The author of Colossians and Ephesians gives families instructions on how to live by faith. They are not explicitly rules, especially since both authors wish to stress that Gentiles do not need to follow Jewish Law to be worthy Christians, but are rather emotional guidelines to a Christian moral living. Colossians states, and Ephesians also outlines, that wives are subject to husbands, and husbands are to love their wives (Col 4:18-19) Children obey their parents, fathers must not provoke them, slaves are to obey their masters and work hard to receive the good of God, and masters are to treat the slave justly. (Col 4:20-25). Both accounts offer rules that allow Christians to be faithful without needing the Law, which the writer wishes to instill into his audience. He provides these rules because even though these Christians are exalted in Christ’s work, they cannot neglect their physical lives in this world or behave as though their bodies no longer matter.” They must maintain moral and righteous lives (Eherman 270). It is evident that the author of Ephesians know and modified Colossians because the passage of familial rules in Ephesians follows Colossians but adds additional material. Ephesisans makes more reference to Christ within his rules, often comparing the relationship of the family, as to the relationship of Christ and his church, “For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church.” (Eph 5:22-23) “Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church (Eph 5:25), “For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the Church.” (Eph 5:29) Ephesians outlines all of the portions Colossians does, but adds extra references to Christ between each of them. These additional references to Christ may be used to add further validation to the rightfulness of the author’s rules, if it is in the structure of God, it is thus Godly. The sense that the end of this age is not imminent because the authors of Colossians and Ephesians believed that Christ’s work on earth already exalted the people, as seen in Colossians, “Those who are in Christ can enjoy the full benefits of the divine (2:10, 14-19)”(Eherman 270).

In Ephesians, it is stated that “Christ has united both Jew and Gentile with God (2:18-22). Believers have not only died with Christ, they have also been raised up with him to enjoy the benefits of a heavenly existence.” (Eherman 273) Unlike the strongly apocalyptic message of Paul in other scriptures, these accounts are not concerned since they are already exalted by Christ through his work. Paul takes a similar view of human relationships as these accounts, but they differ in that they take a more critical view on humans, Corinthians is full of more advising against temptations, and more warnings from God, when speaking on the relationship of husband and wife, Paul states, “So that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self- control.” (1 Corinthians7:5) In this passage the message of temperance and the threat of Satan is apparent. This tone is seen throughout the account of families in 1 Corinthians. Ultimately, these scriptures are quite similar to one another, especially considering Colossians and Ephesians were likely forged in the style of Paul, but differ in their message, according to the more positive emphasis Colossians and Ephesians takes on Christians, and more negative one Corinthians takes.