Working Well - 1 Timothy 6:1-2

Working Well

1 Timothy 6:1-2

©Copyright March 15, 2020 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

One of the most popular and awarded mini-series of all time was the 1977 mini-series "Roots" based on the novel written by Alex Haley. It was a stark portrayal of the life of one family who endured slavery. A more recent film (1997), Amistad, was the story of a slave ship transporting slaves from Cuba to the United States. Again, it was a deeply disturbing film that reminded us of the degradation and barbarity of slavery in America and around the world.

As a result, some of the most disturbing passages in the Bible are those that seem to endorse slavery. This morning's text would be classified as one of those texts.

All slaves should show full respect for their masters so they will not bring shame on the name of God and his teaching. If the masters are believers, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved.

This morning we are going to address the issue of the Bible and slavery, asking some hard (and important) questions. As we do so we will uncover some principles that speak to our everyday lives. Let's dig in.

Does the Bible Endorse Slavery?

We must be honest, the history of the church is riddled with those who used the Bible to justify their slave trading, which treated human beings like property. Pastors would preach such things from the pulpit. They would justify the enslavement of people of color because Noah cursed Canaan back in Genesis 9. This same argument was used to deny equal rights to the blacks in America. Adolf Hitler justified the extermination of Jews by using the Scripture. If the Word of God is not treated carefully, you can use it to justify any number of things.

Let's start by saying the Bible (including Paul) does not justify slavery. In Galatians 3:26-28 we read,

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

In the first chapter of this very letter Paul wrote,

We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. (1 Timothy 1:9-11).

The Greek language distinguished, it seems, between two types of slaves "andrapodon" which is the word for one who is a captive slave. This is the kind of bondage we think of when we hear the word "slave." The other word is "doulos" which means a bond-slave or a servant. A bond-slave might be someone who was working off a debt for a period of time. These also could be people who chose to be a servant in order to survive. (Think about someone who takes a job to support their family.) Someone working off a debt would serve for no more than 7 years.

The Mosaic Law regulated slavery carefully to prevent abuse and kidnapping of slaves was punishable by death (Exodus 21:16; Deut. 24:7) as was negligent homicide (Deut. 22:8). What this means is the slavery we think of and is depicted in Amistad and Roots was never advanced by the Bible and was the result of false teaching.

Listen to this helpful explanation,

It helps to understand what slavery was like in the Roman world, for it was different in many respects from the institution that later developed in Europe and America. In the ancient world slavery generally was not based on the color of someone’s skin, except for slaves captured in ethnic warfare. This is in contrast with the inherently racist premises of slavery in the West, which denied the full dignity of people of color as human beings made in the image of God. Also, in the ancient world many people were enslaved because of economic necessity. In some cases, slavery was voluntary; people sold themselves as slaves in order to clear their debts, or in order to learn a trade. There were other differences as well. Because slaves were members of a household, most of them had a fair degree of security, with opportunities for advancement. They enjoyed “a good deal of freedom and social mobility. Many earned a living or worked in partnership with their owners. Some actually held positions of authority within businesses or administrative posts in lower levels of government.” They worked in highly skilled occupations such as education or medicine. There were even slaves who owned their own slaves! Most important of all, slavery was not necessarily permanent, because there were a variety of ways for slaves to win or to buy their freedom.[1]

Shouldn't the Bible Condemn Slavery?

It is fair and appropriate to ask: was the kind of dehumanizing slavery that we think of in existence when Paul was writing? It was. Throughout the course of human history people have tried to enslave each other. So then we ask: why didn't the Bible speak against this?

I would argue the Bible was speaking against it by teaching a new respect and dignity for all people. As we mentioned, Paul, in this very letter, spoke against those who take people and enslave them against their will. The Bible was moving people in the direction of abolition.

It is also important to point out the purpose of this letter was to equip Christian people to serve Christ in the world in which they lived. This letter was not about the ethics of slavery it was about how to live faithfully when you are serving as a servant. The Bible was advancing an approach to life that encouraged the abolition of slavery but that was not its agenda. The Bible's primary message is about "How to be made right with God."

What, if Anything, Does this Have to Do with Us?

It is fair to wonder why we are taking so much time to discuss slavery when we are fortunate enough to not be slaves. We also (to the best of my knowledge) do not own slaves.

However, the majority of those who could be called slaves we people working off debts or simply trying to survive in the world, the parallel to those who are employed by someone else is significant. In other words, the principles that underlie these words speak to those who are employees, working for someone else.

It's interesting that Paul uses the word "despotas" (or despot) for master which is a stronger word than the normal word for master which is lord. The idea is that of absolute control. In other words, there is a hint that Paul knows that some people were working under difficult circumstances. They may even be working for seemingly heartless masters.

This is true, perhaps, for many of you. Some of you are "under the yoke of slavery"

doing boring and repetitive work.

working for a demanding and insensitive boss.

working long hours with poor benefits.

working in a situation where your company may be bought and sold and you are considered collateral damage. I have seen this with my siblings who have experienced great upheaval because just when they seem to get caught up in life their company is sold or they merge and their jobs are renegotiated (which usually means a loss of benefits and salary) or they become victims of downsizing.

you may even be paid well but still feel like a slave, subject to the demands of your employer.

In these kinds of situations, it is easy to become cynical and bitter and perhaps even a little rebellious.

The Principles

Paul gives some principles in these words,

All slaves should show full respect for their masters so they will not bring shame on the name of God and his teaching.

First, Paul says, we should "show respect". This does not necessarily mean the employer or master is worthy of respect. They may be tyrants or jerks. Paul says we should show respect (whether or not it is deserved).

He explains why this is so. First, we represent Christ. We show respect because we are really serving the Lord rather than our employer. As His representatives, we want to show dignity and respect to all people . . . as our Lord did.

Jesus was respectful even to those who were trying to crucify Him. In fact, on the cross He prayed for God to forgive them because they did not know what they were doing. When we show respect to people, even to those who have not earned it, we reflect the image of God.

Second, he says we should show respect so we do not bring shame on the teaching of the gospel. People will not hear what we say unless they see it in our lives first. If we do not show respect no one will listen to what we have to say. If the employer knows you are a believer, they can easily dismiss the entire truth of the gospel because of your poor behavior or work ethic. In other words, showing respect to the person over you can add credibility to the message of the gospel.

As believers we must remember that our PRIMARY responsibility is to serve the Lord and proclaim the message of the gospel. Paul talked many times that he was willing to endure whatever was necessary for the sake of the gospel. His goal was to honor the Lord in everything he did. Jesus was willing to die in order to fulfill the purpose for which He came.

In today's world we have lost this sense of the priority of the message of the gospel. We are happy to proclaim the gospel as long as it is convenient or fits our agenda. Paul reminds us that such thinking is backwards. The only thing that truly matters is that which is eternal. Serving the Lord well is our first priority!

Let me add a qualifier here. You can be respectful while still standing up for what is right. It all has to do with tone. You can address a whole host of problems productively if you approach them the right way. As soon as you develop an edge in your voice, the productive conversation shuts down and resistance and even hostility will arise. Respect opens doors, a lack of respect closes those doors.

What if You Work for a Fellow Believer?

The second part of this

If the masters are believers, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved.

When you work for a brother in Christ, when you perhaps even attend the same church where we are all declared equal in Christ, it is tempting to presume upon that relationship. You might figure you can get away with a little extra time for lunch or spend more time "witnessing" to a co-worker. But by doing so, you are disrespecting your Christian employer.

The fact that this person is a fellow believer should make us all the more diligent to serve well and to prove ourselves faithful.

Listen to these true but sad words from one commentator,

Anyone who has worked in a church, or in a Christian school, or in some other ministry knows how unpleasant it can be to work in a Christian organization. Everyone has high expectations for how everyone else will behave. But eventually someone does something that does not quite measure up to Christian standards, and then everyone else gets very offended. “I can’t believe he did that! And here I thought the whole time that he was a Christian!” At the same time that some people take advantage of their coworkers because they are Christians, others forget that the Christians they work with are human beings, and therefore sinners. As a result of all this, the work environment in some Christian businesses is as toxic as anything in the secular marketplace.

Christian organizations ought to be the very best places to work, and they can be, provided the workers behave like Christians. The distinguishing mark of Christian fellowship is love. Therefore, Christians in the marketplace should treat one another with deep affection. They must serve their brothers and sisters “all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved” (1 Tim. 6:2). . . Through humble service, Christian slaves even become the generous benefactors of their Christian masters.[2]

Applications

Let me wrap this up with five principles to hold on to.

How we live our life reflects on God's reputation. If we are lazy, disrespectful, combative, or always complaining people, will develop a negative impression of our faith. Even if they don't know we are a believer (see application #2), if they find out we claim to follow Christ they will find it easy to dismiss our claim and dismiss other Christians as well. By the same token those who employ other people, also represent the gospel in the way they treat their employees. We should show respect and dignity to each other whichever side you are on.

Our primary role is to testify to the gospel above all else. No matter what we are doing or where we find ourselves, our NUMBER ONE job is to bear witness to the message of the gospel. Jesus told His disciples (and by extension us) to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel and make disciples." Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians that we "are God's ambassadors." Our job is to tell others about Jesus.

We should be willing to be taken advantage of for the gospel's sake. This is a hard concept, but it is clearly taught in Scripture. Paul was willing to endure all hardships for the sake of the gospel. In all things he sought to represent the Lord well. The first martyr, Stephen, stood before those who accused him and testified to the message of the gospel even though he knew it might lead to his death. (Acts 7)

How different this is from our tendency to say nothing if it could result in an uncomfortable conversation. We even have friends we have never talked to about Christ because we don't want our relationship to be complicated. The words of Jesus should haunt us: if you are not willing to acknowledge him before men, he will not acknowledge you before the Father. (Matthew 10:32)

We should never take advantage of Christians in authority over us. The idea of patronage in politics is rampant. It is the idea that you reward those who supported you by giving them nice jobs in government (whether or not they are qualified). There are some believers who seem to feel this way toward other believers. They believe they should receive perks because they are a fellow believer. This should not be the case because it reflects poorly on the gospel.

We must always obey God rather than men. This is a final principle which must always be underscored. Though we are to respect those in authority over us, we must never agree to do that which God forbids. In other words, we should not be party to illegal activity, immoral actions or in anything that takes advantage or victimizes others. In those situations, we must respectfully draw a line . . . even if it means we lose our job, or a friendship. God's authority trumps every other authority.

The slavery that existed in our country and continues today through human trafficking, inhumane and depersonalized working conditions, and in those situations that victimize others, is something we should stand against. Our past should warn us to be very careful in the way we use Scripture and alert us to our tendency to make the Bible say what we want it to say. We must work hard to hear what God is actually saying so those who look back at us in the future will not be embarrassed or ashamed.

[1] Philip Graham Ryken, 1 Timothy, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Daniel M. Doriani, and Philip Graham Ryken, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007), 239–240.

[2] Philip Graham Ryken, 1 Timothy, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Daniel M. Doriani, and Philip Graham Ryken, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007), 246–247.