1 Timothy 6.2-Christian Slaves Are Not To Disrespect Their Christian Masters Because They Are Spiritual Brothers And Beloved Who Benefit From Their Service
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday September 15, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 6:2-Christian Slaves Are Not To Disrespect Their Christian Masters Because They Are Spiritual Brothers And Beloved Who Benefit From Their Service
Lesson # 124
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 6:2.
1 Timothy 6:2 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)
“Those who have believers as their masters” is composed of the post-positive conjunction de (δέ) (theh) which is not translated and then we have the articular accusative masculine plural form of the adjective pistos (πιστός) (pee-stoce), “those who…believers” and this is followed by the nominative masculine plural present active participle form of the verb echo (ἒχω) (eh-ho), “have” and then we have the accusative masculine plural form of the noun despotes (δεσπότης) (thes-poeteece), “as their masters.”
The conjunction de is introducing a mild contrast between Christian slaves with masters who are non-believers and those whose masters are believers.
As was the case in 1 Timothy 6:1, despotes means “master” referring to those individuals who had complete, absolute authority over Christian slaves in Ephesus.
The adjective pistos is describing these masters as having been converted to Christianity by exercising faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
“Must not be disrespectful to them” is composed of the negative particle me (μή) (me), “not” which is negating the third person plural present active imperative form of the verb kataphroneo (καταφρονέω) (kah-tah-froe-neh-owe), “be disrespectful to them.”
These two words deny any idea that Christian slaves show disrespect to their Christian masters in the sense of not considering them worthy of consideration or obedience.
Undoubtedly, some Christian slaves would have misinterpreted their freedom in Christ as a license to disobey and rebel against their Christian masters since Paul taught in Galatians 3:26-28 that there is neither male nor female, Jew or Gentile, slave or freedom for all are equal in Christ.
This of course refers to equal privilege and equal opportunity to execute the will of the Father to become like Jesus Christ.
However, this does abrogate or abolish the Christian slaves’ responsibility to his Christian master.
The slave’s position in Christ simply gives meaning and purpose to his position in life and enables him or her to execute the plan of God the Father to become like Christ regardless of their social, racial, or economic status or gender status.
Paul does not want Christian slaves to disrespect their Christian masters because they are both equal in Christ meaning that they are both in union with Christ and have equal privilege and equal opportunity to execute the will of the Father.
In 1 Timothy 6:2, the present imperative form of the verb kataphroneo and the negative particle me have the force of a general precept teaching slaves in the Ephesian Christian community that they must not disrespect their Christian masters.
The fact that Paul addresses this issue implies that there was a problem in the Christian community in Ephesus with regards to the attitude and conduct of some Christian slaves towards their Christian masters.
Of course, there were Christian slaves who were respectful and obedient to their Christian masters and there must have been some that did not otherwise he would not have addressed this issue in the first place.
“Because they are brethren” is composed of the conjunction hoti (ὅτι) (owe-tee), “because” and this is followed by the nominative masculine form of the noun adelphos (ἀδελφός) (ah-thel-foce), “brethren” and then we have the third person plural present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί) (ee-mee), “are.”
The conjunction hoti presents the reason why Paul prohibits Christian slaves from showing disrespect to their Christian masters.
The noun adelphos means “spiritual brothers” and refers to the Christian masters of Christian slaves in Ephesus who are related to each other and the Lord Jesus Christ through regeneration, thus, the word refers to a “fellow-believer, fellow-Christian, spiritual brother or sister.”
“But serve them all the more” is composed of the conjunction alla (ἀλλά) (ah-lah), “but” and this is followed by the comparative adverb mallon (μᾶλλον) (mah-loan), “all the more” and then we have the third person plural present active imperative form of the verb douleuo (δουλεύω) (thoo-lev-owe), “must serve.”
Alla introduces a command that presents an emphatic contrast between Christian slaves disrespecting their Christian masters and that of these Christian slaves serving their Christian masters with even greater effort.
The verb douleuo denotes that Christian slaves were to conduct themselves in total service to their Christian masters.
The present imperative form of the verb douleuo is a “customary present imperative,” which is a command used of a general precept teaching that slaves in the Ephesian Christian community must serve wholeheartedly their Christian masters to an even greater degree.
Mallon emphasizes that Christian slaves are to serve their Christian masters wholeheartedly “even more” than they would serve if their masters were unbelievers.
“Because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved” is composed of the conjunction hoti (ὅτι) (owe-tee), “because” and this is followed by the nominative feminine plural form of the adjective pistos (πιστός) (pee-stoce), “believers” and then we have the third person plural present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί) (ee-mee), “are” and this is followed by the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” and then we have the nominative masculine plural form of the adjective agapetos (ἀγαπητός) (ah-gah-pee-toce), “beloved” and this is followed by the nominative masculine plural form of the definite article ho (ὁ) (owe), “those who” and then we have the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun euergesia (εὐεργεσία) (ehv-eherday-ahdahseeah), “the benefit” and this is followed by the nominative masculine plural present middle participle form of the verb antilambano (ἀντιλαμβάνω) (ahdee-lambano), “partake of.”
The conjunction hoti is introducing a statement that presents the reason why Paul commands Christian slaves to serve their Christian masters wholeheartedly even more so than if they were non-Christians.
The verb antilambano speaks of the fact that Christian masters are the recipients of the benefits proceeding from the service of their Christian slaves.
The noun euergesia means “beneficial service” referring to the content of beneficial service.
The conjunction kai is emphatic meaning that the word is emphasizing the noun agapetos, “beloved” indicating that Paul is saying that not only is their service benefitting believers but in fact this service is on behalf of those who are the objects of God’s personal love.
The adjective agapetos describes these Christian masters as “divinely loved” meaning that they are the objects of the triune God’s love.
“Teach and preach these principles” is composed of the accusative neuter plural form of the immediate demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος) (oo-toce), “these things” and then we have the second person singular present active imperative form of the verb didasko (διδάσκω) (thee-thah-skoe), “teach” followed by the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” which is followed by the second person singular present active imperative form of the verb parakaleo (παρακαλέω) (pahda-kah-leh-owe), “preach.”
Paul is once again employing the figure of “asyndeton” in order to emphasize the importance of this command with regards to the testimony of the Ephesian Christian community before the non-believers in the city of the Ephesus.
It also emphasizes the importance of the command with regards to the spiritual well-being of the church.
The verb didasko means “to teach, instruct” and speaks of “providing authoritative instruction” in the Word of God in a formal setting, namely the public worship service.
The verb didasko speaks of Timothy providing authoritative instruction with regards to the indicatives and imperative that are found in 1 Timothy 6:1-2.
The present imperative form of the verb didasko is a “customary present imperative” whose force is for Timothy to simply continue teaching the Christian slaves in the Ephesian Christian community with regards to Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 6:1-2.
Paul’s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 imply that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle including this command in 1 Timothy 6:2.
The verb parakaleo is emphatic and means “to insist” indicating that Paul wants Timothy to be emphatic, firm and resolute when communicating what he taught in 1 Timothy 6:1-2.
It contains the idea of Timothy insisting that Christian slaves obey Paul’s commands in 1 Timothy 6:1-2 and apply all that he taught in these verses.
It speaks of Timothy insisting that the Christian slaves in Ephesus put into practice all that Paul taught in 1 Timothy 6:1-2.
The present imperative form of the verb parakaleo is a “customary present imperative” whose force is for Timothy to simply continue insisting that the slaves in the Ephesian Christian community put into practice all that Paul taught in 1 Timothy 6:1-2.
Paul’s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 imply that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle including this command in 1 Timothy 6:2.
The immediate demonstrative pronoun houtos refers to Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 6:1-2a.
This is indicated by the fact that each time Paul uses this word in the accusative plural form in 1 Timothy (1:18; 3:14; 4:6, 11), it sums up the immediate preceding paragraph.