Ephesians 6 beyond the Armor of God.

[Levi Jones]

That's almost always the takeaway from that particular chapter, but Ephesians 6 contains so much more than the Armor of God. It also has two other major points I would like to point out again to my Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

First of all, it gives a Christian New Testament perspective on slavery.

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

Not only does it tell slaves to respect their master wholeheartedly, It also tells Christians that we should tiptoe around God. What? Do you think he has changed since the Old Testament?

In the immortal words of Jonathan Edwards.

Yea, God is a great deal more angry with great numbers that are now on earth: yea, doubtless, with many that are now in this world , who it may be are at ease, than he is with many of those who are now in the flames of hell. So that it is not because God is unmindful of their wickedness, and does not resent it, that he does not let loose his hand and cut them off. God is not altogether such an one as themselves, though they may imagine him to be so. The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow. The glittering sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath opened its mouth under them.

[Ezekiel Bathfire]

Re: Ephesians 6 beyond the Armor of God.

From time immemorial until, I estimate, the early 1960s*, the dictum, “The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, / God made them high and lowly, and ordered their estate.” was accepted as true and simply the way things were. We were born with a position in life and owed a duty of obedience to our elders and betters. We neither questioned them nor made any move that could cause them disquiet.

It would seem to me that “The Fear of The Lord” today (and perhaps since the mid 19th century with the advent of fluffy-bunny Christianity) is promulgated as “unquestioning light respect and awe” whereas, I believe, that it originally meant “fear” in the ordinary sense.

God, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, was wandering abroad and God alone knew what He would do to you if He saw you doing something you should not be doing. This philosophy thus goes back to my first paragraph above and establishes “The Establishment” whose actions were unquestionable. See also KJV on unquestioningly obeying Rulers and the British belief that "Kings are by God appointed / and damned are they who do resist or touch the Lord's anointed**"

We may give our respect and deference to “proclaimed authority”, however, for the thinking and/or rebellious amongst us, this is no longer “self-proclaimed authority”. In the atheist, there must therefore be a little of the anarchist.

* when the indignant, “Do you know who I am?” question was destroyed by Peter Cook (at least in the UK) with the response to the multitude, “Hey, there’s a man here who doesn’t know who he is!”

** The Vicar of Bray

[Mrs. Rogers]

Re: Ephesians 6 beyond the Armor of God.

Not only does it tell slaves to respect their master wholeheartedly, It also tells Christians that we should tiptoe around God.

Indeed we should -- and it is thoughtful to do so. If we softly pad our prayers with gentle, worshipful whispers, The Lord will be better able to focus upon His wrath towards sinners, as building such wrath must require infinite concentration.