Now let us look into one of Pauls epistles and see if we can find commandments for the saints to do or not do.
We will just start at this point and see if we can find anything.
Ephesians 4:25-32
4:25 Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another. 4:26 “Be angry, and don’t sin.”* Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, 4:27 neither give place to the devil. 4:28 Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need. 4:29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear. 4:30 Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
Eph. 5:1-7
5:1 Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. 5:2 Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance. 5:3 But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints; 5:4 nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate; but rather giving of thanks.
5:5 Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.
5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. 5:7 Therefore don’t be partakers with them.
In this scripture portion Paul gives teachings or "commandments" to the Ephesian saints. Telling them how to be. What to do or not do. Then he says the wrath of God comes on people because of these things.
Then we could start here and perhaps find some more:
Eph. 5:15-33
5:15 Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise; 5:16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 5:17 Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 5:18 Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 5:20 giving thanks always concerning all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father; 5:21 subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.
5:22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body. 5:24 But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it; 5:26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, 5:27 that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 5:28 Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. 5:29 For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly; 5:30 because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. 5:31 “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.”* 5:32 This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly. 5:33 Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Do any of these things seem like commandments? Yes they all do.
Maybe there is more?
Ephesians 6:1-9
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 “that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.”*
6:4 You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
6:5 Servants, be obedient to those who according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ; 6:6 not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 6:7 with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men; 6:8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is bound or free.
6:9 You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.
What we can see is there are large portions of the apostles teaching given to them by Christ which is commandment after commandment or we might say instruction after instruction. Or we might say admonition after admonition.
The saints are not supposed to see this as something grievous. Rather they are to embrace and internalize them that their lives would be changed. That they through the power of the Holy Ghost would be changed into the image of Jesus.
Is this a good start?
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