The Bible class on Colossians 3:18-4:1 explores the "household codes" addressing relationships in the home—wives submitting to husbands as an act of self-lowering, husbands loving and elevating their wives without harshness, children obeying parents, fathers avoiding provocation to prevent discouragement, bondservants obeying earthly masters with sincerity as unto the Lord, and masters treating servants justly knowing they too have a heavenly Master. The instructor emphasizes mutual respect, love, and justice over power imbalances, drawing parallels to modern applications like workplaces while noting the cultural context of slavery and how Christian principles of fairness ultimately erode such systems. Discussion highlights commonalities like authority structures, emotional control, and reverence for God in all interactions, underscoring that healthy relationships thrive on elevation of others rather than self-insistence.

In this engaging Bible class session on Colossians 3:18-4:1, Garrett delves into Paul's practical instructions for Christian living within household relationships, framing them as a continuation of the letter's theme of shedding the old self and embracing a new life marked by love as the binding force. He unpacks the culturally specific dynamics of wives and husbands (submission as mutual lowering and loving elevation), parents and children (obedience balanced with non-provocative nurturing), and masters and bondservants (sincere service unto the Lord paired with just treatment), highlighting grammatical nuances like the middle voice of "submit" to stress personal agency and the disproportionate length on slaves possibly due to local church tensions involving Philemon and Onesimus. Through personal anecdotes about college roommates and family life, the teacher illustrates the universal challenge of cohabitation and the transformative power of Christ-like humility, sparking group dialogue on respect, emotional restraint, and applying these principles to contemporary settings like employment, ultimately portraying God's approach as heart-focused—fostering justice and neighborly love that implicitly dismantles oppressive structures without direct prohibition.

I. Introduction and Prayer (Contextual Setup)

- Recap of Colossians study: Transition from putting off old sins and putting on virtues, with love as the unifying "glue" (v. 14).
- Prayer for fruitful study and Christ-honoring lives.
- Focus on home relationships as key to new life in Christ.

II. Household Codes Overview (Cultural and Textual Context)

- Explanation of ancient home structure: Husband-wife, parent-child, master-servant/slave dynamics.
- Comparison to Ephesians: Shorter, unbalanced treatment here (e.g., longer on slaves due to local issues like Philemon/Onesimus).
- General unease with slavery in modern reading, contrasted with Paul's redemptive approach.

III. Wives and Husbands (vv. 18-19)

- Wives: Submit (middle voice: self-lowering, not forced obedience; distinct from children's "obey").
- Husbands: Love (elevation of other) and avoid harshness.
Interpretation: Mutual valuing—submission and love as complementary emphases; word picture of lowering/elevating dance.
- Personal anecdote: Challenges of shared living, from college roommates to lifelong marriage.

IV. Children and Fathers (vv. 20-21)

- Children: Obey in everything (pleases the Lord; saves lives through discipline).
- Fathers: Do not provoke to wrath or discouragement (balance authority with love/respect).
- Observation: Switch to "fathers" possibly due to male tendency toward sharpness; emotions must be controlled.

V. Bondservants and Masters (vv. 22–4:1)

- Bondservants: Obey earthly masters sincerely, as unto the Lord (not eye-service; inheritance reward from Christ).
- Masters: Treat justly/fairly, remembering heavenly Master.
- Theological insight: God addresses heart (love neighbor, justice) over direct abolition, leading to societal change; flips power abuses.

VI. Discussion and Application

- Question 1: Commonalities in relationships (authority/have-nots dynamic; respect; no self-insistence; emotional control; insert virtues like kindness).
- Modern parallels: Employer-employee as principle of power used redemptively.
- Group insights: Happy spouse/house; reverence in submission; sayings rooted in truth.