Servants and Masters, Employees and Employers, Eph 6:5-9

Servants and Masters

Employees and Employers

Eph 6:5-9

The ancient world didn't have the classes that we have today. Actually, much of the world is still informally ordered like the ancients. There were two basic classes: the ruling class or the Aristocracy and the ruled class, commonly called peasants. Until the time of the French Revolution in 1789, most of the world was divided along these lines. 5% of the people were in the aristocracy--meaning rule by the best, or by the highest. 95% of the people were considered the "Hoi poloi" or the masses, meaning peasants.

The Middle Class began in the Renaissance where a class between the rulers and peasants started to emerge in the burgs or walled towns. The percentage of society is almost immeasurable. But, they were there. As urban workers increased their numbers and others moved from the farms to the towns, a middle-class grew in number and prestige.

Why bring this up? Well, the people in the church in Ephesus would have been in one of the two ancient groups. We tend to be in the middle class. So, when we hear words like we are about to read in Ephesians 6, we might dismiss them as irrelevant for us. However, they are not.

A servant was one employed by another--often owned as property--to work for him in his household or his business. The words given here to servants are relevant for workers in this age. It is interesting that politicians still go after the large percentage of the people perceived as middle-class or the working class. The wealth of that class is diminishing to where it includes more and more of the poor each year. In our time, in many ways, the working class is the peasantry of our age. This is true especially in developing countries. When I look at what is happening in Ukraine, I see peasants who want more control over their lives. More control means less corruption. The typical American does not understand the hardships of peasants in any age--especially times like those of the New Testament.

Add to that the language of the Apostle Paul as he addresses three books to the church there or to one of its leaders--Timothy. It is clear from the information we are given that there was quite a spectrum of believers in the congregation. In just a few verses, Paul addresses them all and all possible situations in which any one of them might find himself or herself.

Let's read our text for this morning:

1. The Identity

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh,

2. The Manner

with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;

3. The Motivation

 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

4. A Sure Reward

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

5. A Word to Masters

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

  Let's take a look at the context and the text:

Have you ever thought about the question, Why do we work?

Work is such an important part of society and our lives in particular that we don't often ask why we do it in an ultimate sort of way. In the proximate, we work to earn a paycheck so we can provide for ourselves, our families, the church, and so many other things. Workers often want to better their lot in life in order to get raises and earn more or have greater responsibility--I know that is not universally true. There are good workers and there are underachievers who get by with doing as little as they can. But, why should we work and work hard? And, why do many chaff against the need to work as they grow dependant on others?

Before we look at Eph 6, turn back to Gen three:

Let's start with the curse as given to the man--Adam: Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
¹⁸ Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
¹⁹ In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”

We work because of the sin of Adam. It is part of the curse imputed to us--to all his posterity. It is a perpetual punishment because of sin. It is God's will that we labor and toil all our days--until we return to the ground. And, to labor as hard work--the sweat of your face you shall eat bread.

It is God's will that mankind work. It is what all of us are called to do after the expulsion from the Garden. Our lot in life is to work. It's nice when our work is something we enjoy. That was not so in the ancient world. Pretty much, everyone worked the land in one way or another. They were farmers or ranchers or a combination of both. Remember Cain and Able?

We call labor a creation ordinance in so much as it parallels the work of God in creation. On Six Days he made the heavens and the earth. He then rested on the seventh-day. We also know he didn't make the seventh-day for himself, but for mankind (Mark 2:27).

When God gave the Law to his ancient people he included the law of labor. It is embedded in the fourth commandment.

Exodus 20:9 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Creation is to follow the pattern God established at Creation. Now, some might figure out that Moses wrote these words a long time after creation and try to argue that the words are not binding at all times and on all people. I would reply, the children of Israel were told to remember something that was already in place--Remember the Sabbath Day. Almost all of the ancient civilizations we know about follow the seven days in a week pattern. Anthropologists wonder where it came from--I don't.

So, when the Apostle addresses servants, he is addressing all who work, all who are called to toil and labor in order to provide bread for themselves and their loved ones. He speaks to the Aristocrats, who were never exempted from the commands to work and he speaks to  the peasantry upon whom the burden of work fell heavily. Peasants worked long days. Sometimes from just after the rise of the sun, until it was starting to set. And, very often for a demarii, or some other denomination that represented a day's wage.  The hardest of labor in our day, is so much easier than in the first century. If most of us were transported back in time, we would not like how hard we would work--we would want to return to our 40 hour a week existence.

So, what are God's concerns for servants & MASTERS, Employers and employees? Back to the text:

1. The Identity

5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh,

Bondservants: those whose work rights belong to another for a number of possible reasons. They did not have their own ability to choose their vocation. They were told to do by their master or his appointed steward. In terms of the ancient world--they were not freemen, but under obligation to another who was either free or another servant.

Masters are those with authority over another. The word is not despot, so there was not absolute authority. But, when it came to work and its expectations, the masters had the right to direct them by agreement or the conventions of the day.

The servants to masters are governed by the same idea as we found with children and their parents--to be obedient. This is the expectation of submission on their part. Or, to address it in terms of wisdom, the wisest thing for servants of any kind to do is simply to obey. But, there are attitudes that are important, too.

Attitudes are so important. I've worked with people who got the work done, but created a caustic atmosphere by their constant complaining--they bring others down and diminish the morale in the work place.

There is more to being a good worker than just doing the work. 

Another problem we sometimes meet with in a verse like this is question: Do Christian servants owe allegiance and obedience to unbelieving employers or bosses?  The simple answer is, Yes. What is assumed is this--as long as it doesn't require you to sin against God and His Word. We must never let an employer coerce us to transgress God's Law or His Standards revealed in the Word. Do you see what it says in the text? Masters according to the flesh. That means there is no difference between the authority of a Christian or Non-Christian employer over you. You should obey whether your boss is a Christian or not. Some people find that hard to be a pill that is hard to swallow.  It's that way God has ordained his creation.

And, to all our earthly masters, we are given the manner in which we are to obey:

2. The Manner

with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;

I want to take these three phrases in order from last to first. I that will help us understand what is intended.

As to Christ: How is it we are to do things unto the Lord Jesus Christ? Col 3 is a parallel passage of Eph 6. In one of the simplest explanations of this we read, Col 3:22-23, Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ²³ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men….

When we do things unto Christ we do them in such a way that it will glorify Him. We do what we do as if we are doing it for Him directly, and in His presence. I add in his presence because he sees and knows all we do. Therefore, whatever we do we do it with all our hearts--as the expression goes. That usually means we put our whole self into what we are doing. We do something not in the regular way something is done, but in a special manner--heartily, as to the Lord.

In Col 3, something else is important, the words and not unto man. When it comes to our vocational employment, we do whatever we do, heartily unto the Lord.

That's quite a standard. Everybody whould have this standard, but it is only those who come under sound preaching that will ever learn about this important way of conducting ourselves--it is the wisest way to work. We work for an unseen boss.

What often happens in American business, when the boss is not seen? Often, people work less. This calling is one that calls us to work in ways that are distinctively sifferent than those in the world.

When we work for them we have a sense of fear and trembling. That isn't a servile fear like we might have if we left this place only to discover a mountain lion sitting near our car. It is a fear of reverence and respect.

Fear and trembling can be a good thing. The words seem to be a figure of speech when they are grouped together. The words are used of the  Corinthians and the way they received Titus on his trip to visit them. In 2 Corinthians 7, we read: 13 Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴ For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true. ¹⁵ And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received him. ¹⁶ Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything.  

The church wasn't afraid of him, they were in awe of him. He had a special place as the emissary of the Apostle. They revered him with deep respect. The church understood the important role he had in the life of the church.

In like manner, each of us should view those over us in our employment with this same fear and trembling. We revere them as over us whether they believe or not. For God's good purposes, He has placed them over us for our good and governance in the workplace.  We are not intimidated by them, but respect them. That means we don't talk about them to others in a way that is going to diminish their reputation or prestige. We don't join in the gossip at the water-cooler. We obey with respect and awe.

This is done in sincerity of heart, that middle phrase. This is another figure of speech that means an undivided heart. We follow, not half-heartedly, as we observe so many in the work places of our day, but with all of our hearts as it relates to work. And we do it with sincerity.

Someone once asked George Burns what it took to be a good actor. He replied, "Sincerity. If you can fake that, you have it made." Sincerity cannot be feigned. It must be real, if not we must have dealings with God to change our hearts towards those for whom we work. I've had some difficult bosses in my day, and I've had some good ones, too. I'm sorry to say, not all the good ones were believers and not all the bad ones were unbelievers. Sincerity of heart may be the hardest of all that is entailed in this command. Respect is easy to fake. So, there is….

3. The Motivation

 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…..

This is about those who do good when the eyes of authority are upon them. When they hear you coming, or hear your voice, they get back to work. Men-pleasers also like to tell you about their work and how much they have done and how important they are, and so-on and so-forth.

Workers are wiser when they cultivate a realization that they do all in the presence of God who will judge them. SO the wisest way is to do God's will from the heart. It is repeated in a different way for emphasis. To work hard, to labor, to toil and sweat all your days is the will of God. As sinners, so many try to get out from under God's will.

There are sub-cultures in our land that teach young men to always answer, "Yes, sir" to anyone in authority. I've heard those words many times with an edge that shows an insubordinate heart--even in the church.

Do what you do to be seen by God, who has the all-searching and scrutinizing eye. If you do, I'm sure your bosses after the flesh will see how hard you labor as well--and, even without telling them--you just get things done and look for more to keep you busy.

Do you realize God's original intent did not include a weekend? It included six days of labor and one day of rest. The weekend started in New York's garment district among immigrant workers. Thomas Cahil documents this in a book entitled, "The Gift of the Jews." Christians took Sunday off in chistianized civilizations. The Jews wanted their holy day, as well. It was too hard to work with a diminished work force on Saturdays. So, the bosses got together and increased the daily hours during the week in order to give the workers two days on the weekend. 

We should consider it a gift from the grace of God so we can labor in different ways on our Saturdays--on whatever day they might fall. We have no biblical claim to a five day work week. We should rejoice in God's blessing while seeking to be faithful to him--six days shall you labor and do all your work and the seventh shall be a Sabbath unto Me. Therefore remember….

We remember to work and we remember to rest. It is our ordinary lot in life no matter our standing. It is our lot even as the masters to work as we direct or rule over others.

We are to expect…

4. A Sure Reward

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

These are remarkable words. They are not talking about merit stored up for the last day upon which our salvation will be based, or even partially based. They are words expressing that age old principle that people reap what they sow.

This is a principle that goes way back in time to the Book of Job, at least. Job is one of the oldest literary works from among followers of Yahweh. In it we read about this principle, negatively stated: Job 4:8 Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same.

 This is a natural law principle confirmed by observation in the ancient book of Job and a principle to which I can add my hearty, "AMEN."

Do you want to do well and get ahead in your work? Have these attitudes and be wise. DO you want o fail or just get by sitting back and being passive about the workplace, don't do these things.

I have seen the unlikely rise to positions of prominence and importanct by having and living by a strong work ethic. Years ago, it was called the Protestant work ethic. As a matter of fact, George Bankroft, an American historian originally from Worcester, called John Calvin the real father of America because of his biblical work ethic and economy.

The effects of how we live and what we do in one generation, can affect many beyond our times. It can also affect many who see and observe what we do. May the Lord give us opportunities to tell others that we work to please our heavenly master as we live in the here and now.

5. A Word to Masters

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

Two important principles:

Don't intimidate your workers in order to threaten them. You probably won't get more out of them, but will surely alienate them in their hearts. Treat them as Christ has treated you--with kindness, neighborly and grace.

Stay impartial--don't play favorites--it too will be misunderstood. Praise all who do what they ought to do and encourage all who don't. But, in all things seek to point others to Christ--to help them live as they ought they need his help: to change their hearts and renew their minds. AMEN