Ephesians

Saturday, 12 November 2016

And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. Ephesians 6:9

Paul spent four verses of instruction on what bondservants were to do and how they were to act while under the authority of their masters. He now gives one all-encompassing verse of instruction to the masters. Further instruction is not necessary because he says, “And you, masters, do the same things to them…” In other words, masters are given all of the same instructions as the bondservants in this one thought. Anything that can be made prescriptive towards the slave is to be taken as such for them. But they are given more instruction as well. This would replace those items which were specifically intended for the slaves in relation to their masters.

For the masters, they are to give “up threatening.” In the Greek, there is an article before “threatening.” It says, tēn apeilēn, or “the threatening.” In other words, it was a customary practice of masters within the empire to threaten their slaves. Instead of, “Good morning Philemous,” they might say, “Get to work or I will beat you.” Instead of, “Bring me some yummy papaya salad Charliopolus,” they might say, “Unless you want to be whipped, you’d better bring me papaya salad right now.” Paul instructs them that they are no longer to threaten their slaves, but to understand that there is now a new economy because of their status as Christians.

And yes, this definitively shows that Christians were slave-masters. Paul never questions this, nor does he say it is an unnatural or inappropriate point in life. It was, and continued to be, a normal part of human existence. However, as Christians, these slave-masters were to know and understand that their “own Master also is in heaven.” They, in fact, became bondservants of Christ when they called upon Him. Because of this, they were to consider how they wished to be treated by their own Master, and then turn and treat their slaves in a like manner. They were to be impartial to them because “there is no partiality with Him.”

As these are prescriptions from Paul, then the slave-master who ignores them will be held accountable for his refusal to be obedient. It is no different for them to mistreat their slaves as it is for them to engage in immoral behavior. The standard is the word of God, and the standard demands adherence to what is laid down. The irony of the matter is that a disobedient slave-master will certainly stand before the Lord and receive less eternal reward than a faithful and obedient slave! Such is the fairness of Christ who looks upon the hearts of men and rewards according to His infinite wisdom.

Life application: If you are a boss, the prescriptions of this verse certainly apply to you. You have charge over subordinates, and you are to treat them kindly and fairly. In this, you will be a responsible Christian and a faithful servant to your heavenly Master.

Heavenly Father, your word instructs us to act responsibly towards those who are placed under us. In Rome, that meant their slaves. In our world today, it surely means that, as bosses and business owners, we are to be considerate of those who work under us. Help us, if we are in such a position, to be kind and gentle-hearted towards them, and yet firm in our responsibilities towards those who are above us. Help us to have peace in our work environments, knowing that we are ultimately accountable to Christ our Lord who will judge our actions fairly and impartially. Amen.

Friday, 11 November 2016

…knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. Ephesians 6:8

Paul now moves from the admonitions of verses 5 through 7 into the thought of an expected reward for meeting those same admonitions. In these verses, he is specifically addressing slaves, or “bondservants.” He is showing now that regardless of worldly station, there will be no such distinction when standing before the Lord for judgment. This is reflected quite a few times in his letters, but the most notable is probably Galatians 3:28 –

“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.”

Though these differences exist in the world, the distinctions do not exist for judgment for those who are in Christ. We are all on the same spiritual plane, and we will all be judged by the same perfect standard. Understanding this, Paul says, “…knowing that whatever good anyone does.” This is a general statement, but it is given to bolster the many seemingly difficult admonitions for the slave of the previous verses. Put yourself in the place of a slave with a really crummy master, and read these words again –

“Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men…”

As you can see, it would be a tough thing to live out these words if your master (or your boss of today) was a tyrant. But the Lord is watching and He will reward even the slave who is faithful in adhering to His word. This is confirmed with the next words which say, “…he will receive the same from the Lord.”

The Greek is emphatic; it will happen. The wording does not say that he will receive the reward for what he does, but rather it says that he will receive the deed itself. In other words, there will be a like-kind reward. Paul uses a metonymy – a like-kind of payment – to express the completely fair reward for faithful adherence to the admonitions. And this can be expected “whether he is a slave or free.” At the judgment seat of Christ, all will be openly rewarded for their deeds. Their status now has no bearing on what will be. It is a great comfort to know this because in this earthly system, some have easy lives and they seem to get all the good benefits of it. Some have difficult lives, and they seem to only get more trouble. But the faithful soul shall receive his reward.

Life application: We are given a sure promise in this verse. It is from the word of God which is faithful and true. Don’t look at the temporary, but look to the eternal. Fix your eyes on Jesus and your heart on being obedient to His word.

Lord God, Your word says that when we come before You for judgment, we will be rewarded based on faithful adherence to Your word. The positions of this world will not matter. Those who are slaves or those who are masters will be on the same level. Those who are rich and those who are poor will both face the same peering eyes, looking at the intent of the heart, not the size of the wallet. The earthly distinctions will be set aside, and the life lived in accord with Your word will be brought forward. Thank You that all have this marvelous opportunity of pleasing You equally. Thank You for Your promise of just rewards! Amen.

Thursday, 10 November 2016

…with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, Ephesians 6:7

Again, context needs to be maintained in order to see the progression of Paul’s thoughts –

“Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men…”

He last stated that the duties of the bondservant are to be carried out as if “doing the will of God from the heart.” He now elevates the thought to show that “from the heart” means that he is to have a proper attitude in that his service is to be done “with goodwill.” It is a word used just this once, and it indicates “with kindness” or “with enthusiasm.” It is directly connected to another word used in Matthew 5:25, translated as “agree with,” or “make friends with” –

“Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.”

The duties of a bondservant are to have this friendly and agreeable attitude because it is “as to the Lord, and not to men” that his work is actually to be done. We may have earthly masters over us, but we are first and foremost servants of the Lord. It is to Him that we are fully accountable in all aspects of our lives.

Life application: Who do you feel you are serving when you go to work? A crummy boss? A greedy company? In the highest sense, you are serving the Lord. Therefore, perform your duties to the highest of your capabilities, knowing that He will reward you for your efforts in glorifying  Him.

Lord God, some of us have really crummy bosses, or we work for corporations who are greedy and uncaring about the world around them. All they can see is the amount of profit they can get out of it. And yet, when we go to our jobs, we are above all serving You. Give us the desire, as faithful followers of Christ, to perform our jobs to the utmost of our capabilities so that others will see and speak well of Your name. Surely You will reward us for our efforts in bringing such glory to You. Amen.

Wednesday, 9 November 2016

…not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,  Ephesians 6:6

This verse continues to explain what was introduced in verse 5. Taken together they read –

“Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart…”

Paul is asking that bondservants be obedient “not with eyeservice.” It is a word used only here and in Colossians 3:22, and it appears to be a word invented by him. The use of it is to indicate someone who serves only when the eye of his master is present. When the master is out, he refuses to conduct his duties as he should. Paul says that this is inappropriate. Rather, a servant is to serve his master in the same manner as he would for the Lord, which means at all times.

He next says that they are not to be men-pleasers. This word is also found only here and in Colossians 3:22. It indicates someone who is willing to please man rather than God. The idea of both of these words is that a bondservant is to look to his duties to his master (whether he is a good master or a crummy one) as if he was actually serving the Lord. In so doing, he would be a responsible representative of the Lord in the presence of his master. This is explained in the next words, “but as bondservants of Christ.”

By acting as a bondservant of Christ even for his earthly master, he will then be “doing the will of God from the heart.” Paul connects the two duties to show the importance of right and proper conduct at all times.

As we have a different system of employment in the world today, we need to adapt that system to Paul’s words. Rather than masters, we have bosses. However, we are to treat our bosses with the same respect that the bondservant is called to for his master. We are not to be employees who perform with mere eyeservice, nor are we to simply be men-pleasers. We are to act as if we are reporting to Christ, making the most efficient use of our time under the employ of our employers.

Life application: In the world, it is so easy to fall in with the “labor union” mentality. The liberal attitude, both in government and in private industry, says that it is ok to not work to the highest standard of integrity and diligence. But the Bible tells us otherwise. If you act like a democrat in your work environment by failing to give your all to your boss, you are not acting as the Lord would have you to work. It is time to mature out of your self-centered work attitude, and to become a devoted, dedicated employee. And this is regardless of the attitude of your employer. If you can’t deal with him, then it is you who needs to find another job. Think clearly! Apply the Bible and its precepts to your life! Be honoring of the Lord through your employment.

Lord God, the attitude of the work environment, especially among unions and those on the left, is that of eye-service and simply doing the minimum amount in order to get through the work day. But this is not what Your word would have for us to do. Rather, You would have us work our jobs as if we are working for Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. It sure would be nice if people actually did this. Productivity would be up, and whining would be down. Help us to not be whiners, but to be faithful employees who strive to seek Your honor before our earthly bosses. Amen.

Tuesday, 8 November 2016

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;  Ephesians 6:5

Paul now turns from the immediate family within the household, to those who are almost as close, and maybe even closer, as far as daily contact is concerned. The term “bondservant” is as good as one can get from the Greek word doulos. The term applies to one who is bound to the service of another. This could be a voluntary subjection or an involuntary duty, and it can also go as far as being a slave.

Their rights were extremely limited even in the best of cases. In some instances, they had virtually no rights at all. And yet, there is an irony in this status which will be fully revealed in verse 9. Without jumping ahead in too great of detail, it can be said that all are slaves in one way or another.

For the Christian bondservant, Paul instructs them to “be obedient to those who are your masters.” Despite the many difficult rigors often suffered under cruel masters, Paul simply makes the command. He doesn’t qualify it with, “If they are good masters,” nor does he give any hint that they have a right to rebel. The status of slaves or bondservants was simply a fact of life. Those who were so bound were to accept it. However, he does give a note concerning slaves elsewhere that is worth citing –

“Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. ²¹ Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it.” 1 Corinthians 7:20, 21

However, as long as a person was bound, they were to be obedient to their masters. And yet, Paul adds on a descriptor for them to consider. It is a master “according to the flesh.” In other words, there are human limitations which are being spoken of here. Paul is implying that they are bondservants of Another as well, which is not according to the flesh. It is for this reason that they were to be obedient to their human master.

The same phrase is used again in Colossians 3:22. By using it as he does, Paul is letting them know that these human limitations to this human slavery have no control over the spirit. Man may subjugate their bodies, but their spirit is owned by, and in the complete control of, the Lord. It was an encouragement to them that their time of freedom would surely come.

And so, for whatever duration of their bondage to human masters, bondservants were to be obedient “with fear and trembling.” This same term is used by Paul on several different occasions, and it is particularly used of a person who is under a special responsibility to the Lord. Even though they are under the will of a human master, they are to be concerned that this will is satisfied. This is to be true even to the point that they would be afraid and ashamed if the master was displeased. The desire for this should be so ingrained in them that it is not just an external fear and trembling, but one which is “in sincerity of heart.”

They should be truly concerned that their performance was spotless before their masters, just as it would be “to Christ.” The highest devotion of any man – slave or free – who has been redeemed is to the Lord, but Paul wanted the bondservants to show that same devotion to their earthly masters. The reason should be obvious. They were representatives of Christ. To be slack in their human duties would then reflect on their spiritual devotion to the Lord. Paul wanted this to never be the case.

Life application: In today’s world, we have employers rather than masters. But the premise of this verse should hold true in such cases. Our duties to our employers should be performed to the highest degree of trustworthiness as possible. In so acting, they will see that our conduct is without fault and will note that we can be trusted. If this is so, then it may lead them to wanting to know the Lord as well.

Heavenly Father, we have responsibilities to others, such as our employers. They will make an evaluation of our Christian lives based on our conduct towards them in regards to the fulfillment of our duties. Help us to be the epitome of faithful employees, volunteers, or in whatever other capacity we interact with those who have responsibility over us. In this, they will hopefully see our actions as glorifying of You. In turn, we can then hope that they will want to know Christ our Lord as well. Help us to never bring a stain upon His great name through the less-than-faithful care of our responsibilities. Amen.