Gifts of Grace: Blossom Where You are Planted

From prison, Paul wrote to the church in Philippi:

… I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11b-13)

We delight in reminding each other to be content, whatever the circumstances—and it sounds good in the abstract—but do we realize the radical nature of this call?

Ephesians 6:5-9

Commentary

Compare Eph. 6:5-9 with Col. 3:22-4:1. How does this parallel passage help you to understand today’s text?

v5 Slaves, obey ... A more literal translation is, "Slaves, obey your lords in the flesh with respect and fear in sincerity of your heart, as to Christ." There is a parallel between our fleshly master and our spiritual master—there should be no difference in the respect and awe rendered to either.

v6 The proverb, "Character is what you’re doing when no one is watching," applies here. Whether we are slaves to God or slaves to sin, what we are doing when earthly masters cannot see defines who we are.

v7 The "if" in the NIV translation is unnecessary & misleading, for indeed we are serving the Lord even as we serve men.

v8 In a sense, doing good when nobody is watching is storing up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:20).

v9 Masters, just as slaves, are to do good when no one is watching. Indeed, in the Bible, those in power are held to a higher standard, for they have the wherewithal to do what is right (Micah 2:1-2).

Application

Paul’s instructions to slaves (1 Cor. 7:17-24; Eph. 6:5-8; Col. 3:22-4:1; 1 Tim. 6:1-2; Titus 2:9-10; Philemon) historically have been misconstrued to justify slavery. [1] In Paul’s time, it is estimated that 85-90% of the Roman Empire was slaves. There were very few freemen, nothing like the modern-day middle class. Not only was most of the working class slaves, many artists, physicians, teachers, and philosophers were slaves as well. Children of slaves were slaves; however, financial pressure might force freemen into slavery as well.

How does that differ from how you seek employment today? How often does an employer make demands on your time to which you accede in order to retain your job?

On the other hand, slaves frequently earned a wage & could buy their way out of slavery. Often masters leased their slaves out for work, e.g. working in a mine, where the slaves would work side-by-side with freemen. The slaves retained 1/3 of their wages, while their masters received the other 2/3. In the same way, slaves often ran a business in their spare time; they would split the profits from the business with their masters. In either case, the slaves could use their savings to buy their freedom.

How does that differ from employment today? In capitalism, owners make their profit from the surplus value of the work of the employees; by that logic, employees are not paid their full value.

Some will say that our lives are different today, because slavery was often involuntary and one could not easily extricate oneself from slavery.

How is that different from employment today? Can you quit your job tomorrow? Karl Marx considered all workers, in a sense, slaves until they took control of the means of production.

However, slavery was frequently voluntary, and one submitted to a master willingly.

How is that different from your spiritual life today? The things that control your life—are they material, or spiritual? Are you a slave to sin, or to God? To which do you submit willingly?

As much as Paul spoke of slaves submitting to their masters, Paul much more frequently spoke of slavery as bondage to God or, on the other hand, bondage to ungodly forces (e.g. Romans 6). Your earthly boss, your master—whether a supervisor, owner, teacher, or client—is the visible image of your invisible God. How you serve the one you can see—especially when he cannot see you—Is evidence of whom you serve.

As in the case of Paul’s earlier instructions to husbands and wives (Eph. 5:22-33) Paul was addressing the church in Ephesus, a Christian community. The expectation was that those reading or hearing Paul’s letter were Christians, or working with Christians. The expectation was that either the slave, the master, or both, were Christians. Paul spoke about slaves and masters only because that was the economic system of his day. He was not condoning slavery; he was simply speaking to the culture of the day. The problem in every age for Christians is, "Now that I am a Christian, free to live for God, what have I been freed from?" (Do I have to work? Do I have to abide by what society says? Can I just live above the law and do whatever I want?)

Paul’s answer is simple, but not necessarily what we want to hear. Paul’s answer is, "Stay put."

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13)

In the context of Christians primarily relating to other Christians, the rule is an act of trust: trust that God has you where he wants you; trust that you serve God best by serving your boss (or your subordinate) to the best of your ability; trust that you are earning a reward in heaven for those good deeds that go unseen.

Points to Ponder

If Paul had lived during the Middle Ages, he might have said instead, "Serfs, obey your feudal lord." If Paul lived in America, he might have said, "Employees, obey your bosses." What might Paul say to somebody today living on welfare? What might Paul say to somebody today working in a union?

Do you work differently if people are watching you? (I wonder if the shame and guilt are losing their power to motivate. I know lots of people who seem pretty apathetic about work regardless of who is watching. What do you think?)

I maintain that Paul is giving advice to Christians primarily working with other Christians. Do you think Paul might give different advice to Christians primarily working with non-Christians? Is there any Biblical basis for thinking that he might give different advice regarding working with non-Christians? [2]

What if you’re slave to a job that forces you to make compromises—working Sundays, shady business practices, taking advantage of clients and vendors, etc.—what would Paul say to you?

End Notes

1 - For an overview of the history of Christian attitudes towards slavery, check out the Wikipedia article "Christianity and Slavery". Verses like the ones today were used by the Confederate states to justify slavery. Most denominations split prior to the Civil War over the issue of abolition. For example, the Southern Baptist Convention was formed in 1845 when the American Baptist Home Mission Society refused to appoint a slaver owner as a missionary. Likewise, the Presbyterian Church in the United States was formed in 1861 by churches in Southern and border states.

The fact that Christians can simultaneously interpret the Bible to condone and forbid slavery should give us pause when we assert that our interpretation of the Bible is the one and only correct interpretation. God’s word is true and completely infallible; however, our interpretations of God’s word can be very fallible and perhaps even false. If Christians 150 years ago tried to justify slavery, and 75 years ago tried to justify segregation, what will Christians in 75 years shake their heads in disbelief that we could have believed?

2 - Hint: how about 2 Cor. 6:14? The warning to not be unequally yoked is frequently interpreted as applying to marriage, but read the verse in context. A yoke in the NT always has the sense of being a burden (insert your favorite marriage joke here ...).