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Efésios 6

ARC · Chapter 6/6

1Vós, filhos, sêde obedientes a vossos paes no Senhor, porque isto é justo.

2Honra a teu pae e a tua mãe, que é o primeiro mandamento com promessa,

3Para que te vá bem, e vivas muito tempo sobre a terra.

4E vós, paes, não provoqueis a ira a vossos filhos, mas creae-os na doutrina e admoestação do Senhor.

5Vós, servos, obedecei a vossos senhores segundo a carne, com temor e tremor, na sinceridade de vosso coração, como a Christo;

6Não servindo á vista, como agradando a homens, mas como servos de Christo, fazendo de coração a vontade de Deus,

7Servindo de boa vontade ao Senhor, e não aos homens.

8Sabendo que cada um receberá do Senhor todo o bem que fizer, seja servo, seja livre.

9E vós senhores, fazei o mesmo para com elles, deixando as ameaças, sabendo tambem que o Senhor d'elles e vosso está no céu, e que para com elle não ha accepção de pessoas.

10No demais, irmãos meus, fortalecei-*vos no Senhor e na força do seu poder.

11Revesti-vos de toda a armadura de Deus, para que possaes estar firmes contra as astutas ciladas do diabo.

12Porque não temos que luctar contra a carne e o sangue, mas sim contra os principados, contra as potestades, contra os principes das trevas d'este seculo, contra as malicias espirituaes em os ares.

13Portanto tomae toda a armadura de Deus, para que possaes resistir no dia mau, e, havendo feito tudo, ficar firmes.

14Estae pois firmes, tendo cingidos os vossos lombos com a verdade, e vestidos com a couraça da justiça;

15E calçados os pés com a preparação do evangelho da paz

16Tomando sobretudo o escudo da fé, com o qual possaes apagar todos os dardos inflammados do maligno.

17Tomae tambem o capacete da salvação, e a espada do Espirito, que é a palavra de Deus:

18Orando em todo o tempo com toda a oração e supplica em espirito, e vigiando n'isto com toda a perseverança e supplica por todos os sanctos,

19E por mim; para que me seja dada, no abrir da minha bocca, a palavra com confiança, para fazer notorio o mysterio do evangelho.

20Pelo qual sou embaixador em cadeias; para que possa fallar d'elle livremente, como me convém fallar.

21Ora, para que vós tambem possaes saber os meus negocios, e o que eu faço, Tychico, irmão amado, e fiel ministro do Senhor, vos informará de tudo.

22O qual vos enviei para o mesmo fim, para que saibaes os nossos negocios, e elle console os vossos corações.

23Paz seja com os irmãos, e caridade com fé da parte de Deus Pae e da do Senhor Jesus Christo.

24A graça seja com todos os que amam a nosso Senhor Jesus Christo em sinceridade. Amen.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Paul gives instructions for children, parents, servants, and masters to live out their faith in everyday relationships, and then calls believers to put on the full armor of God to resist spiritual forces of evil. He closes by asking for prayer and sending final greetings through Tychicus.

Explanation

The household and social instructions in this chapter (children and parents, servants and masters) follow a pattern common in first-century ethical literature known as “household codes,” but Paul transforms them by inserting spiritual motivation: everything must be done “as to the Lord,” and even masters are reminded that they have a common Master in heaven — an unusually leveling view of power relationships for that era. The famous passage on the “armor of God” (v.10-18) uses each piece of a Roman soldier's equipment — belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, sword — as a metaphor for spiritual virtues: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God, all sustained through constant prayer. This vivid image teaches that the Christian life involves a real spiritual battle against forces of evil, not merely against people, requiring continual preparation and watchfulness through prayer.

Fun facts

  • Paul likely observed Roman soldiers up close while writing this letter from prison, possibly chained to a guard, which may have directly inspired the rich detail of the full military armor metaphor.
  • Tychicus, mentioned as the bearer of this letter (v.21), is also cited as a messenger in Colossians 4:7-8, suggesting that he delivered both letters on the same trip to the churches of the Asia Minor region.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Efésios 6:1Paul begins his instructions for the family by addressing children directly: obey your parents, something he describes as right and just, within the social expectations of the time.
  2. Efésios 6:2Paul quotes the commandment to honor father and mother, one of the Ten Commandments, calling it “the first commandment with promise” — the first in the list that comes with an explicit reward, a long life.
  3. Efésios 6:3Paul completes the quotation of the commandment to honor father and mother (from the previous verse) with the promise attached to it in the Old Testament: that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.
  4. Efésios 6:4Paul balances the demand for children’s obedience by asking fathers not to provoke their children to wrath through excessive harshness, but to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
  5. Efésios 6:5The instructions for “servants” are addressed to slaves, a normal and legal part of Roman society. Paul does not question the structure of slavery itself here, but guides how to live out the faith within it, also asking masters, right after, to treat their slaves in the same spirit.
  6. Efésios 6:6Paul asks servants to work with constant sincerity, not just pretending to make an effort when the master is watching, but doing the will of God from the heart all the time.
  7. Efésios 6:7Paul elevates the meaning of work: serving with good will, as if the service were rendered to the Lord Himself, and not merely to some human employer.
  8. Efésios 6:8Paul guarantees a reward that applies to both slave and free alike: the Lord repays whatever good each one does, regardless of the person’s social status.
  9. Efésios 6:9Paul calls masters to reciprocity: treat their servants the same way, without threats, remembering that they too have a Master in heaven who shows no favoritism.
  10. Efésios 6:10Paul begins the letter’s final section with a call to seek strength not in one’s own ability, but in the Lord and in the power of His might, setting up the image of the armor that follows.
  11. Efésios 6:11Paul introduces the image of “the whole armour of God”: a complete set of spiritual equipment needed to stand against the wiles of the devil, not against a visible human enemy.
  12. Efésios 6:12‘We wrestle not against flesh and blood’ means that the Christian’s real fight is not against other people, but against spiritual forces of evil — “principalities... powers” picks up the language already used in chapters 1 and 3.
  13. Efésios 6:13Paul repeats the call to put on the whole armour, now explaining its purpose: to withstand in a specific “evil day” of spiritual attack, and, having done all, to stand.
  14. Efésios 6:14‘The armour of God’ describes, piece by piece, the equipment of a Roman soldier — belt, breastplate, sandals, shield, helmet, sword — using something visually familiar at the time to explain how the Christian spiritually prepares for combat against evil.
  15. Efésios 6:15Paul continues the piece-by-piece list of the armor: feet shod with the readiness to announce the gospel of peace, like the sturdy sandals of a soldier on the march.
  16. Efésios 6:16Paul adds the shield of faith, used to quench the “fiery darts” of the wicked one, an image of the flaming arrows common in the battles of the time.
  17. Efésios 6:17Paul completes the armor with the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, identified directly as the word of God, the only offensive piece in the list.
  18. Efésios 6:18Paul ties the armor to constant prayer: he asks that they pray always, with attentiveness and perseverance, and that this prayer include all other Christians, not just their own needs.
  19. Efésios 6:19Paul asks for prayer for himself as well, specifically for courage and clarity in proclaiming the mystery of the gospel, even while imprisoned.
  20. Efésios 6:20‘An ambassador in bonds’ is almost a paradox: normally an ambassador had guaranteed diplomatic protection, but Paul describes himself representing the gospel while imprisoned, asking for prayer to keep speaking boldly all the same.
  21. Efésios 6:21Paul closes the letter by noting that Tychicus, a trusted coworker, will bring the Ephesians his personal news, filling in what the letter itself does not detail.
  22. Efésios 6:22Paul explains the double purpose of sending Tychicus: to inform them of his situation and, at the same time, to comfort the hearts of the Ephesians with this news.
  23. Efésios 6:23Paul bids farewell, wishing peace and love with faith to the brethren, a blessing coming from both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
  24. Efésios 6:24Paul closes the letter with one final blessing of grace, addressed specifically to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, without pretense.

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