In the first century, Rome imported slaves as its economic backbone from Europe, the Mediterranean, Spain, Syria, and Greece. As a Roman city, Ephesus had 50,000 slaves—the most valuable being doctors, architects, musicians, and sculptors. Those who broke the law, had financial debts, or were war captives were sold in the agora. For some it was punishment, for many it was unjust. These people would now become part of a household, temporarily or for life. The Ephesian church was just a few years old and had families that had slaves for various reasons, so Paul instructed them about Christian household behavior. Where there is Christ, there should be order and care! While the Bible recognizes the reality of slavery in a culture, it never condones it but manages it, with a goal of ending it (1 Cor. 7:21-23). Christians live by the laws of the land and work to change ungodly ones (Rom. 13:4-7). Christianity and the Gospel would be instrumental in the eventual fall of institutional slavery in Rome andAmerica! The Gospel works from the inside out!

Like most Greco-Roman cities, Ephesus practiced pater familiasor ‘father of the family’. This meant the father or oldest son had dictatorial control over his house, and children had no rights or value before puberty. However, biblically all humans, regardless of life-stage, have infinite value and are worthy of respect, love, and protection because humans are built by God(Ps. 127:3; 139:13-16). In God’s wisdom, He created a time of ignorance and innocence called ‘childhood’. This time of growth is designed to help a person learn submission, humility, and self-discipline during their most formative years. The lessons they learn or don’t learn will be the strengths or weaknesses they have as adults. Adults are children of their childhood (Prov. 22:6). Children are people on loan from God, and the home is a training ground to help them avoid sin and accept serving. Parenting’s aim is to not to make children happy, but holy!

Like most Greco-Roman cities, Ephesus practiced pater familiasor ‘father of the family’. This meant the father or oldest son had dictatorial control over his house, and children had no rights or value before puberty. However, biblically all humans, regardless of life-stage, have infinite value and are worthy of respect, love, and protection because humans are built by God(Ps. 127:3; 139:13-16). In God’s wisdom, He created a time of ignorance and innocence called ‘childhood’. This time of growth is designed to help a person learn submission, humility, and self-discipline during their most formative years. The lessons they learn or don’t learn will be the strengths or weaknesses they have as adults. Adults are children of their childhood (Prov. 22:6). Children are people on loan from God, and the home is a training ground to help them avoid sin and accept serving. Parenting’s aim is to not to make children happy, but holy!

God created Adam as the first human and at the first wedding in Eden, God presented Adam with a wife (Gen. 2:18-25). This first family shared a common God, DNA, and a desire to live in harmony. While God created them equal in value, they were made different by design. God built the husband to be the head and authority over the wife and family (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:23). God designed the family like a team, where people are of equal value personally, but are unequal positionally. When a man chooses a woman as a wife, he is volunteering to take responsibility for her. Femininity finds security in masculine responsibility(1 Tim. 5:8). What began as a beautiful authority structure designed to bless, became a struggle for control after sin entered the heart (Gen. 3:16; Prov. 21:9). Whereas wives would now fight the authority overthem, husbands would now fight the responsibility for those underthem. Unless a husband temporarily disqualifies himself by abuse, mismanagement, or something being illegal, immoral or unbiblical, a wife should get his input and never overstep his decisions. Generally, masculinity’s logic and practicality stabilizes and guards femininity’s emotional and relational perspective. Authority from God means accountability to God, so men should live lives worth respecting and following.

God created Adam as the first human and at the first wedding in Eden, God presented Adam with a wife (Gen. 2:18-25). This first family shared a common God, DNA, and a desire to live in harmony. While God created them equal in value, they were made different by design. God built the husband to be the head and authority over the wife and family (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:23). God designed the family like a team, where people are of equal value personally, but are unequal positionally. When a man chooses a woman as a wife, he is volunteering to take responsibility for her. Femininity finds security in masculine responsibility(1 Tim. 5:8). What began as a beautiful authority structure designed to bless, became a struggle for control after sin entered the heart (Gen. 3:16; Prov. 21:9). Whereas wives would now fight the authority overthem, husbands would now fight the responsibility for those underthem. Unless a husband temporarily disqualifies himself by abuse, mismanagement, or something being illegal, immoral or unbiblical, a wife should get his input and never overstep his decisions. Generally, masculinity’s logic and practicality stabilizes and guards femininity’s emotional and relational perspective. Authority from God means accountability to God, so men should live lives worth respecting and following.

By the first century, Ephesus had many powerful and educated women, just as in other Mediterranean areas (Acts 13:50; 17:4, 12). As there were people from all social classes in the church, they needed to be taught God’s design for their homes. The sexes didn’t evolve but God created them to complement one another in marriage (Gen. 1:27; 2:18). From the beginning the sexes were equal in value but designed differently. After sin entered Adam and Eve’s hearts, their complementary design became destructively competitive (Gen. 3:16). From this point, husbands would struggle to love their wives and wives would struggle to control their husbands. An abuse of God’s design doesn’t mean discarding it but rather a recovering of it. The Bible doesn’t promote sexismbut rather servantism. Sexism says, ‘You can’t do it because you are the wrong sex.’ Servantism says, ‘You are called to do it because you are the right sex’. The Bible doesn’t say ‘all women submit to all men’ or ‘wives submit to other husbands’ but only to the man the woman has chosen to marry. A woman realizes her value is from God and accepts her role to help bring order and peace to herself, husband, and home.

By the first century, Ephesus had many powerful and educated women, just as in other Mediterranean areas (Acts 13:50; 17:4, 12). As there were people from all social classes in the church, they needed to be taught God’s design for their homes. The sexes didn’t evolve but God created them to complement one another in marriage (Gen. 1:27; 2:18). From the beginning the sexes were equal in value but designed differently. After sin entered Adam and Eve’s hearts, their complementary design became destructively competitive (Gen. 3:16). From this point, husbands would struggle to love their wives and wives would struggle to control their husbands. An abuse of God’s design doesn’t mean discarding it but rather a recovering of it. The Bible doesn’t promote sexismbut rather servantism. Sexism says, ‘You can’t do it because you are the wrong sex.’ Servantism says, ‘You are called to do it because you are the right sex’. The Bible doesn’t say ‘all women submit to all men’ or ‘wives submit to other husbands’ but only to the man the woman has chosen to marry. A woman realizes her value is from God and accepts her role to help bring order and peace to herself, husband, and home.

The Ephesians lived in a wealthy area with a lofty view of themselves and physical luxuries. Yet Paul described their culture as spiritually dead and unable to please God. He encouraged their culture to ‘wake up’ out of moral darkness and let Christ shine into their lives (Eph. 5:14). Because Jesus had transformed their hearts, believers were to examine their lives carefully (Gr. akribōs, ‘accurately, diligently’) so as to honor God. Your feet follow your focus (Ps. 32:8; 119:104, 105)! A believer can either live wisely by applying godly teaching or live unwisely thereby dishonoring God and destroying their life (Prov. 1:7, 28-33). Believers must recognize the time (Gr. kairos, ‘right moment, opportunity’) they live in and redeem evil times for God’s glory. As everyone’s life is time-bound, a person’s life is dictated by how they manage their time. Time management is a physical certainty that affects a spiritual reality.

The Ephesians lived in a wealthy area with a lofty view of themselves and physical luxuries. Yet Paul described their culture as spiritually dead and unable to please God. He encouraged their culture to ‘wake up’ out of moral darkness and let Christ shine into their lives (Eph. 5:14). Because Jesus had transformed their hearts, believers were to examine their lives carefully (Gr. akribōs, ‘accurately, diligently’) so as to honor God. Your feet follow your focus (Ps. 32:8; 119:104, 105)! A believer can either live wisely by applying godly teaching or live unwisely thereby dishonoring God and destroying their life (Prov. 1:7, 28-33). Believers must recognize the time (Gr. kairos, ‘right moment, opportunity’) they live in and redeem evil times for God’s glory. As everyone’s life is time-bound, a person’s life is dictated by how they manage their time. Time management is a physical certainty that affects a spiritual reality.

The fundamental message of the Bible is how mortal man can be reconciled to Almighty God. There is also a subtext of real-world compassion. When believers recognize a need which should be met, rather than thinking, “‘They’need to do something about it”, Christians should think, “Ineed to do something about it.” Jesus has charged His church with being vehicles of compassion and care. (Deuteronomy 15:11) (Matthew 5:42) A compassionate response is evidence of a transformed heart…