Obey (5219) (hupakouo from hupó = agency or means, under + akoúo physical hearing and apprehension of something with the mind - akouo gives us our English acoustics - the science of design which helps one hear) (Click study on related noun hupakoe) literally means to listen under with attentiveness and to respond positively to what is heard. The sense is that one understands and responds accordingly. Hupakouo implies an inward attitude of respect and honor, as well as external acts of obedience. Obedience on the part of children consists in listening to the advice given by parents. In Genesis 22 Isaac's willingness to be offered as a sacrifice is a model of such submission. Hupakouo means to hear under authority and pictures the one hearing as being under the authority of some one else. Hupakouo means to obey on the basis of having paid attention to. In short, the picture of hupakouo is that of placing oneself under what has been heard and therefore submitting to and obeying what is heard. Hupakouo is present imperative which is a command for children to obey as a lifestyle. In the present verse hupakouo means that Spirit filled children (Eph 5:18-note) are to continually put themselves under the words and authority of their parents. They are to continually exhibit a readiness to hearken (give respectful attention, give heed to) to the parent's commands and instructions. How else could a naturally rebellious child do this unless he or she was filled with (controlled by, yielded to and controlled by) the enabling power of the Holy Spirit Who indwells them and continually gives them the desire and the power to obey (cp Php 2:13NLT-note)? Hughes adds that... Obedience involves conscious listening. If you do not really listen, you cannot really obey. That is why parents are always saying, “Listen to me!” The idea is to listen under with the intent to understand and do it... Much of this is a matter of attitude. We are not to be like the little boy who misbehaved and was told by his teacher to sit in the corner, which he did with grudging obedience, all the while saying to himself, “I’m sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing up on the inside!” (Hughes, R. K.: Ephesians: The Mystery of the Body of Christ. Crossway Books) Thayer's first entry states that hupakouo is "properly, of one who on a knock at the door comes to listen who it is." Similarly, in secular Greek hupakouo spoke of one standing at a door, listening intently, almost eavesdropping. Plato used the word to describe a doorkeeper. Later the word came to mean obedience, for after one hears and understands a command or request, he should obey it. For example Luke records... And when he (Peter - Acts 12:11,12) knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came [proserchomai] to answer [hupakouo] . (Acts 12:13) In the context of family relationships, it is notable that the wife is not commanded to obey her husband, as children are to obey their parents and slaves their masters. In other words, a husband is to treat his wife as an equal and not as his servant or as if she were a child. The husband is not to order the wife about, calling on her to respond to his every wish and command. OBEDIENCE OF FAITH Faith and obedience are closely related, C H Spurgeon writing that... Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God, trusts God; and he that trusts God, obeys God. If you desire Christ for a perpetual guest, give him all the keys of your heart; let not one cabinet be locked up from him; give him the range of every room and the key of every chamber. There are at least four NT uses of hupakouo that relate to the Gospel and salvation - Acts 6:7, Ro 6:17-note, Ro 10:16-note, 2Th 1:8 and Hebrews 5:9-NOTE (See these verses below) and in each use hupakouo is closely related to the phrase "obedience of faith" Dr Charles Ryrie summarizing the two main ways one might interpret this phrase explaining that it could refer to... Either obedience that leads to initial faith (as in Acts 6:7) or obedience that results from faith. (The Ryrie Study Bible) D. B. Garlington, in his study of the phrase obedience of faith feels that this phrase is deliberately ambiguous and includes both of the primary interpretations as noted above by Ryrie. (The Obedience of Faith in the Letter to the Romans Pt I: The Meaning of hupakoen pisteos Ro 1:5; 16:26" - Westminster Theo J V52, P223, Fall, 1990) Kenneth Wuest writes that ... As to the meaning of the words, “for obedience to the faith,” scholars differ. Some say that it means obedience to the Faith, the Christian system of belief, as in Acts 6:7 where a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. Others say that obedience is the obedience which springs from and is produced by faith." (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) Study (in context) the 21 NT uses of hupakouo... Matthew 8:27 And the men marveled, saying, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Mark 1:27 And they were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." Mark 4:41 And they became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" Luke 8:25 And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?" Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you. Acts 6:7 And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatlhy in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith. Acts 12:13 And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer (to hearken). Romans 6:12 (note) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts...6:16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience (hupakoe), you are slaves of the one whom you obey (hupakouo), either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience (hupakoe) resulting in righteousness? 6:17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed. (Comment: In this context hupakouo is referring to yielding to one's the strong desires that are "barked out" by the Sin nature that still resides in believers. Paul's point is that now we do not have to obey those strong desires). Romans 10:16 (note) However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, "LORD, who has believed our report?" Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right...6:5 (note) Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; Philippians 2:12 (note) So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; Colossians 3:20 (note) Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord...3:22 (note) Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 2 Thessalonians 1:8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 2 Thessalonians 3:14 And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that man and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. Hebrews 5:9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 1Peter 3:6 Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear. Puritan Thomas Adams wrote that... True obedience hath no lead at its heels It is not what we do that matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through us. God doesn’t want our success; he wants us. He doesn’t demand our achievements; he demands our obedience. Corrie Ten Boom once said that When we are obedient, God guides our steps and our stops. Elisabeth Elliot also emphasized the importance of obedience when she wrote "Throughout the Bible ... when God asked a man to do something, methods, means, materials, and specific directions were always provided. The man had one thing to do: obey." Trust and Obey Play hymn John H Sammis When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still And with all who will trust and obey Refrain Trust and obey, for there's no other way To be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey. Refrain But we never can prove the delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey. Refrain Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet. Or we’ll walk by His side in the way. What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey. "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/ephesians_61-3.htm#obey