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Ephesians 6

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Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

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Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

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That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

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And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

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Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

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Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

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With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

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Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

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And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

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Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

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Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

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For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

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Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

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Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

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And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

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Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

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And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

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Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

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And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

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For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

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But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

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Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

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Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. Written from Rome unto the Ephesians by Tychicus.

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Ephesians 6

The household code continues with the relationships of children, fathers, servants, and masters: children obey parents (invoking the first commandment with promise—Exodus 20:12/Deuteronomy 5:16—affirming familial bonds in the renewed creation), while fathers are exhorted not to provoke their children but to raise them in the paideia and nouthesia (discipline and instruction) of the Lord. Servants are called to obey earthly masters as serving Christ, doing the will of God from the heart with sincerity, rendering service as to the Lord rather than to human masters, trusting that the Lord will reward faithful obedience; masters, in turn, must do the same to their servants, knowing that both slaves and masters stand equally accountable before the heavenly Master who shows no partiality. The letter's practical section concludes with the arraying of the full armor of God (panoply)—drawn from Isaiah 59:17 and the Wisdom tradition—with which believers contend not against flesh and blood but against cosmic spiritual forces: the belt of truth girds the loins, the breastplate of righteousness guards the heart, gospel-peace shoes prepare the feet, the shield of faith extinguishes flaming arrows, the helmet of salvation protects the head, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God) becomes the sole offensive weapon for spiritual warfare. Prayer undergirds all: constant vigilance in the Spirit with petitions for all the saints, intercession for boldness in proclaiming the mystery, and watchfulness to the end. Paul closes by sending Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, to deliver the letter and encourage their hearts, concluding with the benediction of peace, love, and grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible (en aphtharsia)—an appropriate ending that echoes the letter's opening blessing and secures the readers in God's eternal mercy.

Ephesians 6:1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right — the household code continues: tekna hupakouō ('children, obey') tois goneusin hymōn ('your parents') en kyriō ('in the Lord'), establishing parental authority within the Christological framework; touto estin dikaion ('this is right,' proper).

Ephesians 6:2

Honor your father and mother — which is the first commandment with a promise — the citation of Exodus 20:12: timao ('honor') ton patera kai tēn metera ('your father and mother'), the protē entolē ('first commandment') with promise (epangelias), establishing the covenantal structure.

Ephesians 6:3

So that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth — the promise: hina su eimi kalōs ('that it may be well with you') kai esei makrochronios ('and you will be long-lived') epi tēs gēs ('on the earth'), the covenantal blessing of material and temporal prosperity.

Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord — the paternal duty: pateres, mē parorgizō ('fathers, do not provoke to anger') ta tekna hymōn ('your children'), instead ektrephō ('bring up,' 'nourish') en paideia ('in training,' discipline) kai nouthesia ('and instruction,' correction) kyriou ('of the Lord'), a corrective balance.

Ephesians 6:5

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ — the slave code: douloi hupakouō ('slaves, obey') tois kyriois kata sarka ('your earthly masters') en phobō kai tremō ('in fear and trembling'), en haplotes kardias ('in sincerity of heart'), hōs Christō ('as to Christ'), subordination now theodicized.

Ephesians 6:6

Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart — the motivation: mē opt-doulia ('not eye-slavery,' serving only when watched), alla hos douloi Christou ('but as slaves of Christ'), poieo thelēma theou ('doing the will of God') ek psychēs ('from the soul,' from within).

Ephesians 6:7

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people — the principle: douleuō ('serve') met' euthymiās ('with good will') hōs tō kyriō ('as to the Lord') kai ouch anthropois ('and not to people'), Christological transvaluation of servitude.

Ephesians 6:8

Because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free — the divine reckoning: eidotes hoti ekastos... komizomai ('knowing that each... will receive') to agathon ('the good') ho poieo ('that he does'), para kyriou ('from the Lord'), whether doulos ('slave') or eleutheros ('free'), the eschatalogical wage and eternal recognition.

Ephesians 6:9

And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him — the master code: hoi kyrioi, touto auto poieo ('masters, do the same thing'), mē apeilē ('do not threaten'), hotan eidotes hoti ho kyrios hymōn kai autōn ('knowing that the Lord of both you and them') en ouranois ('in heaven') ouch estin prosōpolēmpsia ('there is no partiality'), a radical equality in the eschatalogical hierarchy.

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power — the transition to spiritual warfare: loipon ischioo ('finally, be strong') en kyriō ('in the Lord') kai en tē kratos tēs ischyos autou ('and in the mighty strength of his power'), the foundation of all spiritual resistance.

Ephesians 6:11

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes — the imperative: endy ō ('put on') tēn panoplian ('full armor') theou ('of God'), hina dynamai (tote) antistēmi ('that you may be able to stand against') pros tas methodeiyas ('against the schemes,' 'wiles') tou diabolou ('of the devil').

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms — the cosmic disclosure: palē ('wrestling,' 'struggle') not against sarx kai haima ('flesh and blood,' human opponents), but archē, exousia, kosmokrator, pneumatika ponēria ('rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual wickedness'), establishing the true enemy as demonic powers.

Ephesians 6:13

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand — the exhortation recurs: lambanō ('take') tēn panoplian theou ('the full armor of God'), hina dynamai antistēmi ('that you may be able to stand') en tē hēmera tē ponērā ('on the evil day'), and apolipō stōs ('having done all, to stand firm').

Ephesians 6:14

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place — the armor inventory: zōnnymi ('buckle') hōs zōnē tēs alētheias ('with the belt of truth'), periethō ('put on') thōrax dikaiosynēs ('the breastplate of righteousness'), truth and justice as the foundation of spiritual armor.

Ephesians 6:15

And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace — the feet: hypedeō ('shod,' 'fitted') hetoimasia ('readiness,' 'preparedness') tou euangeliou tēs eirēnēs ('of the gospel of peace'), the gospel as the ground of firm standing.

Ephesians 6:16

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one — the shield: thyreos pisteōs ('shield of faith'), with which dynamai sbennyō panta ta belē ('you can extinguish all the missiles,' literally 'darts') tou ponērou ('of the evil one,' the fiery arrows of temptation and doubt).

Ephesians 6:17

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God — the helmet: perikephalaia sōtēriās ('helmet of salvation'), the sword: machaira tou pneumatos ('sword of the Spirit'), which is rhēma theou ('word of God'), offensive and defensive, the Spirit's weapon against evil.

Ephesians 6:18

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and petitions. Be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people — the final command: proseuchō ('pray') en pneumati ('in the Spirit') pasē eukairiā ('at all times'), en pasē deēsei ('with all kinds of prayers'), agrupneō ('be alert'), repetition, and universal intercession: peri pantōn tōn hagiōn ('for all the saints').

Ephesians 6:19

And pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel — Paul's personal request: deēsis peri emou ('pray for me'), hina dotheisn moi rhēmata ('that words may be given me') eis parrhēsian ('for boldness'), ho apokalyptō ('to reveal') to mystērion tou euangeliou ('the mystery of the gospel').

Ephesians 6:20

For which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should — the context: presbeia ('ambassador,' envoy) en halusei ('in chains,' imprisoned), requesting prayer hina parrhēsiazomai ('that I may speak boldly') hos opheilō ('as I ought'), the imprisoned apostle's final plea.

Ephesians 6:21

Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage you — the letter bearer: Tychikas, ho agapētos adelphos kai pistos diakonos ('Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant'), will inform hymēs peri emou ('you about me'), sent hina gnō ho peri hymōn ('that you may know about us').

Ephesians 6:22

I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts — Tychicus serves as an instrument of parakalesis ('encouragement'), strengthening the community's commitment to prayer and perseverance.

Ephesians 6:23

Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ — the benediction: eirēnē ('peace') tois adelphois ('to the brothers') kai agapē meta pisteōs ('and love with faith'), apo theou patros ('from God the Father') kai kyriou Iēsou Christou ('and Lord Jesus Christ').

Ephesians 6:24

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love — the final blessing: charis ('grace') pasi ('to all') tois agapō ('who love') ton kyrion Iēsoun Christon en aphtharsiā ('Lord Jesus Christ in incorruptibility'), the epistle ending with grace and the incorruptible love of Christ.