Ephesians 6:1-9

¹ “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), ³ so that it may turn out well for you, and that you may live long on the earth.⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. ⁵ Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;⁶ not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. ⁷ With goodwill render service, as to the Lord, and not to people, ⁸ knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, whether slave or free. ⁹ And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”

First commandment: Paul is referencing the law because God has set a precedent that is true in both the Old and New Covenants: Children are to listen to their parents because they know how to equip them to live life wisely. This is a general principle not a guarantee as if Christ has achieved earthly victory for us on the cross. Parents simply know how to help their kids live well and avoid unnecessary danger. 

Fathers, do not provoke: Fathers are to avoid frustrating their children unnecessarily. Instead, they are to bring them up in the instruction of the Lord. The instruction of the Lord does not provoke us to anger. It doesn’t exasperate us and doesn’t exhaust us. This is the heart of God to His children. He has taken care of the past, so He desires to train us for the future. Therefore, all parental discipline is to be training for the future and not punishment for the past. 

Slaves…masters: Paul is not trying to change the culture of Rome. Instead, he is meeting people where they are and encouraging them to trust Christ in their various circumstances. Slaves are to trust Christ as they love their masters. Likewise, masters are to trust Christ as they love their slaves. Notice that Paul is not proclaiming some form of prosperity theology which guarantees better circumstances on Earth. Instead, he is encouraging a certain mindset of dependency on Jesus. 

Receive this back from the Lord: Paul is not saying that God pays us back for our good works. Paul is simply encouraging both slaves and masters to realize that God treats them both in a loving and good manner. Paul is wanting slaves and masters to remember this as they treat one another according to Christ.