26 October 2022

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey Christ; not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord, whether we are slaves or free.

And, masters, do the same to them. Stop threatening them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and with him there is no partiality.

From Ephesians 6:1-9, NRSV

In this letter to the Ephesians we have been hearing advice to different groups on how to live as Christians. The final pieces of advice focus on obedience in the family and household. It may be hard for us to understand why the author would advise slaves in the way that he does with a seeming acceptance of their role. However, the advice given would probably have seemed very radical at a time when slaves had not even the right to life and were often treated brutally. The author recognises their right to dignity and purpose in their work when few others would have done so. The strongly worded instruction to masters makes it very clear that they also had responsibilities and that to God both they and their slaves were of equal standing.

• • How do you suppose this advice was received at the time?
  • What relevance does this advice have for our life as Christians today?

You may like to pray today for all whose lives are not given the dignity they deserve – and especially for victims of Modern Slavery.