6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
6:2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise),
6:3 SO THAT IT MAY TURN OUT WELL FOR YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.
6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
6:5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your ①masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
▷ ①I.e., earthly masters, as in first-century Roman culture
6:6 not ①by way of ②eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the ③heart.
▷ ①Lit according to ②I.e., only when the master is watching ③Lit soul
6:7 With goodwill ①render service, as to the Lord, and not to people,
▷ ①Lit rendering
6:8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
6:9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
6:12 For our struggle is not against ①flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
▷ ①Lit blood and flesh
6:13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
6:14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
6:15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace;
6:16 ①in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
▷ ①Lit in all
6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
6:18 ①With every prayer and request, ②pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, ③be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the ④saints,
▷ ①Lit Through ②Lit praying ③Lit being ④Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
6:19 and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
6:20 for which I am an ambassador in ①chains; that ②in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
▷ ①Lit a chain ②Two early mss I may speak it boldly
6:21 Now, so that you also may know about my circumstances as to ①what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful ②servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you.
▷ ①Or how ②Or minister
6:22 ①I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know ②about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
▷ ①Lit Whom I have sent to you ②Lit the things about us
6:23 Peace be to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
6:24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ ①with incorruptible love.
▷ ①Lit in incorruption