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 "obey,"not "parents."Children should not obey their parents if their parents tell them to disobey the Lord.142Obedience is right in the sense that it is in harmony with God's will for children (cf. Col. 3:20). Children should obey their parents as long as they are children living under their parents' authority. When a child becomes an adult, he or she no longer has to obey parents but should continue to honor them.143
6:2 Even though as Christians we are no longer under the Mosaic Law (Rom. 7:6; 10:4; et. al.), Paul quoted the fifth commandment (Exod. 20:12; Deut. 5:16) to stress the importance of children obeying their parents. Honoring (v. 2) is a larger concept than obeying (v. 1). It involves a proper attitude as well as appropriate behavior.144
The first commandment in the Decalogue with a promise was really the second commandment. Evidently Paul meant that for children the fifth was the primary commandment, and it contained a promise.
6:3 When he restated the promise connected with obeying the fifth commandment, Paul changed it. God promised obedient Jewish children long life in the Promised Land (Exod. 20:12; Deut. 5:16). Since He has not promised Christians a particular piece of land Paul stated the more general promise that lay behind the specific promise, namely longer physical life on earth. Normally children who obey their parents avoid the perils that would shorten their lives.
