Ian & Jocelyn Barker

Paul has been talking about how we are to be subject to one another. This means that we are to be under the authority of one another. This redefines marriage as a relationship of mutual submission, but it also affects the child/parent relationship and the master/slave or employer/employee relationship. The Gospel does not just effect us at an individual level but truly penetrates and cuts to redefine our communities.

Children are called to obey their parents. Our relationship with our earthly father should reflect our relationship with our heavenly Father: obedience. This commandment that God gave Moses is the only one that comes with a promise. If you honor your father and mother, you will live a long life on earth. I think what God had in mind when he gave this commandment with a promise, was that man would continue to honor his or her parents throughout their lives. Obviously, honoring your parents looks different at 9 years of age than it does when you are in your adult years.

It’s interesting how any questions of what it looks like to honor parents is answered by Paul’s instructions to fathers. He commands them to not provoke their children to anger. Father’s are to be respectful of their children and not exasperate them (Col. 3:21). I will not pretend to know what this means (having never been a father), but what I see is that many fathers are so heavy-handed with their children, that the child does not feel like they have room to grow and express themselves. This leads to rebellion. Father’s are to apply the discipline and instruction of the Lord, which of course is kind and gives dignity to the freewill of man.

Paul ends his instructions regarding subjection by addressing slaves and masters. Interestingly, Paul points towards eternity and the coming judgment as incentive for slaves to be free of bitterness and anger towards their masters, and for masters to be free of cruelty. Both slave and master are in subjection to God who does not see any rank, for good or bad.