ACC ~ Ephesians 6 v1

THE SEQUENCE COMES TO CHILDREN. CHRYSOSTOM: Paul has spoken first about the husband, second about the wife; now he moves along this path to children. The husband is responsible for the wife. Both the husband and the wife are responsible for the children. … He speaks to children in an infant voice. He is well aware that if husband and wife are well disposed according to the commands he has laid down, there will be little difficulty in eliciting the cooperation of children. … But what if the parents command foolish things? Generally parents do not command foolish things. But if they should, the apostle has a remedy when he says that parents are to be obeyed “in the Lord.” They are to be obeyed in whatever way they are not offending against God. HOMILY ON EPHESIANS 21.6.1-3.

THE JUSTICE OF OBEDIENCE TO ONE THROUGH WHOM ONE EXISTS. AMBROSIASTER: This law is given to children: Since their parents are the enablers of their existence, they are to obey them. The principle is that they reverence those through whom they exist. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 6.2.

SUBMIT IN THE LORD TO THOSE WHO GAVE US BIRTH. JEROME: It is not clear whether this saying means that children are to obey their “parents in the Lord” or that in the Lord children are to obey their parents. I take it both ways. We are to obey those parents who gave birth to us in the Lord, as through Paul and the apostles they were spiritually born, and do what they say. And we should submit in the Lord to our own parents, from whom we were born according to the flesh, performing all their commands that are not contrary to the Lord’s will. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 3.6.1.

THE INTENTIONAL SEQUENCE OF THESE INJUNCTIONS. THEODORET: The order in which he gives his injunctions is worthy of admiration. For first he has given laws to husbands and wives, for marriage comes before childbirth. Then he tends to fathers and children, for childbirth is the fruit of marriage, since it is only after the birth that one is called a father and one called son. Finally he has set forth his instructions to servants and masters. This arises from the social environment, as distinguished from those arrangements that come about under the laws of nature. Thus, having given all these specific injunctions, he once again gives them a common one. EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 6.9.

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