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Part 3 - An Introduction into the ethics of the apostle (Ephesians 4:1 – 6:20)
The difficult situation of Christian servants and their employers (Ephesians 6:5-9)
Ephesians 6:05-09
6:5 “Servants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him” (Eph. 6:5-9).
Among believing Bible readers there are some who do not understand and angrily reject the instructions and promises of Paul to servants, who have become Christians. They cannot understand that, at that time, every better-off household had at least a dozen or more slaves or servants whom they owned, provided for and employed, just as we today have and use numerous electric devices in the kitchen, for heating our homes and for driving our cars. When there occurred in Rome a rebellion of slaves it was quickly put down by well-equipped armies. Following that ten thousands of slaves were crucified! During the time of the Muslim Umayyad reign in Damascus, every year thirty thousand abducted Christians from Italy and Spain had to be delivered to the reigning caliph as a bounty to Allah. Even today slaves are handled as “gracious gifts of Allah” among the Muslims in Sudan. Paul advised the slaves of his time to not rise in rebellion, for such action would have brought crucifixion to the insurgents. Rather than that he encouraged them to meekness and a service of love towards their masters and ladies, so that some of the slaveholders might be won to Jesus. At the beginning there came, in some house circles in the Mediterranean region, more slaves to the Bible studies than did those who were free and rich.
Paul demanded from the Christian slaves an unconditional submission to their owners, and admonished them, so that esteem, respect, fear and trembling might dwell in their simple hearts. Their service to these proud lords and their ladies was a service unto Jesus. The Lord Jesus allowed it to happen that they were captured and sold as slaves; now they were to, as “His” slaves, serve their earthly masters in the place they lived and worked. Today we can hardly understand such sentences, yet the apostle believed in the absolute control of everything that happens through the all-controlling Lord. For Paul the Christian slaves were indications of the all-encompassing plan of salvation of Jesus, who would send a believing servant into the house of snooty masters and mistresses, that the blessing of God might touch them. Therefore, he could tell the exploited and the oppressed that they were to be obedient to their masters and that they were to work diligently, and not just when their owners and lords were present. They were to continually practice the will of God in the presence of their Lord Jesus, even when He was not visible to them.
This essential word of Paul is also valid today for all employees, domestic servants and household helpers, who do not receive adequate pay for their work and service, or to those who have unfriendly employers: “With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men”. For the apostle to the nations, the dirty work or unbearable lords were just another chance for the kingdom of God to be spread with love, joy and peace. These seldom possibilities had been prepared by God and were to be practiced with good will. Paul did not think about the welfare of the one being plagued, but on the salvation of their tormentors! He, too, had submitted himself to this method of work – realizing it even in prison!
Yet to the suffering slaves and servants, the apostle could speak a word of comfort, namely, that the risen Lord Jesus would reward all of the faithful service of His justified servants and maidservants. At the final judgment the judge will not primarily ask them about their faith, but rather, about the deeds of help His followers carried out for the suffering and the destitute. In the eyes of the apostle, the rich lords and ladies were poor and needy, for in reality they were spiritually impoverished, resembling corpses in magnificent dress and riding about in fine carriages. The good the followers of Christ did for these wayward ones would be rewarded to His servants in eternity (Matt. 10:42; 25:40; Mark 9:41).
To the well-to-do ladies and lords who held slaves, Paul testified the same words: “The good you do for the ones enslaved will be, in the event you have been converted, positively reckoned to you in eternity”. And the good that you do not do to these wretched and miserable ones will also be reckoned to you in judgment. Therefore, do not be unscrupulous dictators, but rather merciful employers, for the statistics for eternity are being registered in every word, deed and omission, and one day will present you with an exact reckoning. Do not make your employees fearful by threatening or punishment, but encourage them to fulfil their service entirely and gladly. A word of thanks works more than many harsh warnings.
However, when a slaveholder became a Christian and put on Jesus with His love and righteousness, the owning of slaves then became a problem for this master. Paul placed these newly believing masters in a position of responsibility before their risen Savior. They needed to reconsider their relationship to the slaves, and decide to serve these wretched ones, just as if they were serving their Lord Himself. Paul could not propagate or command an abolishing of slavery, for otherwise all of the churches would have been stamped out. He went the other way, the way of love, advocating that every lord should inwardly see Jesus in his slaves, and go on to serve them, just as if they were serving God. With Jesus there is no differentiation between rich and poor, free and slave, men and women. Much more, the Lamb of God has redeemed them all and atoned for their sins. It is now a matter of whether or not they recognize His love, accept it, and then go on to convert it into spiritual fruit in their lives.
Prayer: Father in heaven, we suffer under the unrighteousness and the impatience of employers and employees in practical daily life. Let Your love and Your righteousness become recognizable to both, so that a revolution of love can improve the atmosphere in businesses and in homes. Give strength to Your children so that they can testify to their Savior Jesus in their place of work, in their schools and in all of their free activities. Amen.
Questions:
- What do you think about the pastoral council of Paul to the slaves and servants in the Mediterranean region of his day?
- What do the words of the apostle mean for employers today?