Ephesians 81-82_28 Ephesians 6:4-20
Ephesians 1981-82 Corps Teachings. Lesson 25: Ephesians 6:4-20.
Format: AUDIO
Publication Date: 1981-82
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
EPHESIANS 6:4-20
May 19, 1982
Tonight we’re still in the Book of Ephesians. And here at International I’ve given out
two different pieces of work that I’ve done. Both of these will be a made…made available
to all the in-residence Corps. It will be told you perhaps by Craig or someone how to get
this done since you’re doing the apple cart deal this weekend. I’d like for everybody in The
Way Corps to have a copy of this. Tonight, of course, we’re at verse 10 of Ephesians
chapter 6, but the thing that I want to do with you tonight, first of all, I want to read the
expanded translation of verses 4-9 of Ephesians 6, then the study of the word “servants”
and the word “obey” that I have prepared for this occasion of the Corps. The expanded
translation of verse 4 is what I want to give you first. I think it is tremendously providential
and I’m truly grateful for the Father for having seen what I believe we’ve seen in the
Word, and if it’s true what we’re seeing here, which I have no doubt about, I will bel…I
believe this will be the first time perhaps since the first century that anybody has seen
Ephesians accurately in the light of the truth of the greatness that God set it. I believe this
section deals with a husband, wife, children, parents, and with the walk of the believer who
is responsible to God. Verse 4, the expanded translation reads:
Ephesians 6:4 Expanded translation
And you parents don’t exasperate your children by being incorrect but
educate them with the discipline of the right believing regarding our Lord as
set forth in the Word.
Verse 5.
Ephesians 6:5 Expanded translation
Wives and children as bond slaves obey your lords, your husbands, with
reverence and obedience, wholeheartedly as they represent Christ.
Verse 6.
Ephesians 6:6 Expanded translation
Not eyeing the favor of men who have many gods but like bond slaves of
Christ doing the sole will of God from the heart only with all your being
like discharging your service as a bond slave serving our lord and never just
to serve a man or serve men.
Verse 8.
Ephesians 6:8 Expanded translation
Knowing that what things so ever a wife or child does as a doulos is
profitable and you are and will be rewarded by the Lord.
And finally verse 9.
Ephesians 6:9 Expanded translation
And you husbands you serve your bond slave, wives and children, by being
loving and forgiving because you know that both their and your master, the
Lord, is at the right hand of God seated in the heavenlies and there is no
respect of persons with Him.
In the light of this the question with regard to Ephesians 6:4-9 is who are the servants.
Are they slaves as we think of slaves or is it an illustration drawing another…drawing
further parallels in the family relationship of husband, wife and children already discussed
in Ephesians 5:21-6:3. All the commentaries that I know, all the Biblical work that I have
read previously, all speak of this section as relative to the servants. I believe that it relates
itself to the husband, wife, children and servants of the household that are of the family. To
set this for you, the second paragraph under this study of Ephesians 5 to 9 servants, obey
and so forth, second paragraph I wrote: In the Roman culture, now remember, I’m
speaking here of Roman culture, servants, doulos, were considered a part of the family.
The Roman custom was for the man as the head of the family to rule over his wife,
children and slaves with an iron hand. The members of a Roman household had little to
say. The husband could even sell his own son, his own child, as a slave or he could leave
him to die. But, in contrast, Hebrew households, even though living alongside of those
under the influence of Greek and Roman culture, were different and unique. In a Hebrew
household, the wife, children and servants were loved and held in esteem. Servants were
valued as members of the household, Corps, along with the wife and children. And
servants were frequently relatives of the family. The context of Ephesians 6:5-9 deals with
the walk in the body of Christ with God as the one and only true head over all and Christ
as head of the Body.
Ephesians 5:1-20 shows we are to worship one God and not be idolaters. Ephesians
5:21-6:9 compares a family to and with our submission in the body to God, to His son
Jesus Christ and to the Church leaders. The key perhaps to…to this whole section in
Ephesians 5:32 is “This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
This section in Ephesians 6:5-9 compares our submission in the body of Christ to the
family relationship, Hebrew not Roman. The wife and children are subject to and obey the
husband because the husband instructs, loves and cares for them. The husband does not
mistreat nor provoke his wife or children to exasperation. So we submit ourselves to one
another in the body of Christ as Romans 13:1-7 instructs us to be subject to the higher
powers of rulership in the church. The wife or children may ask questions at home, but the
husband makes the decisions (1 Corinthians 14:34 and 35).
Now I’m believing that the Corps will work all these scriptures and put it together in
your mind.
Now Ephesians 5:21-6:9 illustrates our submission with that of the members of an
Eastern household. The husband was responsible to provide for and protect all those living
under his roof. They, in turn, were subject to him. The child in the household did not differ
from the servant ev-though…even though he is heir of all, Galatians 4:1 and 2 states this.
So even a servant in the Eastern household held the same relationship as a child and gives
an even great illustration of our submission to one another in the body of Christ by what it
says in Ephesians 6:5-9.
These verses of this portion of Ephesians use the term “servant” perhaps most
appropriately of wife and children. Yet, it would be applicable in a believer’s household to
hired servants also. In application, verses 5-9 could be said of the wife, children or servants
who were part of the family. For example, the bond or free of verse 8 could be applied to
the woman as married or unmarried. It could also be applied to a child as immature or full
grown. It could also be applied to a worker as employed in a believer’s business. But the
heart of this section compares the family relationship to the relationship of the believers to
each other as well as to Christ and God.
That’s why I translated verse 9 in the expanded number two:
Ephesians 6:9 Expanded translation #2
And you husbands, you serve your bond slaves, wives and children, by
being loving and forgiving because you know that both their and your
master the lord is at the right hand of God seated in the heavenlies and there
is no respect of persons with Him.
Now, I want to go to King James after that and read verses 10-17 of King James with
you.
Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil.
12 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.
13 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.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all [verse 16], taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and
watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all [the]
saints;
(Will you bring me a cup of coffee, please.) See, this whole section in Ephesians 6
from 4 through 9 and then 10 through 18, I believe have been severely distorted through
the centuries for us, because the only picture we ever had in mind from verse 11 on has
been the picture of a soldier in heavy armor. That was the same picture I carried for years
and years until I began to see that there was a possibility that this was much like a forgery
where this thing was carried on and carried on because of what had happened in the world
due to the Roman Catholic Church and its influence on Christianity and its conquering of
peoples by way of the physical sword.
So I prepared the following for the Corps today on Ephesians 6:10-17, and I am of the
definite opinion and conclusion that this Ephesians 6:10-17 is very definitely and clearly
an athletic analogy for those who desire to know truth when all of the Word is considered
in the light of other analogies used throughout the Church Epistles. However, to explain
the words “shield,” “helmet” and “sword” in these verses are somewhat difficult. Number
one, all they…although thureon, the Greek word spelled t-h-u-r-e-o-n, translated “shield,”
was used of a stone in classical Greek, there is no absolute proof it was used as a discus in
New Testament times. But why not? Is it because the Roman Catholic Church conquered
by the sword?
The word perikephalē, p-e-r—the Greek word, p-e-r-i-k-e-p-h-a-l-e, translated “helmet.”
The word…this word “helmet” is used of any type of head-dress, although never
specifically mentioning an athletic crown that they put on their head, head-dress.
But, listen to this, being used of any type of head-dress, then Corps, it must be
available to be used of an athletic crown or it could not be any type of what? {head-dress}.
That’s right. Any type of head-dress would have to include any type of what? Which could
then include the garland, the head-dress of an athlete. But because of the military influence
in so called Christianity where you either turned Christian or we disembowel you attitude,
the centuries have carried the figure or the symbol of a soldier in full armor.
That’s why I wrote, perhaps because the military was in their minds, they refused to
include the athletic crown. But again, kids, by sheer logic, just sit and think, by sheer logic,
if it includes any type of head-dress, then it could include the athletic head-dress. Then
why doesn’t it? I believe because the military was so influential and the Roman Church
gained so many members because of the military approach; therefore, they have through
the centuries carried the image of the military in Ephesians 6:10-17 or 18.
Number three. We said the mach…machaira, that’s a Greek word m-a-c-h-a-i-r-a,
translated “sword,” or “dagger,” could have originally been gaisos, g-a-i-s-o-s, javelin, and
may be considered by some to be an educated emendation. That’s exactly how they will
consider our work here, an educated emendation. But if so the total context, Corps, both
the immediate as well as the remote and remoter context warrant our conclusion that this
whole section deals with the athlete of the spirit. That is my response to those who will say
this is an educated emendation.
We have shown that many references to war, warfare and soldier in the Church Epistles
are the Aramari…maic word, palakh, p-a-l-a-k-h, which means labor or work. However,
2 Corinthians 2:14 says God leads us in triumph as a conqueror leads his troops and
captives in a procession after the war is won. And Colossians 2:15 indicates that Christ
made a show of the enemy leading the captives in triumph. And Romans 8:37 states that
we are more than conquerors. And Ephesians 4:8 adds that Christ led those who capture
captive. That’s why I put in all caps in this script: The war is over; it is won. Jesus Christ
did it. Now the athletic events only.
2 Corinthians 10:4 and 5 they state that the instruments of our labor, that’s Aramaic,
warfare, Aramaic has “labor,” are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down
of the strongholds of the mind. That’s the labor. Translators have translated it “warfare”
but the Aramaic is “labor.” Pulling down the strongholds of the mind.
The words “casting down” in verse 5, that word is from the same root word as “pulling
down” in verse 4. The strongholds to be pulled down are the imaginations, unsound
reasonings of verse 5, because they are against the knowledge of the true God. We are to
lead captive every thought to Christ. Christ led the captivi…led captivity, the enemy,
Ephesians 4:8, but we lead captive the thoughts of the mind. Therefore, when Ephesians
6:10-17 speaks of wrestling with spiritual wickedness, Corps, it just absolutely cannot be a
military analogy since the war is already over, but rather it must be an athletic analogy as
in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and in 2 Timothy 2:5 and in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verses 7 and 8
and other places.
When the war was over, enemies still contended in athletic events unless the enemy
had been totally annihilated. That happening is still future; that happening is still future.
And that’s why you really need to look at 1 Corinthians, and we’re going to do this right
now, 1 Corinthians 15. According to the Word of God, who is the author of death, Corps?
{The devil.} The Devil, the Adversary. That’s why verse 26 of 1 Corinthians 15 says, “the
last enemy”—the adversary, the devil.
1 Corinthians 15:26
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is [what?] {death}.
Because he’s the one who kills people.
1 Corinthians 15:27 and 28
27 For he hath put all things [He—God hath put all things] under his
[Christ’s] feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest
that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son [al…
himself also 19] be subject unto him [God, who]…put all things under him
[God], that God may be all in [what?] all.
So all things are not yet under him. To one extent and the oth…that’s why you go to
Hebrews to fill this in. Hebrews chapter 2, talking about the man, Christ Jesus in verse 7.
Hebrews 2:7-9
7 Thou madest him a little lower than…[God]; thou crownedst him with
glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his [what?] {feet}. For in that
he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing…not put under him. But
now we see not yet all things put [or subjected unto]…him.
9 [Verse 9] But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than…[God] for
the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he [Jesus] by
the grace of God should taste death for every man.
See, the battle of the future is not over, but the battle of the future is not ours today.
The battle of the future is future and that battle of the future is God’s battle, not ours. The
confusion in Ephesians 6:10-17 has been due to a number of the parallel terms that exist
between the military and athletic events. This section starts with the primary concern, be
strong—be strong. Be strong is empowered in the Lord and in the power of his might. We
are empowered in two ways: Number one, by putting on. The Greek word is enduō,
e-n-d-u-o, meaning to be clothed with. And people, if you don’t put any clothes on, you’re
naked physically, spiritually the same. We’re to put on, get clothed with, all the armor,
panoplia, p-a-n-o-p-l-i-a is the Greek word, meaning the complete equipment of God.
Number two, by taking up. The first is by putting on; the second is by taking up.
Analambanō. By taking up to the end of manifesting, all the armor, the panoplia, of God.
These two commands, Corps, are found in verses 11 and 13. We are to be clothed with all
the equipment and to take up all the equipment. The former is what we put on, for the
19 Switched location of the word “also” as in Bullinger’s reference book “Also”.
wrestling match against spiritual wickedness, verse 13. The latter is the equipment we pick
up to meet the evil one in the contest of verse 13.
There’s an interesting parallel between these two commands and that which follows in
verses 14-17. The first three items of 14 and following, the first three items: loins, breasts
and feet, those first three items are all things which are to be clothed. You cloth the loins,
the breasts, the feet. We are to be clothed with strength in these areas as the wrestler is.
Strong loins, good heart, prepared, tough feet. And always remember they wrestled naked,
Corps.
Then the last three items given in verse 16 and 17: shield, helmet and sword, are all
things which the athlete must take up, analambanō, take up and manifest. As a matter of
fact, these three items are preceded by the word analambanō also used in verse 13. And
furthermore, they’re preceded by the phrase, “above all” or “after all,” do this [chuckles],
epi pasin.
Now the last event not only at the Olympics but at many other athletic meets in Greek
culture was the hoplite, h-o-p-l-i-t-e, race or as commonly known, the race in full armor. In
New Testament times at Olympus they wore a helmet and carried a shield; only two of the
three implements mentioned in Ephesians 6:16 and 17. This was typical of most hoplite
races at that time, although in some of the games the hoplite wore other armor including an
entire coat of mail, and even in earlier times the greaves were also worn at Olympus.
Greaves are like shin pads for a baseball catcher. And that’s real neat ‘cause it goes over
the knee and then there’s a little spot and then it goes down in front of the shins. When
David slew Goliath’s that’s where he hit him, right there on the greaves, in between where
that little thing folds over and the shin guard, right there in the knee. That’s pretty good
shootin’ with a stone, ‘cause you see, if David had hit him between the eyeballs up in the
forehead, a man doesn’t fall forward, he falls backwards, but when you hit a guy in the
knee [chuckles], he caves in. That’s exactly what happened to Goliath. That’s what the
Word says in the Old Testament when you read it accurately.
Here in Ephesians 6, God singles out three pieces of equipment which best compare
with our spiritual equipment, including the typical shield, discus and helmet, crown, plus
the sword or dagger, the javelin, which represents the Word of God itself. We, too, are
capable of carrying heavy pressure as we run the race of an athlete of the spirit. They in
their military mail carried heavy armor. That’s why the comparison is we too are capable
of carrying heavy armor, but our armor is mental pressure as we run the race of an athlete
of the spirit.
So above all, above all of verse 10, even “finally,” in the last athletic event of the
spiritual contest, our hoplite race, we are to take up the discus of believing, the crown of
wholeness and the javelin of the spirit, the Word of God, and run this final race before the
rewards are presented and the feast of celebration is enjoyed. But the war is over. The
athletic match of wrestling plus the running of the race under extreme pressure must be
finished before the rewards our…are presented. Our thoughts must be taken captive, we
have to control our minds, 2 Corinthians 10:4, 5, even though the enemy has already been
taken captive, and you gotta notice that verses 14 and 15—they give details of the
wrestling match of verses 11 and 12, whereas verses 16 and 17 give details of the hoplite
race of verse 13. Then verse 18 through verse 20 follows with three things insuring our
athletic victory: One is praying; two is watching; three, speaking boldly. And they come in
that order in practice in your day by day living. Our prayer is a prayer of believing, the
discus of believing. Our watching is in the head, the athletic crown, our never tiring
vigilance, keeping our heads whole, not filled with a lot of crap. Our speaking boldly the
Word, the Mystery, which is the javelin of the spirit, which is sharper than any two-edged
knife or sword—Ephesians 4:12.
Seeing the pressure on a believer is like formerly the shield, helmet and dagger, as a
part of the final event of the spiritual athletic contest. This fits with the culture and this
context in Ephesians without squeezing the words in this section of Ephesians. And this,
our final event, anticipates the return of Christ, the day of rewards. That’s why the next
great doctrinal treatise is the Book of Thessalonians. There it is, Corps, as to what I believe
this section of Ephesians 6 starting with verse 5 and going all the way through verse 20
basically covers. In our next session I will give you the benefit of the work on verses 10-
17, but this is all for tonight. God bless, I love you, you’re the best, Corps