Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Ephesians Chapter 6
Metaphysically Interpreting Ephesians 6:1-4
6:1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 6:2Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise), 6:3that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
6:4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord.
February 13, 1927: Ephesians 6:1-4
How shall the child be taught to honor his father, and his mother? Teach the child the truth, that God is the one Father-Mother Spirit, from which we all come forth, in which we live and move and, have our being, to which we should be eternally thankful for all things. This teaching will quicken a sense of gratitude in the child, and he will manifest it in honor and in gratitude his earthly parents.
November 6, 1938: Ephesians 6:1-4
Interpret the expression “parents in the Lord.” By it is meant parents from whom the Spirit of the Christ emanates.
What promise is made to those who honor their parents? The child is promised well-being and long life in return for honoring those who gave him an opportunity to express life.
What duty devolves upon the parents in return for the honor they receive from their children? The parents' duty is to deport themselves so as to merit the honor their children pay them, thus making the duty of the children a joy, instead of a burden.
October 14, 1945: Ephesians 6:1-4
How can we keep the teachings of this lesson in regard to husbands, wives, children, and parents? By seeking the inner meaning of commandment and proving it our life.
August 11, 1946: Ephesians 6:1-4
What is meant by obeying one’s “parents in the Lord”? Obedience in the Spirit of the Christ.
How do some parents fail to keep the divine law? By neglecting to train their children to recognize and accept their obligations in a spirit of willingness and eagerness. Time, patience, and wisdom are required to impart such training, but no parent does his full duty by his children unless he trains them thoroughly in these essentials.
July 8, 1951: Ephesians 6:1-4
What is the ideal relationship between children and parents? Obedience in the children, consideration and understanding in the parents, together with faithful training in the principles of Truth. Under these conditions no problem of juvenile delinquency arises.
Metaphysically Interpreting Ephesians 6:5-9
6:5Servants, be obedient unto them that according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6:6not in the way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 6:7with good will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not unto men: 6:8knowing that whatsoever good thing each one doeth, the same shall he receive again from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
6:9And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, and forbear threatening: knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him.
December 15, 1929: Ephesians 6:5-9
Do Truth students want their employees to obey with fear and trembling? Truth students have the cooperation of their employees, in the spirit of obedience to God and Christ. “For one is your master, even the Christ.”
In what verses in our lesson today does Paul emphasize service to the Lord instead of to men? Paul emphasizes service as to the Lord in verses 7 and 8: “With good will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not unto men: knowing that whatsoever good thing each one doeth, the same shall he receive again from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”
Does Divine Mind recognize any official station or position? From a spiritual viewpoint we are all equal and of equal importance under the divine law, as stated in verse 9: “knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with him.”
October 23, 1932: Ephesians 6:1-9
How do we provoke our children to wrath? When we reprimand our children in anger, we provoke them to wrath.
Do persons who are in spiritual understanding make distinctions between servants and masters? No. Such persons know that we are all one in Christ.
Whom are all followers of Christ serving? We are all serving the Lord, “With good will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not unto men.”
Do we all work under the same law? Yes. God is no respecter of persons. “Knowing that whatsoever good thing each one doeth, the same shall he receive again from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”
Who are our “parents in the Lord”? Jehovah God is our ever-living Father-Mother.
How do we honor our father and mother? By thinking and telling the truth about our father and mother, we honor them in the Lord.
Metaphysically Interpreting Ephesians 6:10-20
6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. 6:11Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 6:12For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 6:13Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. 6:14Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,6:15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 6:16withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. 6:17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
6:18with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, 6:19And on my behalf, that utterance may be given unto me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 6:20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Sunday, November 1, 1925: Ephesians 6:10-20
What is man's greatest source of strength? Man's greatest source of strength is in his understanding of his spiritual character and of his relation to his spiritual source, God.
Whence arise man’s greatest temptations to err? Man’s greatest temptations to err are found in his own unfolding consciousness.
Is the root cause of man's desires evil? No. Desire is Spirit's urge to a larger unfoldment. Mistakes and evil conditions are the results of action taken without the guidance of divine wisdom.
When man has accumulated many different error thoughts in his consciousness, a complex state of mind is the result. What is this complexity called by the Scriptures? In the Scriptures aggregations of error thoughts are named the adversary, Satan, the devil.
What is the whole armor of God that we are to put on in order to withstand the “evil day”? The whole armor of God is the realization that the omnipresent Spirit of good is our resource and that we have nothing to fear when we trust in and are guided by Spirit, that is, God.
What is “the breastplate of righteousness”? “The breastplate of righteousness” represents a union of love and wisdom. When our judgment is tempered with love, we vanquish the adversary and cast out all fear.
What is meant by this clause: “And having shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace”? The feet represent understanding of our most material activities. It is mostly in the outer activities of life that we are tempted to acts of resistance. It is there that we combat and oppose invasions. To meet these seeming oppositions we should always practice the gospel of peace and good will, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
What is the “shield of faith that is able to quench the fiery darts of the evil one”? Faith is inner confidence in the all-providing Spirit of good. When we are nonresistant and send out only thoughts of peace and love and good will, the fiery darts of opposition and evil that may be sent in our direction fall harmless at our feet.
How do we wield the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”? We wield the sword of the Spirit by speaking true words and affirming Truth in the face of error. When evil presses upon our consciousness and tries to make us believe that it is real and powerful, we should affirm the truth that there is no reality in evil, no power in evil, because God is good and good is all.
Sunday, November 8, 1936: Ephesians 6:13-20
What else is included in the figure “the whole armor of God”? The habit of holding right in our mind as an ideal is symbolized by the breastplate of the armor, since this habit protects the heart or subconscious thought from error.
Is equipment needed for the work of peace? A consciousness of inner peace is essential to our active expression of the Christ Spirit. We speak peace to every cell of the body (“you that were far off”) and every thought of the mind (“them that were nigh”).
What office does faith fill in equipping us for successful living? Faith shields us from the inroads of doubt and fear, which otherwise tempt us to give up the fight in defeat. Faith leaves the head cool and the heart whole to reflect on God.
What do the figures of speech “the helmet of salvation” and “the sword of the Spirit” represent? The helmet of salvation is the transforming, protective power of the spiritualized intellect. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God or the creative word of Truth, its edge, sharpened by man's realization of his power in Christ to do the will of God.
How do we equip ourselves the good fight against self? To live successfully we cultivate endurance by developing our consciousness of the one power as our innate strength. We “put on the whole armor of God.”
On what is our innate strength based? The basis of all the strength innate in us is the consciousness that we are true to the life principle that we are seeking to express, and to the universal Spirit of which we are a part.
December 1, 1946: Ephesians 6:13-18
What is the “whole armor of God”? It is the strong defense that we build into our consciousness by keeping the moral law and worshiping God in spirit and in truth.
Against what does it fortify us? Against all the effects of negative thinking and living (“the evil day”).
What mental and spiritual equipment prepares us to “stand fast” regardless of appearances or circumstance? Consciousness of Truth and of right as well as peaceableness, harmony, faithfulness, salvation, and the creative word.
How will world peace become an actuality? Through love and mutual good will (“the preparation of the gospel of peace”).
Metaphysically Interpreting Ephesians 6:21-24
6:21But that ye also may know my affairs, how I do, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: 6:22whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose, that ye may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts.
6:23Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 6:24Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love incorruptible.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-18-2014
