received s...
  • The writer envisioned God sitting as Judge over a gathering of human judges, the judges that lived in every town in Israel. The human judges in Israel served as God's judicial representatives among His people. The Hebrew word...
  • 103:6-8 Verse 6 is a topic sentence that introduces what follows. Verses 7 and 8 describe God's dealings with Israel at Mt. Sinai. The fact that God revealed Himself to Moses and the Israelites indicates His great compassion ...
  • As was true in the chapter 10-15 section, this one (16:1-22:16) also becomes more difficult to outline as it ends because there are fewer groupings of proverbs.19:7 The first part of this verse is hyperbole (overstatement to ...
  • Isaiah hinted at the coming of a great future King in his oracles against Philistia and Edom (14:29-30, 32; 21:11-12). Now he revealed more.24:21 When Yahweh brings universal judgment on the world again, He will sovereignly p...
  • This final stanza gives the explanation for the Servant's submissive suffering for sinners and so completes the song.53:10 The apparent miscarriage of justice just described (v. 9) would not be what it would appear to be. It ...
  • This is the third and last pericope, parallel to 57:14-21, that announces that God would deliver His people from the sin that plagued them as redeemed people (cf. 6:5). The section also closes the part of Isaiah that deals wi...
  • This vision may have come to Jeremiah immediately after the preceding one or at some other time.1:13 The Lord next directed Jeremiah to view a boiling pot (cauldron used for cooking or washing, Heb. sir) that was tipped so th...
  • 11:14-15 The Lord then replied that many of the Jews in Jerusalem were saying that the Judahites who had gone into captivity were the ones that God was judging. They believed that the Jews left in Jerusalem were the remnant t...
  • 10:10-11 Evidently the "man"who touched Daniel and who proceeded to speak to him was the same one the prophet saw in the vision (vv. 5-6). The angel described Daniel as a man of high esteem (cf. 9:23; 10:19). We know that Dan...
  • 16:13 The district of Caesarea Philippi lay 25 miles north of Galilee. Its inhabitants were mainly Gentiles. Herod Philip II, the tetrarch of the region, had enlarged a smaller town on the site at the foot of Mt. Hermon.619He...
  • This last part of Jesus' conversation with His disciples in the upper room is unique to Luke. It continues the theme of Jesus' rejection leading to death and what the disciples could expect in view of that rejection.22:35 Jes...
  • 12:27 Anticipation of the death that had to precede the glory troubled Jesus deeply (Gr. tataraktai, cf. 11:33; 14:1; Mark 14:32-42). It troubled Him because His death would involve separation from His Father and bearing God'...
  • In the foregoing verses Paul spoke of God's plan for creation and the believer. In these verses he showed how central a place His children occupy in the plan He is bringing to completion in history.8:26 Hope helps us in our s...
  • Paul's thought moved from identifying responsibilities to urging their practice. What lies before us as Christians provides essential motivation for doing so.13:11 "This"refers to the duties urged earlier, not only in this ch...
  • Paul now developed the key concept to which he referred in chapter 14, namely putting the welfare of others before that of self (cf. Gal. 6:2). This is love.15:1 The strong ought to take the initiative in resolving the tensio...
  • 15:30 Paul drew attention to the great need he felt for his readers' prayers by using the same term he did when appealing for them to dedicate themselves to God (12:1). He exhorted them on the basis of their relationship with...
  • Paul brought his revelation of the resurrection to a climax in this paragraph by clarifying what all this means for the believer in Christ. Here he also dealt with the exceptional case of living believers' transformation at t...
  • "Labors"or "hard work"encompasses all the strenuous activities of life including manual labor."Watchings"are "sleepless nights.""Fastings"or "hunger"refers to missed meals.6:6-7a Paul now named various graces that God had pro...
  • 10:1-2 Paul may have identified himself by name here so his readers would have no doubt that what he proceeded to say indeed came from him. He began by gently asking his readers to respond to his appeal to submit to his apost...
  • In these opening words Paul rebuked his readers for turning away from the gospel that he had preached to them and for turning toward a different "gospel."He accused them of being religious turncoats. He did so to impress them...
  • Almost all Christians believed in the Pauline authorship of Ephesians until the nineteenth century when destructive biblical criticism gained influence (cf. 1:1; 3:1). The critics built a case against Pauline authorship from ...
  • Paul's frequent references to the church as a mystery, previously unknown but now revealed, identify the apostle's main purpose in writing as having been the exposition of the mystery of the church (1:9; 3:3-4, 9; 5:32; 6:19)...
  • The Book of Ephesians enables us to view God's creation from an alpine altitude. When we study this book, it is as though we have climbed a high mountain peak because the book gives us that kind of perspective on what God has...
  • I. Salutation 1:1-2II. The Christian's calling 1:3-3:21A. Individual calling 1:3-2:101. The purpose: glory 1:3-142. The means: knowledge 1:15-233. The motive: grace 2:1-10B. Corporate calling 2:11-3:191. Present unity 2:11-22...
  • Christians should bless or praise (Gr. eulogetos, speak well of) God the Father for bestowing these blessings. Paul was thinking of God as both the Father of believers (v. 2) and the Father of His Son (v. 3). God has already ...
  • The wrath of God on the unbeliever (v. 3) contrasts with the grace of God on the believer (vv. 5, 7, 8). God's grace toward some unbelievers gives them life (vv. 4-5), raises them up (v. 6), and seats them in heavenly realms ...
  • Paul began to pray for his readers again (cf. vv. 1, 14), but he interrupted himself to tell them more about the church. What he said in this section gives background information concerning the church as a mystery.3:1 "For th...
  • Practical application (chs. 4-6) now follows doctrinal instruction (chs. 1-3).
  • Paul began this section with a basic admonition (vv. 15-21). Then he applied this instruction to various groups of Christians (5:22-6:9).5:15 The word order and usage in the Greek text suggest that "careful"modifies "walk"rat...
  • "After centuries of Christian teaching, we scarcely appreciate the revolutionary nature of Paul's views on family life set forth in this passage. Among the Jews of his day, as also among the Romans and the Greeks, women were ...
  • The next basic human relationship that needs affecting by the filling of the Spirit (5:15-21) is that of children and parents.6:1 Children express their submission by obeying their parents (plural). "In the Lord"modifies "obe...
  • The third group that Paul addressed was slaves and masters (cf. 1 Cor. 7:17-24). Most slaves served in the home in Paul's day so this section fits in well with what precedes about other household relationships. Some students ...
  • Masters should seek to please the Lord in their dealings with their slaves even as slaves should try to please Christ as they serve their masters. They should not threaten because our heavenly Master does not threaten us. Thr...
  • That this section is distinct from the five that precede it is evident from two facts. Paul introduced it differently, and the emphasis in it is on God's resources. Earlier Paul urged the strengthening and growth of the body ...
  • Paul's anticipation of his defense before Nero brought him back to the present in his thinking. His exposition of the mystery of the church to his readers had ended. He had also explained their proper conduct in view of their...
  • The first sub-section (1:27-30) begins with a topic sentence that expresses Paul's desire for the Philippians. Then he proceeded to explain and to illustrate what constitutes a worthy walk (2:1-4:9)."With this section we come...
  • Paul next set forth certain principles to guide his readers in their most important interpersonal relationships. He did this to enable them to understand what behavior is consistent with union with Christ in these relationshi...
  • 3:20 Children are to obey (hypakoute) both parents. The Greek word for obey implies a readiness to listen to and carry out parental instructions. The Greek word for children (tekna) means youths in contrast to babes and toddl...
  • 3:22 Paul probably made this section longer than the preceding two because he sent this epistle to Colosse with the Epistle to Philemon. Onesimus, Philemon's run-away slave, carried them.166Moreover there may well have been m...
  • 4:7-8 Paul sent Tychicus with this letter for two primary purposes. He wanted to provide more information about himself and his present ministry than he felt led to record in this letter. He also wanted to encourage the Colos...
  • In view of the imminency of Christ's return Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to be ready to prepare them to meet the Lord at any time."The former [paragraph, i.e., 4:13-18] offered instruction concerning the dead in Christ; th...
  • The Ephesian church already had elders long before Paul wrote this letter (Acts 20:17-35)."If our identification of the false teachers as elders is correct, then Paul's reason for this set of instructions is that Timothy must...
  • Paul gave instructions concerning the church's responsibility for its widows to clarify how and for whom the church should provide special care. Widows have been and still are specially vulnerable individuals. As such God has...
  • As he had done previously (e.g., 5:1-2) Paul urged the adoption of proper attitudes toward others that would normally make it easier to produce proper actions. Christian slaves were to "regard"their masters as worthy of all h...
  • 4:9-10 Paul urged Timothy to join him in Rome soon. He did not expect to live much longer (cf. v. 6)."The constitutional method of inflicting capital punishment on a Roman citizen was by the lictor's axe. The criminal was tie...
  • The writer now focused on the issue of sacrifice."The argument moves a stage further as the author turns specifically to what Christ has done. The sacrifices of the old covenant were ineffectual. But in strong contrast Christ...
  • James came right to the point; we know exactly what his concern was. Personal favoritism is hardly a glorious characteristic, and it is inconsistent for a Christian who worships the glorious Lord Jesus Christ to practice it (...
  • This section of the letter clarifies what it means to function obediently as God's people in a hostile world. It contains one of the tables of household duties in the New Testament (2:13-3:7; cf. Eph. 5:21-6:9; Col. 3:18-4:1)...
  • Peter proceeded to address the situation of Christians working under the authority of others."The unusual fact, unnoticed by most Bible readers, is that he [Peter], along with Paul (1 Cor. 7:21; Eph. 6:5-8; Col. 3:22-25; 1 Ti...
  • v. 20 The contrast Jude introduced with "But"distinguishes Jude's readers from the false teachers. Since we are God's temples under attack by hostile enemy forces, we need to build ourselves up, to strengthen ourselves spirit...
  • John turned to see the person who had given him his commission. These verses describe what he saw.1:12 When John turned to see the person who spoke to him he saw a majestic figure clothed in a long robe standing among seven l...
  • 9:7 John proceeded to describe the creatures he saw from head to tail. Some interpreters view these beings as natural locusts while others believe they represent an army of men. Locusts resemble horses when viewed with magnif...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.'--Eph. 6:13.THE military metaphor of which this verse is the beginning was obviously deeply imprinted on ...
  • Stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth.'--Eph. 6:14. (R.V.).THE general exhortation here points to the habitual attitude of the Christian soldier. However many conflicts he may have waged, he is still to be eve...
  • Having put on the breastplate of righteousness'--Eph. 6:14.THERE can be no doubt that in this whole context the Apostle has in mind the great passage in Isaiah 59. where the prophet, in a figure of extreme boldness, describes...
  • Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.'--Eph. 6:15.PAUL drew the first draft of this picture of the Christian armour in his first letter. It is a finished picture here. One can fancy that the Roman soldie...
  • Above all, taking the shield of faith, whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.'--Eph. 6:16.THERE were two kinds of shields in use in ancient warfare--one smaller, carried upon the arm, and which ...
  • Take the helmet of salvation.'--Eph. 6:17.WE may, perhaps, trace a certain progress in the enumeration of the various pieces of the Christian armour in this context. Roughly speaking, they are in three divisions. There are fi...
  • The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.'--Eph. 6:17.WE reach here the last and only offensive weapon in the panoply. The of' here does not indicate apposition, as in the shield of faith,' or the helmet of salvation...
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