Ephesians 5 - Slaves and Masters

(Audio: English)

SUMMARY: The passage in Ephesians about slaves obeying their masters is a sensitive and complex topic, but it is important to understand it in the context of the ethos of the Christian faith and the time it was written in. The Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, calls for slaves to obey their earthly masters with respect and sincerity of heart, just as they would obey Christ. This idea of doing things in the Lord and in the light of eternity is a general principle for all relationships, including wives and husbands, children and parents, and slaves and masters. Christianity brought a totally new way of looking at human relationships, treating all people with equality and dignity. The passage may be scandalous to modern sensibilities, but it is important to try to understand it without doing violence to its meaning.

The scandalous nature of some passages in the Bible, such as the one about slaves obeying their masters, can be difficult to accept. However, it is important to understand the cultural and historical context in which they were written. Christianity was a new religion being persecuted and suspected by the authorities, so it was important for them to show that they were respectful citizens who did not seek to topple the system. This evangelistic approach aimed to win people over to Christianity and allow it to spread and become more influential in society. The Christian perspective is eternal and not history-bound, and the power of the cross is the most revolutionary, system-tearing weapon that was ever devised. Christians should use the instruments of the cross to neutralize and absorb power, rather than resist it. The Apostle Paul's advice to obey masters enthusiastically and do good to those who persecute you is an example of this principle. The goal is to overcome evil with good.

The passage on slavery in the Bible is complex and requires a deeper understanding of the historical context and principles of the cross. Jesus defeated evil through the cross and Christians should follow his example by waging active good with love rather than violence. The Holy Spirit's message to Philemon about treating his slave as a brother reveals a moral system of increased dignity for all human beings. Christians should never oppress anyone and should have reverence for the divine image in each person. We should wield the sword of God's word to put down injustice and live righteous lives.

The book of Ephesians, and as you know, my intention originally was to take those 3 categories of relationships: wives and husbands, children and parents, slaves and masters; and look at that as a whole. But the Lord has lead us in a different way and we’ve been studying one group each and so we come to third group tonight, which is slaves obeying masters.

It’s a very sensitive topic, boy. You know, I really got into hot water. Personally, I’d love to go just right through it, passed it almost, because it is so sensitive and so difficult to really get the essence of what is here, particularly in the light of modern understanding of justice. It seems so scandalous in a way and sometimes counter cultural the way that scripture confronts this issue, that you really need to go deep into the ethos, if you will, of the Christian faith and the context in which that passage was written in order to really understand the full intent, the full meaning of what the Apostle Paul was writing about.