Philemon-Introduction-Paul's Teaching Regarding Christian Slaves and Slave Owners
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday March 3, 2013
Philemon: Introduction-Paul’s Teaching Regarding Christian Slaves and Slave Owners
Lesson # 3
Please turn in your Bibles to Philemon 1.
This morning we will study Paul’s teaching regarding Christian slaves and slave owners since it will help us greatly in understanding his letter to Philemon since Paul is writing to a Christian slave owner regarding one of his runaway slaves who became a Christian through his ministry.
Philemon 1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, 2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake. 7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. 8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me. 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. 22 At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. (NASB95)
The apostle Paul addresses the conduct of slaves and slave masters in regards to each other in many places (1 Corinthians 7:20-24; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-25; 1 Timothy 6:1-2).
Peter gives instructions regarding Christian slaves in 1 Peter 2:13-25.
Ephesians 6:5-9 teaches the Ephesian believers the responsibilities of Christian slaves towards their masters and the responsibilities of Christian slave owners towards their slaves.
Ephesians 6:5 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 6 not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. 9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. (NASB95)
Many Christians in the first century were slave owners and were commanded by Paul to treat their slaves in the same manner that Paul described to the Christian slaves in Ephesians 6:5-8.
This was in accordance with the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 7:12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (NASB95)
Christian slave owners were to grant their slaves justice and fairness knowing that they will give an account to the Lord for their treatment of their slaves.
Colossians 4:1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven. (NASB95)
Both the Christian slave owner and the Christian slave were to recognize that they were both slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ and were serving Him.
The Word of God never commands slaves to seek their freedom or leave their masters or rebel against them.
Many slaves and their masters belonged to the same local assembly in the early church.
This obviously could produce problems in the local assembly.
The doctrine of the apostles does not deal with this problem by telling masters to release their slaves, nor does it teach slaves to leave their masters.
Slaves who had the opportunity to gain their freedom by legal means were not condemned for doing so, but were encouraged (1 Cor. 7:21).
Being a slave in the natural realm was not a hindrance to serving God since He has given each church age believer in Christ spiritual freedom.
The slave had equal opportunity to bring glory to God and receive rewards for faithfulness to the Lord, as did his Christian master.
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (NASB95)
Paul taught Christian slaves that they were in reality slaves of the Lord and therefore, were in reality serving Him since He purchased them out of the slave market of sin with His spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.
1 Corinthians 7:20 Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called. 21 Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. 22 For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called. (NASB95)
In this passage, Paul’s teaching is emphasizing with the Christian slaves in Corinth that their service as a slave is ultimately on behalf of Christ Himself rather than their master.
In essence he is telling them that freedom to serve the Lord Jesus Christ transcends freedom from their earthly masters, which makes their condition bearable as well as an opportunity to glorify the Lord in their state of being a slave.
The Son of God became a slave according to Paul’s teaching in Philippians 2:7.
The Lord Jesus Christ became a human being in order to serve mankind.
He voluntarily served sinful humanity by suffering a substitutionary spiritual and physical death on a Roman cross as a criminal in order to deliver them from sin and Satan (cf. Mark 10:45).
Thus, Christian slaves can imitate Him in their present condition as slaves.
In 1 Timothy 6:1-2, Paul addresses the proper conduct of Christian slaves towards their masters.
1 Timothy 6:1 All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. 2 Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles. (NASB95)
It appears that in 1 Timothy 6:1-2 that some slaves in the Ephesian Christian community were not using their new found freedom in Christ properly and were being disrespectful of their masters whether these were believers or non-believers.
This is indicated by the fact that usually when Paul discusses the proper conduct of Christian slaves as he does in Ephesians 6:5-9 and Colossians 3:22-4:1, it is accompanied by instructions as to the proper treatment of slaves by Christians who were slave masters.
However in 1 Timothy 6:1-2 he addresses only the proper conduct of Christian slaves towards their masters and never addresses Christian slave owners.
Verse 1 implies that there was a problem with some Christian slaves being disrespectful of their masters.
Verse 2 is more explicit implying the same thing.
In Colossians 3:18-4:1, Paul teaches with regards to the proper conduct of Christian wives and husbands and children followed by slaves and then masters.
In Ephesians 6:1-9, he teaches with regards to the proper conduct of children, parents, slaves and masters.
However, in 1 Timothy 6:1-2, he only discusses the proper conduct of slaves.
This strongly suggests that he is addressing a specific problem at that time in the Ephesian Christian community concerning insubordinate conduct among Christian slaves in Ephesus.
Paul wants these slaves to be obedient and honor their masters if they are unbelievers in order to evangelize them.
Their insubordination will destroy their testimony before their unregenerate masters.
Respectful conduct towards their masters will go a long way to the evangelization of these masters.
Respectful conduct towards those masters who were believers would promote unity in the body of Christ but also aid these masters.
The question naturally arises as to why the apostle Paul does not teach against slavery and even reject this institution of the Roman Empire?
The answer is simple.
He knew that social change that is a blessing to mankind can only come through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He knew social problems can only be resolved through the gospel.
Thus, he knew that if enough slave masters were evangelized and responded by faith to the gospel and were regenerated, then this could result in the abolishment of slavery.
This was in fact what happened for within a few centuries, slavery was gone.
Paul knew that once the hearts of slave owners were regenerate by the gospel, then slavery could be dealt with.
Christians in America in the twenty first century should learn a lesson from this.
In the Word of God, the Holy Spirit does not prohibit Christians from becoming involved in various aspects of society (we are, after all, “the salt of the world”).
However, when the Christian exchanges the gospel for a social agenda they are contaminating their mission.
There are social implications of the gospel that are quite extensive, but Christians are never to forget that their primary task in relation to the world is not to change political structures, but through the gospel offer forgiveness of sin in the name of Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, Paul does not seek to abolish slavery because slavery was not condemned by God in the Old Testament and in fact was practiced in Israel.
Also, Paul knew that being a slave did not adversely affect a Christian’s ability to execute the Father’s will to become like Jesus Christ.
In fact, you could do God’s will by simply being an obedient and submissive slave.
Whether a Christian is a slave or freeman, male or female, Jew or Gentile, they have equal privilege and equal opportunity to execute the Father’s will (Galatians 3:26-28).
There are no social, gender or racial distinctions in the family of God.
The gospel of Jesus Christ brought all of this about.
Therefore, Paul’s main objective was to teach and propagate the gospel rather than be a social activist who marches around the Emperor’s home demanding the abolition of slavery in the Roman Empire.