Please read all of Ephesians. Choose one of the questions below and select a verse that particular helps in answering that question.1. What seem to be the most import ethical challenges the Ephesian Christians are facing?
2. In what ways does Ephesians seem different than Romans and Corinthians?
3. What specific standards does Paul set for servants, masters, children, wives, and husbands? Is he right is saying that the husband is the “head” of the wife? How do Paul’s ideas differ from those of contemporary society?
4. What is Paul’s advice to leaders on handling ethical problems?
22 comments:
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself (Ephesians 5:22, 5:25, and 5:28).
Question three asks us, “Is he right is saying that the husband is the “head” of the wife? How do Paul’s ideas differ from those of contemporary society?”
First off, Peter isn’t saying that men are the dominator or “head” of the wife, but instead, he is saying that men should treat their wives as equals. Both should submit to one another, and each should love the other. Therefore, all people should submit to each other: both husbands to wives and wives to husbands.
Ephesians 5: 1-5
"So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. Immortality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is fitting among holy ones. no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place, but instead, thanksgiving. Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person. that is, an idolator, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
This seems to me the most important advice that Paul gives to some of the early church leaders. In order to avoid unethical problems, you must remember Jesus and be an imitator of God. In essence, this is the first WWJD statement in the Bible.
"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor; for we are members one of another," Ephesians 4:25.
Leaders of men are chosen from the people and to Paul their responsibilities become something more as they have the trust of the public, therefore they should not deceive the people about what they do.
They cannot lie like politicians and say their comments were taken out of context, "Let no corrupt communications proceed out of your mouth," (Ephesians 4:29), but they must speak the truth about matters and stand ready to explain further if required.
Leaders of people are not to contest against them in order to remain in control; their responsibility is more than that. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places," Ephesians 6:12. Our leaders are to be concerned with the whole of a problem, and not to be primarily concerned with what would satisfy the voters that put them in office.
Annie Merkel
Ephesians 5:21-23 "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior."
I would like to add to what Mr. Cowan stated with regards to these verses. First, I agree that Paul wants husbands and wives to submit to each other; the men should not be the dominant ruler over their wives. However, I think that these verses do want the man to be the "head" of the household. Bascially, the man should be the head and body of the family, just as Jesus was the head and body of the church. I guess I don't think that Paul is treating husbands and wives as equals.
This idea that husbands should be the head of the family differs from contemporary society. In general, today we don't view the family as the man taking care of everything (the money-maker), but both the man and women provide for the family. Women are not inferior to men in contemporary times. In fact, in many cases the woman is the more dominant figure in the family.
I don’t believe there was one particular challenge that was addressed. This letter was written for one purpose and that was to keep faith alive.
Paul wrote this letter and it was very general. The message was simple and stated you are to live your life; however not like Gentiles. Ephesians 4:17
Paul went on to use a lot of symbolism with the wording of “Gods Armor” and the functions of each part. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
It is when we eradicate the barriers we create we will have happiness in our lives as well as in the church.
Brian Johnson
Ephesians 6:9
"And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forebearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."
This verse speaks to part of question #3. The counsel in this verse is that masters and servants should treat each other with respect because the Lord is not a respector of a persons material status, and all are his children and equal in his eyes.
Brett Newton
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offereing and sacrifice to God."
Ephesians 5:1-2
This is God's calling to us all. He is challenging us to be like God. One simple command that if we followed it we would no doubt live in the mannenr in which he intended us to live.
Yet it entales so many different things in this command and calling. To be like God is the hardest thing one could ever ask of another human being. No one, no matter how hard they try could ever be able to mistake free and live as God did. However the important part is that we give ourself to this calling.
In calling he reminds us that in our faults, we will still be saved because of his son's sacrifice to us on the cross. The greatest gift that was given and one that we all have received to be save
Well relating to question #1. It seems that Ephesians 4: 26-28 has some good advise. "In your anger do not sin." Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need."
With thise verse you can kind of see how people should live. They need to try and be happy as well as going out and instead of doing things that would hurt a society, they should perform acts that will bring a society up and do things that will help others get back on their feet. In order to have a good society you need people that are always willing to help others and not take advantage of them.
Eric Bengs
What is Paul's advice to leaders on handling ethical problems?
Ephesians 4:17," This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind."
Paul seems to be telling them that if they live their lives according to the will of God, there won't be any ethical problems. If I interpret parts of chapter five correctly, he is also telling them to avoid the company of those who continue to sin. I assume this is to avoid the temptation of returning to the person they once were before they found the Lord.
There is also a lead by example message here.
Ephesians 5:7, "Therefore do not be partakers with them."
Zach Anderson
4. What is Paul’s advice to leaders on handling ethical problems?
Paul's advice is contained within chapter 6 under the title of "The Armour of God" the verse that best sums this up is: 6:17 "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God." This sums up what the solution to ethical problems are, they can be solved through the word of god. Read the Bible and you can find the answers to all of lifes questions, trust in God and he will guide you to the right answers that is all you need to do.
Ephesians 5:24-28 “As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
I think he’s right if you find the truth in his statements. If you dig a little deeper you see that even though his words seem to put wives on a lower level than their husbands, this isn’t so. When you think about it, who has the harder ‘job’ here? At first glance you’d think the wives have the harder task of being subordinate to their husbands. However, loving your wife as Christ loves the church is a much greater task. Loving a woman enough to give your life for her means you would never ask her to do something that would be harmful or demeaning, it means putting her before yourself always and forever.
Contemporary society has a hard time with Paul’s words regarding this message because he says ‘be subordinate’. Being a woman, these words can be offensive when you think about how far we’ve come to be considered equal to men. However, Paul didn’t mean for his message to be demeaning. Rather he meant for women to be cherished so thoroughly by their husbands and treated with such a respect and love that they would live for their husbands in much the same way that he lives for her.
Amanda Imberi
Paul says that women are to submit everything to their husbands and that husbands are to be the head of the house.
I believe that what Paul was trying to say is that relationships take work and cooperation. Though the husband may be the head he has too consult with his wife and bring her needs into consideration.
When married they are too be one. Each having their place. In today's type of marriages usually women and men seem to fight for the top. Both thinking that they have to be themselves and in control. Where as Paul assures us that we need to be able to work together. Because the husband, if he truly loves his wife will make sure her needs are fulfilled and will always will respect her.
This could be one reason that marriages don't work today.People aren't willing to work together and be ONE, they all want to be themselves.
Ephesians Ch 6: 1-9 In these verses Paul talks about children and servants and some of their responsibilities.
He talks about how the children should obey their parents and honor their father and mother. He also says the father shouldn't get really upset with the kid and raise him well.
He goes on to talk about the slaves and says that the slaves should be obedient to their masters as if the master was Christ. He also says the slaves should do what the master would want even if the master is not around. In contrast, he says the masters should no bully their slaves but give them respect and treat them fairly.
In these verses its easy to see that Paul has some clearly defined rules to follow when talking about children and slaves.
17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
I think the main theme of this book is to set up Christ as being the will of God. I think that the main audience here is Romans and he is reaffirming the place of Christ within the church by establishing that all things were done by Gods will
Chapter 6:1 "Children, obey your parents the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother' (this is the first commandment with a promise), 'that it may be well with you and that you may live long on earth.' Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
For Children it is clearly stated that you must obey your parents as long as they do not attempt to make you mad.
In chapter 6:5 Paul is telling slaves that they must be obedient to their masters. And in verse 9 Paul is telling the masters to be "nice" to the slaves so they do not have to disobey.
Jon Adam
Joe Adam
1. What seem to be the most import ethical challenges the Ephesian Christians are facing?
What it seems that St. Paul is trying to do in this instance is try to explain the church teachings and give them a better understanding. It is also a message of trying to hold strong your faith
2. In what ways does Ephesians seem different than Romans and Corinthians?
It is different such that it has no initial problem but a revamp of what St. Paul has taught them for the two years that he was in Ephesus
3. What specific standards does Paul set for servants, masters, children, wives, and husbands? Is he right is saying that the husband is the “head” of the wife? How do Paul’s ideas differ from those of contemporary society?
Children- Honor thy Father and Mother basically says it all but there is a responsibility for parents not to make mad their children nor bring them up in an incorrect way
Servant- is loyal to your master, but be humble and be as servants of Christ and do the will of god from the heart.
Masters- Treat and server as if you were serving Christ, treat your servants and other with respect.
Wives- let them be subject to their husbands and also the lord. Reasoning is Christ is head of the church and he is the savior of his body. So if the church is subject to Christ then so shall the wife be subject to her husband.
Husbands- are supposed to love their wives as Christ loved the church.
St. Paul’s Ideas of the Husband being the head of the household are undeniably correct because they make sense using the head of the church is Christ therefore husbands should be the head of the household. Initially we differ from them, but the differences are not to different in a now day society it is generally typical of the husband to be the head of the house hold it is like a typical nuclear family. Though the differences I found were divorce rates. Wives are no longer as faithful and Husbands are no longer as faithful as Christ is to the church (if they could ever be that faithful).
What is Paul’s advice to leaders on handling ethical problems?
What he is trying to say in these verses are things such as using your faith and the word of god to try and smite down the dark one.
Jesse Peck
1. What seem to be the most import ethical challenges the Ephesian Christians are facing?
it seems to me that the most important ethical challenge the Ephesian Christians were facing was some kind of break down of the family life. I think the whole discussion of the relationship between husband and wife, parent and child, and slave and master are present to show that there are differences in these relationships. While slavery is obviously not a good thing in itself, it also has negative impacts on aspects of the masters character. If a man thinks that he has the same type of rule over his wife, as he does over his slave there will inevitably be a break down of the family. Paul says yes the man is in charge, but it is not for the husbands benefit, He says that men have this position to "to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word" So it is clear that Paul is saying while slavery is only for the master's good, the husband being the head of the household is for the good of his wife.
It might be the case also that slavery has something to do with the discussion on sin in chapter 5. Slaves have no way to prevent their masters for taking any sort of license they please with how they are treated. This licentiousness with the slaves can leak over to other areas of life and have bad consequences.
Ruth Wilson
Paul call all these people to be servants, to put the needs of others first. To wives, a husband is the "head", yes, but I think it may be that a family having two heads would be a house divided. To husbands, he gives the ultimate command, to love their wives, just as Christ loved the church-- thats a tall order because he was sent to die for it. Children are called to submition to parents, slaves and masters called to similer submition to each other. It all boils down to thinking of others first.
I think that question 3 is a very valid question because it is similar to questions that are faced today. Is the wife inferior to the husband in the marriage?
Ephesians 5: 21-33 talk about the standards that are set for wives. It states that "For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body."
I think that Peter is saying that husbands should treat their wives with the kind of respect and love that Christ did with the church. He also says that "So husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church." I think that this is what Peter is talking about, that husbands need to be committed to their wives like they would be committed to themselves.
Paul is addressing wives and husbands in chapter 5. I think that you have to put this in the context of Paul's idea on marriage. Paul felt that it was best if you were single. He felt that if you did not have to worry about the needs of a wife and family, you could dedicate yourself to the work of the Lord. But, he was also a realist. He said that if you are not able to control your feelings, then it is best that you get married. Paul very specifically tells wives to submit to their husbands and that the husband is the head of the household. But, he very specifically charges the husbands to love and cherish their wives. He commands the men to love their wives as they love their own bodies. He compares Christ as being the head of the church, to the man being the head of the woman. I think Paul very clearly felt that the man should run the show, but at the same time he must take that position and love his wife and help her to find her faith and love for Christ.
Sam Merkel
Ephesians 5:21-23 "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior."
I agree that Paul does want the husbands and the wives to listen to each other. But the men shouldn't dominate over their wives. I do agree with my sister that it maybe states that the man should be the dominate person in the house. Bascially, the man should be the head and body of the family, just like Jesus was, he was the head and body of the church. To me, it seems that Peter doesn't treat men and women equally.
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