Education
As parents are being saved by God's grace, the Lord brings children under their provision and instruction. The purpose is so that the children may challenge the cultural and political status quo and advance the Kingdom where the previous generation would not. (Psalm 127)
We see in Ephesians 6:4 that fathers are to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." The Greek word for "nurture" is 'paideia' which basically means the cultural formation of children. The Kingdom has a culture with Christ and His word at its center. It has a set of ethics found in the Sermon on the Mount and other places in Scripture. It has accounts about how God works throughout history to redeem His people for His glory. It has a vision for the emancipation and restoration of creation from hopelessness and perversity of sin to joyful and beautiful holiness.
Now, the gainsayers will say that children should not be taught religion and they should choose what they want to believe. This objection may come up as we exhort parents to shepherd their children. "Rubbish" as Bro. George Ella may say. The answer is that parental indoctrination is inevitable. I'm sure we heard that parents have the most influence on their children. Even if parents neglect their teaching responsibilities, the children will learn that Christianity is a big part of their family's identity and they will conform to it. Secondly, secularism is not religiously neutral. It has its own theory of origins, its own values/morality, and its own vision for the future. It is a "thought" that needs to be cast down and brought under the obedience of Christ.
So how can we as a church assist parents in their calling?
One way is to be an example to their children. First, we need to learn to think biblically through every area of life. How can we challenge the culture if we think like the culture about certain things? Second, we need to have a vision for cultural reformation through the Spirit working in us. We cannot encourage children to engage the culture if we are pessimistic towards the effectiveness of the Gospel. Third, we need to have respect for authority. How can we encourage children to honor authority if we ourselves do not respect authority?
Now the practical things that we can do, we can tutor a child in any school subject we like. Wished you had a positive attitude towards school when you were younger? You have the opportunity to make up for it by inspiring him or her to persevere to glorify God in what they do.
If we know good curriculum and other teaching resources that are out there, we can direct parents to them to make their duties easier and more God-honoring.
Hierarchical Relationships
In Ephesians 5 & 6, we have what has been called household relationships. We basically covered marriage and family, now we will look at economic relationships in the workplace (getting into an element that I would have covered in the previous section.)
Now the social context is different in the first century, they had slavery. But today we don't have slavery in the West (at least not of the Roman sort, thanks be into Him;) so what use are the passages in Scripture about slaves serving their masters and masters remembering their heavenly Master? Well, the idea is that there are ranks that people are placed in, some serve and some lead. In the twenty-first century, that idea has not gone away. We got employees and employers, students and teachers, and citizens and government officials.
The New Testament speaks a lot about the calling of servants probably because in the early phase of the church, slaves were among the easiest people to access and they would have been drawn by the exalting doctrines of Jesus towards those who are low in their position in society. Of course, masters would be converted too and they will have exhortations custom-tailored for them as well. Let's look at those who work and those who supervise.
Servants are exhorted in passages like Ephesians 6, Colossians 3, 1 Timothy 6, Titus 2, and 1 Peter 2 (and other places if you include the government.) First, they are commanded to be obedient to their masters. They are not to be revolutionaries or trouble-makers but to 'go with the flow,' so to speak. Second, they are commanded to serve before the Lord wholeheartedly and enthusiastically and not just before the eyes of the masters. Third, they are not to embezzle their masters but to show good faithfulness to the providence of God. Fourth, they are to respect their masters so that the reputation of God and His teaching would not be blasphemed. Is God some revolutionary who destroys His enemies out of a whim? Did Jesus teach social chaos to His followers? Was Jesus a first century Saul Alinsky? No. So servants should display His grace to their masters in honoring them, especially if they are believers.
Now for masters, their admonition is to remember that they themselves are servants to righteousness. Jesus taught His hearers to not call themselves masters because they have a Master who is the Lord Jesus Himself. (Matthew 23:10) Paul calls the masters to remind themselves of Jesus' reign over them. They are to go easy with their threats and punishments and provide what is just and fair for their servants.
Paul gave us the application in 1 Timothy 6:2 which is to teach and exhort others in this way.
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