BRINGING THE CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD UNDER THE REALM OF CHRIST’S LORDSHIP

(3:18–4:1)

The Christian Household under Christ’s Lordship

• 3:18–4:1– Paul now applies how doing everything in the name of the Lord translates to every member of a household. • Household codes, beginning with Aristotle,

were a common feature in ancient society as a means for explaining the roles of various family members (including slaves).

Household Codes• Many ancient household codes

were set in context of discussions of city management and included instructions on how to behave toward the state as well as toward parents, elders, friends, and members of one’s household.

• According the Greco-Roman mindset, the household mirrored the government of a city-state. Public and household obligations were often treated together.

Household Codes• Plato – Republic – Children, women, and slaves are

to submit in different ways to the man’s authority and are not to aspire to the roles of another.

• Aristotle – Oeconomica– The acceptance of one’s station in

life “demands in the first place familiarity with the sphere of one’s actions.”

Commendable social behavior as God’s people (2:11-3:7)

• Stoic and other philosophers commonly used ethical codes to delineate proper relationships with others.

• Philosophers who discuss “household codes” include:– Plato - Republic– Xenophon - Oeconomicus – Aristotle – Oeconomica– Plutarch – Advice to Bride and Groom– Seneca – Moral Epistles– Dio Chrysostom – On Household

Management

Household Codes• According to Roman law, the father was

the paterfamilias who had complete control over his children as long as he lived.

• One of most famous examples of this was the right of the head of the household to reject newborns. If a child was born and the head of the household decided that ‘we have too many children as it is’, or that ‘the child seems rather sickly’, or that ‘we have too many girls already’, the head of the household could refuse to pick up the child and at that point the child would either have to be killed, or abandoned to either die or be picked up by someone else or others.

Household Codes• Household codes do not occur in

the OT or Jewish writings until Judaism engages the Greek worldview.

• Because Greco-Roman culture was so steeped in the household code, no religious or moral philosophy could fail to address it.

• Both Peter and Paul included household codes in their letters when addressing people with a Greco-Roman worldview.

Household Codes• Early Christians, likewise, adopted

and modified this format for describing appropriate behavior of members in a Christian household (cf. Eph 5:21–6:9; Ti 2:2–10; 1Pt 2:18–3:7; 1 Clem 21:6-8; Ignatius, Poly 4:1–6:2).

• J. H. Elliott, Home for the Homeless, argues that household codes function to bring the church to a cohesive identity that would be consistent with its missionary goals.

The Christian Household under Christ’s Lordship

• Paul exhorts each member of households in three pairs:

(1) wives and husbands; (2) children and parents; and (3) slaves and masters.

The Christian Household under Christ’s Lordship

• 3:18 –Paul exhorts wives to be submissive to their husbands.

• Paul always uses this verb in the context of authority relationships (cf. Rm 8:7; 8:20; 10:3; 13:1, 5; 1Co 14:32, 34; 15:27, 28; 16:16; Php 3:21; Col 3:18; Ti 2:5, 9; 3:1).

The Christian Household under Christ’s Lordship

• In Ephesians, everyone must submit to Christ’s authority (cf. Eph 1:22; 5:24) and must relate to one another with an attitude of submission (cf. Eph 5:21).

• This submission is not subservience, but voluntary respect for her husband.

• It is based on her relationship with Christ and her role within the family (as is fitting in the Lord), rather than on some false notion of inferiority (cf. 1Co 11:3, 7-9; Eph 2:23-24).

The Christian Household under Christ’s Lordship

• 3:19 – Paul now admonishes husband to love your wives with the additional warning not to become bitter against them. – Love refers to selfless sacrificial concern and care for

the welfare of another (cf. Eph 5:25-33).– Become bitter pertains to harsh treatment and could

be translated as “to cause bitter feelings.” • Husbands, therefore, must always affectionately

care for their wives and never deal harshly with them.

The Christian Household under Christ’s Lordship

• 3:20 – Children obey your parents.– The word obey shares the same root as “listening to

someone,” and lacks the voluntary sense found in the command to be submissive.

– A child pleases the Lord through obedience to his or her parents.

– This obedience of course would not pertain to immoral or idolatrous demands from a parent, for that would conflict with behavior pleasing to the Lord.

The Christian Household under Christ’s Lordship

• 3:21 - Although the term Fathers could include both parents (cf. Heb 11:23), fathers, in particular, are warned to not exasperate their children (Eph 6:4). – Exasperate means to cause or provoke someone to harbor

feelings of resentment.

– The reason for this injunction is so thy do not become discouraged or disheartened.

• Thus, fathers must avoid dealing harshly with their children by constantly deriding them.

The Christian Household under Christ’s Lordship

• 3:22-25 – It is thought that slaves in the ancient world might have been lazy because they did not personally profit from their labor. • Paul includes an exhortation for

Christian slaves to obey their earthly masters in everything.

The Christian Household under Christ’s Lordship

• Paul adds an extensive explanation and rational for this injunction:– (1) they are to work even when unsupervised, because

they are ultimately serving the Lord;

– (2) their service to the Lord will be gloriously rewarded; and

– (3) God does not discriminate when it comes to punishing bad behavior.

•

The Christian Household under Christ’s Lordship

• 4:1 –Paul now exhorts masters to deal justly with their slaves because they themselves are slaves to God.

– The terms right and fair imply the notion of treating someone with equality.

Questions for Reflection

• What is the purpose for the household codes?• What are some of the biggest challenges for

understanding and applying the household codes in contemporary society?

• How should we handle these issues within the context of our churches?

• How do we approach the issue of slaves and masters?

ENCOURAGEMENT TO PRAYER AND CIRCUMSPECT INTERACTION WITH UNBELIEVERS (4:2–6)

Encouragement to Prayer and Interaction with Unbelievers

• 4:2 –Paul concludes his lists of commands by urging them to habitually and continually stay stay alert in prayer with an attitude of thanksgiving. Stay alert or staying awake refers to the mental attitude of expectancy and watchfulness.

• 4:3 –An open door became a common expression for God to make an opportunity available for someone to do something (cf. Acts 14:27; 1Co 16:9; 2Co 2:12). Paul wants them to intercede on his behalf so that he may continue to spread the gospel.

Encouragement to Prayer and Interaction with Unbelievers

• 4:5 – His final exhortation to the Colossians is that they use wisdom in their interaction with nonbelievers (cf. 1:9, 10).– The phrase making the most comes from a verb

meaning to buy up as if finding a barging, and used here it seems to convey the idea of making the most of all the time spent with nonbelievers.

• 4:6 – Using wisdom and making the most of time with nonbelievers specifically relates to their speech.

Outline

I. III. CLOSING (4:7–18)A. Commendation of Tychicus and Onesimus (4:7–9)B. Greetings from Paul’s Coworkers (4:10–14)C. Final Instructions (4:15–17)

D. Final Greetings and Benediction (4:18)