Before entering into the Household Texts (Ephesians 5:22-6:9; Colossians 3:18-4:1; 1 Peter 1:7), one should have dealt with the context. Or, the teaching may sound as a good, moral, ethical and decent social aspect.
In the Context of Local Church:
The household Order (Oikonomia/Oiknonomos) is meant for our higher calling, as Christ's body, the local church, which God has planned ages ago and has intended to fulfill Christ's mission in this world today (Ephesians 2:18-3:11), as the pillar and support for the truth (1 Timothy 3:14-16).
Ephesians Example:
A good example is from the letter to the Ephesians.
Paul's Two Prepositions and Two Prayers:
Paul first talks about the plan and purpose of God in Jesus Christ for this age (1:1-14; 2:1-3:11) and after each theological disposition, he prays two prayers:
Firstly, that their eyes of the hearts should be opened to understand the greatness of God in the church (1:15-23);
And secondly, that they may see the bigger picture with all the dimension of God's love in order to give God His glory in His church (3:14-21).
Paul's Exhortation for Unity:
Having exhorted to be united together, walking worthy of their calling, and being connected as one body, the church, he concludes to forgive one another as God in Christ did (4:1-32).
Paul's Exhortation for Walking:
Paul, now, challenges to discipline themselves, to love one another, to walk in the light, not as stupids, but to make best use of their time, being filled with the Holy Spirit in order to minister to one another with songs, and in submission to one another (5:1-21).
Household Text:
After laying such a solid and spiritual foundation in Christ, and on God's intent, "the church," Paul talks how each relationship should be ordered in the Household order, with 3 logic couplets, wife-husbands, children-parents(fathers), workers-masters (5:22-6:9). So, it is in connection with the previous context.
The Preparation and Participation in Global Mission:
To emphasis the importance of the orderly life as the household, Paul continues his exhortation in a battle field language (6:11-17) which will help them equip to participate in Paul's global mission through their prayers (6:18-24). Again, Paul leads to the bigger picture of Global mission of a local church in which the families are part of.
What is at stake?
Why are we particular about the context? People now have different and special ministries, mostly sound individualistic. For example, people involve in Family Counseling, Family Retreats, Children Evangelism, Discipleship Bible Studies, Students Ministries, Jail Ministry, Hospital Ministry etc. But most of them, if not all, miserably fail to understand the big picture of God's salvation history, and the importance of the church in it for today. Such teachings are mostly with individualistic mind set, personal holiness, private devotion, selective fellowship groups of individuals, personal witnessing, etc. To some it is merely a good talk, a moral teaching, an ethical idea, though all are important in the big picture, but surely not as a mean by an end itself.
The Why Questions:
Let us ask some logical questions. Why should a wife obey her husband even if he is not a believer? If she does not, or justifies of her disobedience, what is at stake?
Why should a husband love, take care of, respect his wife? If not, what are the consequences in God's economy? So also, what about the children's obedience to the parents and father's instruction to children, workers' sincerity to the masters and masters' generosity to the workers. Are they important in the temporal sense of living good in this world, or anything to do with Christ's eternal plan we have to fulfill in this world?
In the Context of Local Church:
The household Order (Oikonomia/Oiknonomos) is meant for our higher calling, as Christ's body, the local church, which God has planned ages ago and has intended to fulfill Christ's mission in this world today (Ephesians 2:18-3:11), as the pillar and support for the truth (1 Timothy 3:14-16).
Ephesians Example:
A good example is from the letter to the Ephesians.
Paul's Two Prepositions and Two Prayers:
Paul first talks about the plan and purpose of God in Jesus Christ for this age (1:1-14; 2:1-3:11) and after each theological disposition, he prays two prayers:
Firstly, that their eyes of the hearts should be opened to understand the greatness of God in the church (1:15-23);
And secondly, that they may see the bigger picture with all the dimension of God's love in order to give God His glory in His church (3:14-21).
Paul's Exhortation for Unity:
Having exhorted to be united together, walking worthy of their calling, and being connected as one body, the church, he concludes to forgive one another as God in Christ did (4:1-32).
Paul's Exhortation for Walking:
Paul, now, challenges to discipline themselves, to love one another, to walk in the light, not as stupids, but to make best use of their time, being filled with the Holy Spirit in order to minister to one another with songs, and in submission to one another (5:1-21).
Household Text:
After laying such a solid and spiritual foundation in Christ, and on God's intent, "the church," Paul talks how each relationship should be ordered in the Household order, with 3 logic couplets, wife-husbands, children-parents(fathers), workers-masters (5:22-6:9). So, it is in connection with the previous context.
The Preparation and Participation in Global Mission:
To emphasis the importance of the orderly life as the household, Paul continues his exhortation in a battle field language (6:11-17) which will help them equip to participate in Paul's global mission through their prayers (6:18-24). Again, Paul leads to the bigger picture of Global mission of a local church in which the families are part of.
What is at stake?
Why are we particular about the context? People now have different and special ministries, mostly sound individualistic. For example, people involve in Family Counseling, Family Retreats, Children Evangelism, Discipleship Bible Studies, Students Ministries, Jail Ministry, Hospital Ministry etc. But most of them, if not all, miserably fail to understand the big picture of God's salvation history, and the importance of the church in it for today. Such teachings are mostly with individualistic mind set, personal holiness, private devotion, selective fellowship groups of individuals, personal witnessing, etc. To some it is merely a good talk, a moral teaching, an ethical idea, though all are important in the big picture, but surely not as a mean by an end itself.
The Why Questions:
Let us ask some logical questions. Why should a wife obey her husband even if he is not a believer? If she does not, or justifies of her disobedience, what is at stake?
Why should a husband love, take care of, respect his wife? If not, what are the consequences in God's economy? So also, what about the children's obedience to the parents and father's instruction to children, workers' sincerity to the masters and masters' generosity to the workers. Are they important in the temporal sense of living good in this world, or anything to do with Christ's eternal plan we have to fulfill in this world?
