The commandment given by Paul in Ephesians 6:1 is ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.’ It is significant to note the qualification that parents are ‘in the Lord’, because if parents give an order that is contrary to the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ then Jesus’ wishes should come first. Paul’s commandment is given to children — when they reach the age of adulthood then good parents will give recommendations and advice to their children rather than orders that must be obeyed. The age at which children reach adulthood will depend on their disposition and circumstances.
