Regarding Servitude 1 Timothy 6:1-2

Introduction:

Our passage this morning can be a bit difficult for us as christians living in American culture due to our dark history regarding slavery. If we’re not careful we can misread what is being said here with western eyes, thinking that Paul was somehow promoting the horrible institution that so haunts us. Or, even worse, thinking that God endorses slavery. Slavery was never a part of God’s created world and directly a result of mans sinfulness. Just because the bible gives direction on slavery doesn't mean God endorses it.

That being said, Roman slavery was very different from the kind of slavery we are all to familiar with in American culture. Slavery was an integral part of the Roman Empire and its economy. It is estimated that over one-third of the people in the Roman Empire were slaves (approx. 50 or 60 million people).

For the most part Roman slaves were were very much like salaried employees who did a variety of different kinds of work: teachers, craftsmen, managers, cooks, and even government officials, child care etc.

Many slaves owned slaves themselves.

Roman slavery was not fundamentally based on ethnicity or skin color but on economic and social status.

In order to gain Roman citizenship and enter into Roman society, many people would sell themselves into slavery.

In many cases slavery was beneficial for poorer individuals, providing security and stability for slaves in a variety of different venues. There were also opportunities beyond slavery, for many slaves were released by the time they were 30 years of age, as they had become capable of providing for themselves at that point.

It is also true that not all slaves were treated well and many had demeaning jobs. Also, slaves were considered people in Roman culture. They were less than Roman citizens and had no rights.

Because the Roman culture was so filled with slaves, many of them were bound to hear the gospel and become a part of local congregations. Because of this the New Testament has a lot to say about the issue of slavery, but it never directly attacks it as an institution.

If it did, there likely would have been even more intense persecution and likely military action taken against the church.

The Expositors Greek Testament has an excellent statement on how Christianity went about destroying slavery. It is found in the commentary on Ep. 6:5.

Here, as elsewhere in the NT, slavery is accepted as an existing institution, which is neither formally condemned nor formally approved. There is nothing to prompt revolutionary action, or to encourage repudiation of the position … the institution is left to be undermined and removed by the gradual operation of the great Christian principles of …

• the equality of men in the sight of God

• a common Christian brotherhood

• the spiritual freedom of the Christian man

• the Lordship of Christ to which every other lordship is subordinate.

S. D. F. Salmond. The Epistle to the Ephesians. “The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Vol. 3, ed. by W. Robertson Nicoll. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1970), p. 377.

In the church at Ephesus, it is likely that the number of slaves made up the largest percentage of church members and created tension.

Keeping that in mind, lets examine our text for what it says, and how it applies to us in our modern context. We will see that these instructions regarding slaves and masters teaches us principles that are applicable today in relationships between employees and employers and beyond.

1.) Our duty towards non-christian masters/employers. v.1

Yoke- under bondage, enslaved.

Paul isn't mincing words here, when he refers to slavery as a yolk. It was a heavy burden placed upon image bearers of God that was not right. However, these christians in Ephesus, who had masters who were not believers needed instruction regarding their day to day behavior with their masters.

Sometimes we as christians can have a tendency of acting with superiority toward those who are not believers and this can cause us to think that menial tasks are beneath us. I’ve seen this where christians think they get payed to pray, read their Bibles and witness while they are on the clock.

Something similar to this seems to have been going on in Ephesus. So much so, that their unsaved masters were blaspheming the name of God because of it.

This is now the second time that Paul has had to address this issue with the Ephesian church.

Ephesians 6:5–8 NKJV

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Paul instructs these slaves that their duty was to treat their masters with honor.

This is also the case for those who work for unchristian bosses and companies.

We treat them with honor by giving them:

respect

compliance

obeying and doing what they require (if it isn't sinful).

To do our job and do them well.

To be thankful and appreciative for the job they have given you.

To give a full days work for a full days pay.

When we as christian employees are lazy, disrespectful, time stealing, and slothful we are telling our unsaved bosses that God has made no difference in our lives. We are no different than those employees who do not carry the name of Christ.

When we do this, we cause our unsaved bosses to blaspheme Christ and the Gospel. However, when we are diligent, respectful, hard working employees we have a unique opportunity to point our employers to Christ by what we do and do not do on the clock.

The workplace is the primary contact most christians have with a lost world in need of Christ. Most of our gospel opportunities come within the workplace.

The Gospel and work are inseparable.

Titus 2:9–10 NKJV

9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Adorn- to cause something to look beautiful by decorating, embellish.

When we honor our employers by working hard we make the Gospel more attractive to them. They will take notice that you are different from everyone else; providing you with an opportunity to say why.

2.) Our duty towards christian masters/employers. (v.2)

If you have ever experienced working for a christian employer, you know that it can be a breath of fresh air. It is nice to work somewhere where you can expect to be treated in a brotherly way.

However, working for a fellow believer doesn't mean that we should be treated differently than those employees who are not believers.

This was the Apostle’s instructions to those slaves who had believing masters. They could have easily felt that since their master was a christian he should release his fellow Christian or at the least give him special favor.

No, any special favor the slave received from his master was to be purely on the basis of his diligent work.

The christian worker is to work as if we are working directly for Christ regardless if our employer is a believer or not.

But, if you are blessed to have a christian employer, you will be an extra blessing to him by being a faithful hard working employee.

When both you and your employer are doing the best you can for Christ, you will bear a better testimony to those unbelievers you work with.

The reality of it is our position slave/master (employee/employer), has nothing to do with our commitment to Christ in work or life outside of work.

As Christians we are to do our very best at everything that we do regardless of where or who we are.

Colossians 3:22–25 NKJV

22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

3.) The Christian ethic of servitude.

The underlying principle of v.1-2 is that of Christian servitude. Being a servant is at the heart of everything the christian does.

Let me illustrate this for you:

A.) Marriage is servitude

The husband.

Ephesians 5:25 NKJV

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

When we love our wives this way we are committing ourselves to serving our wife. Thereby demonstrating the gospel. As an illustration of Christ giving his life so that we could have eternal salvation.

2. The wife

Ephesians 5:22–24 NKJV

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

When a wife commits to submitting to her husbands leadership in spite of his imperfections, she is demonstrating the gospel by showing how we (the church) as the bride of Christ follow him.

B.) Parenting is servitude

It means giving all you have in order to see your children grow into spiritual maturity. It is giving, and giving, and giving. Thereby illustrating the Gospel in that Christ gave of himself in order to see that we would be saved.

C.) The workplace is servitude

The employee giving the best hours of his day to work hard for someone else. The employer striving to see those under you are equipped to be successful. Demonstrates the Gospel in that Christ gives his children all they need for life and godliness.

2 Peter 1:3 NKJV

3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

True christian servitude is Christ centered. It leads people to Christ and conforms us into the image of Christ.

Conclusion:

We must be aware of our Christian witness when we are in the workplace. Our best witness for Christ isn't preaching on company time, but by being the best employee and example of humble servants as we can be. By doing this, we then will be granted opportunities to tell people about Christ and all he has done for us.