Honoring your parents is pleasing to God in all dispensations, but why does Paul use the Jewish law to illustrate this to a Gentile church in Ephesians. In the law the promise was that if they honored their parents then they would live long and prosper. So, does that promise also hold true for Gentiles?
Notice that Paul puts the part from the Law in Moses in parenthesis.
Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Just because something was written in the Law, does not mean it does not apply also to us today in the Dispensation of Grace. There are many godly principles in the law of Moses that are also under Grace.
The problem is when those things in the law that do not apply under grace are put on believers today, that Paul had a problem with; but, some principles apply in both—for example:
Romans 15:4
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
1 Corinthians 10:5
But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1 Corinthians 9: 5-14
Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? 7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
1 Timothy 2: 11-14
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
In all these examples, Paul goes back to the Old Testament scriptures to prove a principle that also applies to us under Grace.
So when dealing with honoring of parents—whether under law or grace, God wants us to do it.
Therefore, when a child honors their parents (by listening to them because they know more about life and are wiser than the child), then that child, by following the parents’ warnings/admonitions will live longer here on earth as opposed to if they did not listen to their parents. The parents’ wisdom will protect the child from the dangers of the world more than if the child is left to their own judgment. This is what Paul means when he says...
Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
That phrase "first commandment with promise" means that it is the weightiest or #1 command for children by God...and the reward is not only a longer life (compared to if they tried living life on their own), but a fuller, more blessed life—avoiding the pitfalls of the ignorance of youth!
Hopefully this
helps...Maranatha!
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