Children and Parents

¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

² “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first¹ commandment with a promise),

1. Or “is a very important”

³ “in order that it may be well with you, and you may ⌞live a long time⌟¹ on the earth.”²

1. Literally “be long-lived”
2. A quotation from Exod 20:12 and/or Deut 5:16

⁴ And fathers, do not make your children angry, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

⁵ Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ,

⁶ not ⌞while being watched⌟¹, as people pleasers, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart,

1. Literally “with eye service”

⁷ serving with goodwill as to the Lord and not to people,

⁸ because you¹ know that each one of you, whatever good he should do,² this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

1. *Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
2. Some manuscripts have “if he should do anything good”

⁹ And masters, do the same things to them, giving up threats, knowing that both their Lord and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

Spiritual Warfare

¹⁰ Finally, become strong in the Lord and in the might of his strength.

¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil,

¹² because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

¹³ Because of this, take up the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, girding your waist with truth, and putting on the breastplate of righteousness,

¹⁵ and binding shoes under your feet with the preparation of the good news of peace,

¹⁶ in everything taking up the shield of faith, with which you are able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one,

¹⁷ and receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

¹⁸ with all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and to this end being alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,

¹⁹ and for me, that a word may be given to me at the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

²⁰ for the sake of which I am an ambassador in chains, that ⌞in them⌟¹ I may speak freely, as it is necessary for me to speak.

1. Literally “in it” since “chain” is singular in the Greek text

Conclusion and Benediction

²¹ Now, so that you also may know ⌞my circumstances⌟¹, what I am doing, Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things,

1. Literally “the things with me”

²² whom I have sent¹ to you for this very reason, that you may know ⌞our circumstances⌟², and he may encourage your hearts.

1. Or “whom I am sending”
2. Literally “the things concerning us”

²³ Peace to the brothers and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴ Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruptibility.¹

1. Or “with undying love”