“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will be discouraged. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.” – Colossians 3:18-22.
The passage we are looking at today was quoted to me one day by a sincere Christian brother as evidence that Paul did condone slavery. Hence, let me quickly note that the Greek word for slaves is used to also mean servants, as in this case. Apostle Paul is here speaking to the subject of how members of a Christian household are to relate to each other, or what is to distinguish them from unbelievers’ households.
- Wives are to submit to their husbands “as fitting in the Lord”. What kind of submission Paul talks about that is fitting in the Lord? It means that not all forms of submission are fitting in the Lord. A Christian wife’s submission to her husband does not make her a doormat, as it were, but it is a means (tool) for her to serve the Lord in her household. I take “fitting in the Lord” in the sense of “honouring in the Lord” or in accordance with the Lord’s will and character.
- Husbands are to love their wives and not be harsh with them. It is not unusual to hear a harsh husband still claim to love his wife: Is it possible for a husband to love his wife and meanwhile be harsh (not gentle) to her? Does harshness have nothing to do with love?
- Children are to obey their parents in everything.
- Fathers are to not embitter (provoke to anger, or exasperate) their children.
- Slaves are to obey their earthly masters in everything with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
Interestingly, (1) children and slaves are to obey parents and earthly master, respectively, in everything; (2) Husbands are to not only love their wives but not be harsh with them as well; (3) wives are to submit to their husbands as fitting in the Lord; and (4) only fathers and husbands are to not do something -they are to not be harsh with their wives and to not provoke their children to anger as to suggest that they do it more often without being conscious of it.
It is important to note that a wife’s submission to her husband is what makes her a wife (helper) to him; a husband’s love and gentleness to his wife is what makes him husband (head) to her; children’s obedience to parents is what makes them children to their parents; and servants’ obedience to earthly masters with sincerity is what makes them servants.
What distinguish your household as Christian from unbelievers’?
Lord grant us to live on earth in accordance with your will, in the name of Jesus Christ!
