What does Paul require of Christian slaves in his detailed instructions to them? Ephesians 6:5-8. Paul asks Christian slaves to obey their masters, offering heartfelt, excellent service. What is notable is his repeated reference to a grand substitution that he asks them to make. They are not to place their slave master in the place of … Continue reading –>
Read through the counsel to slaves and slave masters in the following passages: Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-25; Colossians 4:1; 1 Corinthians 7:20-24; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; 1 Peter 2:18-25. How would you summarize this advice? It is startling to hear Paul address Christian slave masters and to imagine Christian slaves and their Christian slave master seated together in the house churches of … Continue reading –>
Compare Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21. What motivation does Colossians 3:21 provide for avoiding irritating one’s children? <p Sirach, a Jewish document available in Paul’s day, advises fathers about the treatment of their sons: “He who loves his son will whip him often. . . . Pamper a child, and he will terrorize you; play with him, and he will … Continue reading –>
Advice to Children What advice does Paul give to children, and how does he support that counsel from the Old Testament? Ephesians 6:1-3. (See also Matthew 18:1-5,Matthew 18:10; Mark 10:13-16.) To appreciate fully Paul’s counsel to children, we must imagine it being read out in the house churches of the thriving metropolis of Ephesus. The word “children” (Greek, … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study Ephesians 6:1-9; Mark 10:13-16; Colossians 3:21; 1 Peter 2:18-25; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 3:24-25. Memory Text: “And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him” (Ephesians 6:9). … Continue reading –>
Visiting Inmates in Spain By Gabriel Diaz Working with inmates is my passion. I have participated in prison ministry everywhere that I have served as a pastor, first in my homeland of Colombia and now in Spain. Over the past two decades, I have visited four prisons in Spain, including a maximum-security prison for women … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Ellen G. White, “Responsibilities of Married Life,” Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, Pages 45-50, and “Mutual Obligations,” The Adventist Home, Pages 114-120. Ellen G. White consistently urges marriage partners to turn away from efforts to control the other: “Do not try to compel each other to yield to your wishes. You cannot do this and retain each … Continue reading –>
Study the Creation narrative of Genesis 2:15-25. What happens in the story before the statement concerning a husband and wife being “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24)? A key to applying Paul’s counsel to wives and husbands is to see his citation of Genesis 2:24 (in Ephesians 5:31) as the culmination of it. As he meditates on the Creation story of Genesis, Paul considers … Continue reading –>
What new argument does Paul use to encourage husbands to practice tender love toward their wives? Ephesians 5:28-30. Paul’s rules for the Christian household (Ephesians 5:21-6:9) disclose a challenging social context. In Ephesians 5:28-30, Paul addresses husbands who, following the all-too-frequent pattern of the time, may choose to “hate their own flesh” (see Ephesians 5:28-29), abusing and beating their wives. In the … Continue reading –>
How does Paul use elements of the ancient wedding in appealing to Christians in Corinth? When does the presentation occur? (1 Corinthians 11:1-4). Using one final element of the ancient wedding, in Ephesians 5:25-27 Paul portrays Christ as the One who: (6) presents the bride (to Himself!). In ancient times the bride would be given away by the best man, best men, … Continue reading –>
