Ephesians 6:5-9
Serving Christ in Every Place
5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
6And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
7Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,
8because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
9And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.
Berean Standard Bible
Paul speaks to bondservants and masters in the social world of the Roman Empire. We should not flatten this passage into a modern employment manual. Enslaved people were not simply employees who could freely resign, and masters held power over people whose freedom had been taken.
Paul tells bondservants to obey their earthly masters with respect, sincerity, and as they would obey Christ. He warns them not to work only when watched, as people-pleasers, but to serve with a willing heart as servants of Christ, doing God's will from the heart.
That instruction recognizes the dignity of the person who serves: Christ sees the work and rewards what is done for Him. It must not be used to sanctify exploitation or to tell an abused person that God requires silent endurance. The letter's spiritual language gives no master permission to injure the person under his power.
Paul then addresses masters and gives them a command that changes the room: do the same toward them. Give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and the servants' Master is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.
The masters are not told that their authority makes them exceptional before God. They too answer to a Lord in heaven who shows no favoritism. Any Christian reading must take that accountability seriously.
Questions
1 What historical reality should we remember when reading this passage?
AnswerThe passage addresses bondservants and masters in the Roman world, where many people were enslaved and could not freely leave. It is not simply about modern jobs.
2 How are bondservants told to serve?
AnswerThey are told to serve sincerely and as servants of Christ, not merely to gain approval when someone is watching.
3 What does Paul tell masters to do?
AnswerHe tells masters to treat servants in the same spirit and to give up threatening. Their authority is answerable to God.
4 What does Paul say about God and favoritism?
AnswerHe says the Master of both servants and masters is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.
What This Means for Us
The passage refuses to let power hide from God. People who supervise, employ, teach, or manage others still answer to the Lord, and threatening people is incompatible with that accountability.
For modern work, faithful service means integrity even when no supervisor is watching. It does not mean accepting exploitation without help. Christian responsibility includes honest work, just treatment, and the courage to name systems that harm people.
Prayer
Lord, make us faithful in the work entrusted to us and just toward everyone under our influence. Protect people from exploitation, remove threats from positions of power, and remind us that You show no favoritism. Amen.