Sunday Notes: Colossians 3:18-4:1
- (Col 3:18 ESV) Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
- Wives – this means the female partner in a marriage.
- These are your qualifications of a wife
- You are biologically female
- You are married to a biological male
- Submit to your husbands
- In the Christian household the husband is to lead as a godly example following the Word
- As is fitting in the Lord
- This is a major exception to the degree of submission
- If a husband is leading in contradiction to the Lord, in opposition to the Word
- The wife has no obligation to follow
- First and foremost, we follow the Lord and His Word
- Ephesians 5:22-25, 1 Peter 3:1-6
- (Col 3:19 ESV) Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
- Husbands – anēr – an’-ayr
- Defined as: A male, A husband
- The reference is a man who is married
- Love your wives
- Agapate indicates continuous action.
- This is not passion or emotion though that is correctly part of the marriage relationship
- This is a love of choice
- I choose to love regardless of the circumstances.
- This is covenant love.
- And do not be harsh with them
- The NASB translates this verse:
- Husbands, love your wives and do not become bitter against them.
- Harsh, bitter is Pikrainō – pik-rah’-ee-no
- To make bitter, To exasperate, To render angry, To irritate
- Revelation 8:11, Revelation 10:9, Revelation 10:10
- Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
- (Col 3:20 ESV) Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
- Children
- Teknon – tek’-non
- Teknon – this is gener non-specific
- IN your family, God commands you to obey your parents
- Obey your parents in everything
- Assuming parents are not pushing you to sin
- Disobedience to your parents is disobedience to God
- That is sin against God
- Proverbs 30:17, Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1-3
- (Col 3:21 ESV) Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
- Fathers do not provoke your children
- Do not exasperate your children
- Do not stir up your children
- We are called to guide and shape them in the Lord
- Not run them down and destroy them
- (Col 3:22 ESV) Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
- Bondservants
- Slaves – Doulos- Literally this would be one enslaved to another
- Obey in everything those who are your earthly masters
- Just as the other relationships have authority and submission
- Slaves were commanded to obery their masters
- Employees in our day would obey their employers
- Citizens are to obey their government
- 1 Peter 2:18-19
- In everything
- Whether you like it or not, obey
- Unless the instruction is counter to the Bible.
- We are to obey those in authority over our lives.
- 1 Timothy 6:1-2
- (Col 3:23 ESV) Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
- (Col 3:24 ESV) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
- As for the Lord and not for men
- Work hard for the Lord and His glory
- Not for the world and the people around us
- Do your best for God regardless of what the world sees
- In school, study for the Lord
- At work, work for the Lord
- On the ball team, play for the Lord
- At home, live for the Lord
- In social life, live for the Lord
- Whatever you are involved in
- Live for the Lord
- (Col 3:25 ESV) For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
- For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done
- Yes, fathers
- Yes, mothers
- Yes children
- We are each one accountable to the Lord ourselves.
- And there is no partiality
- Every single one if us is equal under God
- Spiritually we are all the same
- All the same under Christ
- All sinners saved by grace
- All equally commanded by God
- All equally accountable to God
- (Col 4:1 ESV) Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
- This is a big deal
- To treat those under your authority in a bondservant role
- Justly
- With justice
- This is with righteousness
- Knowing that you also have a master in heaven.
- This is an umbrella we all should recognize.
- The master has a master
- The boss has a boss
- The father has a father
- The parent is a child of God
- We all will make an account for the live we live here
- The great equalizer, death will come for all of us
- While we walk the earth
- Let us walk in a manner worthy of our calling.
- 2 Corinthians 5:5-10, Romans 14:8
