Masters and slaves Part 2

Preacher:

Main Scripture: Ephesians 6:5-9

Series:

Masters and slaves Part 2

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
Last week we looked at Paul’s attitude towards slavery and why he did not condemn the practice outright. 1. Slavery in the 1st century and that in the 18th century are very different. 2. Paul did not hold up slavery as an ideal institution. 3. Paul called for such a level of transformation of slavery, that it looked more like long-term employment. 4. The primary priority of the church is not to transform the world around us but to proclaim the gospel.
Another point that we could add to these points is to note Paul’s attitude to slavery in his letter to Philemon, particularly verses 15-21: “For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.” We can see that Onesimus obviously owed Philemon, and this Paul was happy to pay. But Paul wanted Philemon to accept Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a brother, and not an ordinary brother, but as if he were Paul himself. So Paul was clearly not a champion of slavery.
The contemporary application of Eph 6:5-9 is with regard to employment, considering that slavery was the main form of employment in the first century. So we will apply the exhortation given to bondservants and masters to employees and employers respectively.
MANDATE, METHOD, AND MOTIVE FOR EMPLOYEES
MANDATE (What command was given): The mandate given to employees was, “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters.” This is a very simple instruction which is difficult to fulfill, because by nature we do not want to submit. We make excuses like ‘I don’t have the time,’ ‘I don’t have the skills to do it,’ ‘It is so unreasonable,’ ‘It is pointless,’ ‘I will do it but will do it my way,’ and so on. We need much grace in our work life too, just like we need it in every other aspect of life. We are saved by grace by the Lord Jesus who has given us good works to perform. We no longer walk in darkness but are light. For this we have the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are absolutely dependent on the Lord for the grace to obey our bosses. Because we, in the Redemptive Kingdom, are given grace to function properly in the common kingdom. There are times when we should not submit to our employers, when we are commanded to do something that is forbidden by God or when we are forbidden to do something that the Lord has commanded us to do. We must refuse to do what is immoral, even if it means losing our job. But generally speaking we are called to submit to our employers. Christians should be known as those who are compliant and follow instructions well.
METHOD (How the command was to be fulfilled): The method for fulfilling the mandate is, “with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will.” ‘Fear and trembling’ does not mean terror and panic as we can see from Phil 2:12, which says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” and from Satan’s words in Job 1:9, which says, “Does Job fear God for no reason?” If the fear that Job had came because God was blessing him, obviously, this ‘fear and trembling’ referred to a respectful fear and reverence. Employees are to treat their bosses respectfully, with reverence. “With a sincere heart as you would Christ.” Paul says the employees should have certain attitudes, be wholehearted in their obedience, and not just working hard when the boss is looking, ‘not by the way of eye-service.’ We are all inclined in this way by nature, but Christians are called to higher things. We are to render service from the heart, not to be noticed by the boss but out of service to our Lord. Christians should be known by their bosses as people who serve a higher purpose, who care first and foremost for how we are viewed by God rather than man.They are to be known to be willing workers, even when others are unwilling and hard workers even when no one notices their hard work. They are not not to cut corners. They are punctual, do not take extended breaks, do not leave early, and do not leave jobs unfinished.
MOTIVE (Why the command needed to be fulfilled): “rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord.” Christian employees fulfill the mandate to obey, because they serve the Lord and not men. They do not obey, because their bosses deserve it or pay well, or because of the conditions at the workplace. While it is good to have a reasonable pay, even if that is not the case, it makes no difference to their work ethic. They serve a higher Master—the King. They serve in God’s Common Kingdom, even while the majority of the citizens do not recognise their King. They know this King, because He has saved them and brought them into the Redemptive Kingdom. All that they invest in this Common Kingdom for His sake will not be lost when this kingdom comes to an end. No matter how menial, boring, and repetitive a job may be, it is infused with supreme and eternal value because it is in service to the King. It is OK to change jobs, but there will always be boring and meaningless parts in the next job too. The ultimate purpose is not fun or money, but it is that Christians may serve their God. The parallel passage in Col 3:23-25 is encouraging especially for those who have had to deal with unjust employers. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”
MANDATE, METHOD, AND MOTIVE FOR EMPLOYERS
MANDATE (What command was given): “Masters, do the same to them.” The roles and authority of Christian employers is the same as that of their non-Christian counterparts, but their attitude towards their employees is different. They treat their employees with dignity and respect, pay them on time, provide them with sufficient time off, not overworking them, considering their welfare, including their spiritual welfare by sharing the gospel with them in appropriate ways, and setting an example of godliness. Employees these days do not face the kind of injustices and difficulties that employees in the past might have, but even today, bosses can abuse their powers, just as workers can manipulate their bosses. Christian employers know that employees are not simply a commodity for making money; they are human beings, image bearers and sometimes they are brothers and sisters in the Lord.
METHOD (How the command was to be fulfilled): “and stop your threatening.” Grace transforms the employer’s tools from constant threats to incentives, encouragement and support. Christians remember how their Master does not treat them unfairly and does not threaten them every time they fail. He does not make them feel small and insignificant. It is possible that a Christian employer has to warn an employee that their job will be terminated if they follow down a certain disruptive path, but this is rare. If this means that Christian employers must have a less productive business, then so be it, for they serve God and not money. Grace and forgiveness do not usually make more money.
MOTIVE (Why the command needed to be fulfilled): “knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.” The mindset of Christians is fundamentally characterised by a shared submission to a shared Master. On the day of judgement there won’t be a separate judgement for Masters and employees. Instead employers and employees will stand before the Judge who will show no partiality. The redeemed are forgiven for their wrongs, and rewarded for their good deeds. Unbelievers are punished for their wrongs, and they are not rewarded for their good deeds. So the difference between what happens to believers and unbelievers is huge. However, although believers will stand clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, their deeds will still be counted and weighed. Heavenly rewards will be gained or lost on that day, and we will be grieved by the many ways in which our sins pinned our Saviour to the cross. The ultimate verdict for Christians is secure and settled and has been pronounced in their justification. But the weighing of our actions will still happen on that day. Employees should serve respectfully and Employers should manage respectfully. The working relationship between an employer and employee should be so harmonious, that should the roles be reversed, no tension or bad feeling would ensue. Such a role reversal can be illustrated by a situation where the boss and employee belong to the same church. It is possible that in time, the employee becomes an elder. In a situation like that the employer finds that his employee is also his elder, who has to give account for his soul. Employers and employees should fulfill their role in the workplace as to the Lord with mutual respect, love, and service; this should especially be the case when Christian brethren work together.