Honor, A Silent Witness

1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. 2 And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

Outline

In the first century slavery was a norm. While Paul understood slavery to be an evil and compared the slave trader with a murder...

1 Timothy 1:9–10 NKJV

9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,

He also understand that there was a need to protect the Gospel. With this truth in mind, he begins to address the slave under the authority of the owner.

A proper attitude is needed (v.1)

1 Timothy 6:1 NKJV

1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed.

As stated already, slavery is not of God. God has always put the highest priority on human life and the dignity of human life. However, man in its broken state did then and now enact this sin of slavery. During the time of the 1st century it was not the type of slavery we would think of the in the 21st Century. When we think of slavery in the 21st Century, we instantly think of the time in our own country with the oppression and slavery of the African people that were forced from their home and people to come and work fields here in the states for a profit. Many of whom died before even being able to make it to the states. In Europe, the anglo’s may think of the anglo slaves that were in England. The native Americans may think of the oppression of their people as the European settlers began to move further west from the coast. During the time of Paul, the 1st Century, professions were even in the bondage of slavery, let as many bondservants as are under the yoke, such as doctors and lawyers.

Paul realized that to force a change or cause social unrest for social redemption would not further the Gospel, but would hinder the Gospel. For Paul, but more importantly our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...

Personal redemption is superior to social redemption

We find throughout the Scriptures that freedom is at the heart of the good news that we are proclaim to a lost and dying world.

John 8:32 NKJV

32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Truly, the Christians knows that all men are equal within the lens of the cross.

Galatians 3:28 NKJV

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

However, with all this said, man in its fallen nature does not see this. Therefore we see social injustices such as slavery, abortion, prejudices, and the like. It does no good for the sake of the Gospel to cause a riot, which was a constant accusation that thrown toward the Christ followers of the 1st Century and continues today. To address this, Paul emphasized personal redemption over social redemption throughout his epistles. Why? Because Paul understood that although a riot or move among the people may make a temporary change it would not be a permanent change. The only way to make a true change in a society is for that society to spiritually changed as a whole. How does this happen? It happens on the individual level. When God makes a spiritual move among the people of a society, then and only then will you truly see a society changed.

I use the current supreme court decision to over turn Roe v. Wade as a prime example. I celebrate and praise God that this law that legalized abortion nation wide was overturned. Everyone here knows how personal this is to me. Let us not misunderstand what has happened though. Abortion is still legal within our nation. This ruling simply placed the option of legalizing or criminalizing abortion back to the state level. Abortions within America will continue. While this is a huge victory, it does not change a society that has for the last half century murdered millions of children nor does it keep millions of children from being aborted in the future. The only way that our society will change is through a personal redemptive work of the Lord and as that work grows numerically, one will begin to a change in society. This change will not come through riots, rebellions, and/or picket lines. This change only happens through spiritual birth and revival that sweeps the land as seen in both the 1st and 2nd Great Awakens that temporarily began to change American society. We are truly in need of a 3rd Great Awakening.

With this truth in mind, Paul moves from stressing that personal redemption is superior to societal redemption, to how does the Christian witness even within the state of oppression and brokenness.

A spiritual change does not guarantee an environmental change

Paul writes to Timothy, let bondservants…count their own masters worthy of honor. He acknowledged that these bondservants were not where they wanted to be or in a condition they wanted to be. They were in a place where they were forced to be, yoked. However, that did not negate the fact that they were to show respect to their masters. They were to be respected and treated with dignity not because they were their masters, but because God has called his people to be different from others and has called His people to respect those in authority above them. Just because one has spiritual change does not mean they have an environmental change.

Although these people had become spiritually free, they were still very much in an environment of slavery. Now, we may not be able to relate to the slave/master relationship, we can relate to having those above us in an authoritative role. When we were children, our parents were the authority, the teachers were the authority. When we began working, our managers were the authority. Even if you were an entrepreneur, the customer was your boss. If you disagree with that, how many customers did you have to run off before your business failed. We all answer to someone. For us men, when we got married, our wives became the authority.

So, we can very much take this truth and apply it to our lives. We are to serve those that are in authority over us as if we are serving the Lord.

Colossians 3:23 NKJV

23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

We are to realize that those that are in authority are there because the Lord put them there and to no honor them or rebel against them, is to dishonor and rebel against God.

Romans 13:1–2 NKJV

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

This is why Paul tells the servant to honor his master.

All is for the furtherance of the Gospel

Paul was writing to Timothy to teach these things just because. At the heart of all that Paul preached, wrote, and did was for one cause, the furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This should be the same priority for us. Paul greatest fear was that the Gospel of Jesus Christ would become valueless and useless due to the hypocritical lives of those who claimed to be Christian, who claimed to be a Christ follower, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. This should be at the heart of all that we do personally and corporately. If we do not change as individuals, we will not change corporately as the church. If the church does not change, then the society in which that church exists will not be changed.

A higher expectation is given (v.2)

1 Timothy 6:2 NKJV

2 And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

Guard against jealousy

Within the view of the cross, all are equal. God is no respecter of person. Yet, within our society we find those that are over us. We have already established this. It is all too common to get jealous of those that are in a position of authority over us. This would have been exaggerated, if you were in a Christian in the 1st Century and the one that was over you as a master, was a fellow believer. You would be upset based on two facts: 1) He was your master and you were his slave and 2) If he was a fellow believer, he should understand as you understand, we are equal and yet you find yourself being his slave.

One might want to act our and rebel out of rebellion. However, God has called His people, the Christian, to a higher standard of expectation. Paul, knowing this, writes, and those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren.

He then goes a step further and calls them to...

Step up your service

Paul writes that the believers, when they have believers as authority figures over them to work that much more for them. He says do not get jealous, angry, or fight. Serve and serve faithfully. He encourages them to step up their service because the one that they are serving is a Christian. We must realize a truth that many forget today.

Christ followers must serve and love Christ followers

Paul writes, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. As a Christian, you are already at odds with a lost and dying world. You are at odds with language, attitude, what you watch on tv, what you listen to on the radio, who you follow on social media, etc. If you are not already at odds in these areas with the world, then you probably want to check your salvation.

What is seen by many of those that we are to be at odds with in the spiritual realm is not that we are at odds with them, but at odds with one another. They see us bicker over denominational differences, preaching differences, translation differences, worship differences, etc. While we are going to have different views on things such as Bible translations, types of songs we like to worship with, or the style of preaching we like to hear, this should in no wise keep us from being honorable and respectable to one another. This is what a lost and dying world sees way too often, Christians bickering with Christians and revealing hypocrisy to the utmost. Much of the bickering is caused by jealousy or a fear of lost control. May I submit to you that none of us are in control and none of us are head, that control and that head belongs to Christ and Christ alone. He is to have preeminence in all areas of life, service, and worship.

When we have those in authority in our life, we are to serve them faithfully and without jealousy and within anger. Remembering that the one we are serving is a fellow believer and is reaping the reward of our service. This is a believer that is receiving benefit from our work, those who are benefited are believers. Not only should be serve them faithfully, we are to love them unconditionally and faithfully. As Paul writes, they are beloved. Remember, our Lord has told us that calling card of a Christian is there love for fellow believers.

John 13:35 NKJV

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Make this truth known

Paul writes, Teach and exhort these things. Paul, when writing these two exhortations to Timothy, is stating two truths about what he just wrote to him: 1) Paul wants Timothy to teach the brother and sisters at Ephesus to continue to serve in their current environment with respect and 2) To implore them to live this practice out. It does know good to be taught something, if you are not going to take that revealed truth and apply it tour life and live it out.

Conclusion

We live in a lost world. The reality we face, is that the lost will not voluntarily come to church without first being given a reason. That reason may be they were invited by a friend, that reason may be an event (VBS; Fall Festival; Block Party), it may be that their boyfriend/girlfriend has invited them. Whatever the reason, it takes a reason for the vast majority of those without Christ to come to church.

What does this tell us? It tells us that vast majority of those without Christ will never darken our doors. However, they will interact with and see a witness in either support of or not in support of the Christ and that witness will be through the lives of those that claim to be a Christian. What witness they see from us, determines if the name of God and the Gospel are blasphemed. Our attitude, our actions, our service toward those in authority (believer or nonbeliever) and each other (believer or nonbeliever) will the witness of the genuine change that one sees in personal redemption. The more the lost see genuine, faithful Christianity, the great the impact and lead to the personal redemption of others which eventually leads to a redemptive work within society.

Two questions:

1) Do you know Christ as Lord and Savior? If not, what is keeping you from accepting Christ? People? May I submit to you that if you are keeping an individual or group of individuals from accepting Christ, you are putting your faith in the wrong somebody. Salvation will never be found in any individual or group outside of the one, the man, Christ Jesus. For He is the way, the truth and the life, and no man will come to Father by through Him. There is but mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

2) If you are a Christian, what kind of witness are you being? Are you a witness that points people to the cross of calvary, where all men are equal, or are you a witness that causes the name of God and the gospel to be blasphemed?

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