B. Social Duties Within Christian Community (3:12-4:1)

There is a natural break in the text at 3:12 (clearly marked by “Therefore”), a shift from negative to positive exhortation. There also is a subtle shift in contents: from exhortations respecting personal morality to a depiction of social duties within Christian community.

The first arena of application is the church. As head of his body, Christ is Lord of the church. Members of the church thus are to reflect his lordship in their relationships with one another and in their corporate witness before the world. If indeed Christ is all, and is in all (v.11), then Christians ought to reflect his image. “Clothe yourselves,” the apostle exhorts (v.12), with the virtues Christ manifested. As the Lord (v.13), Christ sets the standard for interpersonal relationships. The Greek makes a direct comparison at this point: “As the Lord . . . so also you.”

Paul identifies several virtues of Christian behavior. The crowning virtue is love, which binds all the rest together in perfect unity (v.14). In Japanese ceremonial dress, layers of expensively decorated cloth are draped over a person, each beautiful in its own right. But the costume is incomplete until the belt (obj) is placed around the waist, holding the costume together. In a similar way, love functions as the obj of the virtues with which a Christian is to be clothed.

Paul then illustrates the application of these virtues to everyday life. Patience finds its application in bearing with each other (vv.12-13). Forgiveness becomes especially pertinent when there arise grievances . . . against one another (v.13). In the church we are to exercise patience and forgiveness in order to reflect God’s calling upon and Christ’s sovereignty over our lives.

Also in our corporate activities as the church in the world, we are to reflect Christ’s rule. Chief among the attributes characterizing Christ’s body are peace, to which you were called (v.15), and giving thanks (v.17). A climactic verse exhorts: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (v.17). This places the Christian’s entire life under obedience to Christ. Everything we say and do bears witness to our confession of faith that “Jesus is Lord!”

In practice, churches do not always live up to this ideal. They do not always practice perfect unity (v.14), Christ’s forgiveness and peace, nor abundant thanksgiving. So this exhortation is a pertinent contemporary challenge. This is our calling as Christ’s church today.

A series of brief exhortations (vv.18-21) are addressed to specific members of the Christian household. In their relations with one another, wives, and husbands, children and parents have opportunity to witness by their lives that Jesus is Lord. His lordship is evoked twice in this passage (vv.22, 23) as the rationale undergirding the prescribed behavior.

Wives are exhorted: “Submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord” (v.18). This directive does not imply the downgrading of a woman’s dignity. Rather, it specifies that she is to place herself under the headship of her own husband.

There is a corresponding admonition to husbands: “Love your wives and do not be harsh with them” (v.19). The husband is to serve as head of the household, but his exercise of authority is to be tempered by responsible love. A parallel passage (Eph 5:25) declares that husbands are to love their wives “as Christ loved the church.” Again, Paul points out that Christ’s example is our standard.

Next, children are instructed to obey [their] parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord (v.20). The goal of a Christian, whether young or old, is to please the Lord (see 1:10). Again, there is a counterpart to the exhortation: Fathers, representing parental authority, are admonished to behave properly in relation to their children. They are to exercise authority and apply discipline, but not in an overbearing or harsh manner. The goal, as stated in Eph 6:4, is to “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

A third pair of household members—slaves and masters—are addressed in 3:22-4:1. Bo Reicke, in his commentary on a parallel passage in 1 Peter suggests that the Greek word translated “slaves” may be rendered “employees” (see p. 98). Thus, these exhortations to slaves and masters might today be applied to employees and employers.

Broadly speaking, this passage describes the relationship between the believer and Jesus Christ, using the relation of slave-master as an analogy. The exhortations to wives, husbands, children, fathers, and masters are terse; the exhortation to slaves is considerably longer—in fact, longer than all the others combined. (The same is true in the parallel passages of Eph 5-6 and 1Pe 3-4.) The exhortations to slaves seem to be accorded special prominence because the early church found in the servant-master relationship a model of our relation to Christ.

Slaves are exhorted to obey [their] earthly masters in everything. They are to work, not merely for personal gain or for the favor of their earthly masters, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord (v.22). The same principles are reiterated in the verses that follow, as the readers are reminded: “It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (v.24).

The principles of this passage apply to all workers. (1) You are working, not merely for your employer but for the Lord. (2) Your employment is an opportunity to bear witness to the sovereignty of Christ in your life. (3) Your inner attitude (the heart) is expressed in the quality of your work. (4) The Lord will recompense you fairly and generously for your work, even if your employer does not. (5) There is no excuse for wrongdoing (e.g., thievery) in the workplace, even if you are ill-treated and underpaid. (6) Remember that you are serving the Lord Christ, so your work should reflect your reverence for him—wherever you are, whatever your circumstances, whatever kind of work you do.

Masters are exhorted: “Provide your slaves [employees] with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven” (4:1). The same principles apply to both sides of the slave-master relationship: They are the principles by which our Lord judges all persons. He is the Master above every other, the King of kings and Lord of lords. All people—even those who are over other people—must bow the knee to his lordship.

Thus all persons and their activities are brought under the sovereignty of Jesus Christ. His lordship is the standard by which every relationship—in the church, at home, and on the job—must be measured. Mature Christians in pursuit of holiness need to appreciate this fact as much as new converts who are trying to find their way. The overarching lordship of Christ is continually relevant and constantly challenging.