Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything …
Summary: Understanding Paul’s words often depends on understanding the Greek word he uses. In this case, the word “slave” can be misleading if we don’t look deeper.
The use of the word “slaves” in this passage is disturbing to a lot of people. It should be. Forcing people to serve us under threat of torture or death is horrible. It is basically stealing people’s lives from them.
If this passage were all about slaves, we could skip it and move on.
But it’s not.
The Greek word Paul used is “doûlos.” This word can be used to mean “slave,” but it can also mean servant. Strong’s Concordance is careful to note that it covers both “involuntary or voluntary” service.
What does this mean for us?
Remember that phrase many of us hope to hear from the Lord someday? In the parable of the servants trusted with the master’s bags of gold, those who managed the money well heard, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)
The word for “servant” in Greek is “doûlos,” the same word Paul uses here. While most English translations use the word “slave” in this context, about a third of these translations use “servant.”
So what? What does it mean if we use the word “servant?”
We are all servants to someone.
In another parable, Jesus asks, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household …?” (Matthew 24:45) Everyone who serves is a servant, so Paul’s words apply to us all.
What, then, is our “earthly master?” Isn’t our modern word for such people the “boss?”
Looked at this way, Paul’s words hit a little closer to home.
Who doesn’t serve someone else, at least at some point in their lives? We all do? As kids, we “serve” our parents. When we work to earn money we are really “serving” our boss. The boss, in turn, serves his boss, and the owners of the business serve their customers. We all have to serve somebody.
Paul, speaking for Jesus, tells us to “obey your earthly masters in everything.”
Obedience is a hard lesson for most of us. We prefer to be in charge. It is true that it is “more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), but it is also true that we all prefer to give orders rather than receive them. That said, we can’t all be the boss.
There are times we just have to do what we’re told and Paul wants us to do it well.
Application: Obedience honors God.
Food for Thought: What do you think Paul means by “everything?”
Thanks for the devotion today brother – very well done.
The Greek word for everything is “panta.” It means everything 😊. It is often translated as all. The whole entirety is in view.
There is an exception that we see in Scripture. That is when the “all” we are to obey in conflicts with a higher authority. And God is the highest authority.
Acts 5: 29: 29Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!“
God and His word hold supreme authority in our lives and He is the ultimate boss.
Thank you, Rich!
I appreciate you pointing us to the exception! That is very important to understand.
PS – Thanks for explaining “panta!” 🙂
Thank you Rich, you expressed a great truth with few words!
What do you think Paul means by “everything?”
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary:
Whatever pertains to the subject under consideration; all things.
The biblical concept of everything:
The entirety of all God’s creation, His sovereign rule, and His providential care. It calls believers to trust in His purposes, steward His gifts responsibly, and maintain an eternal perspective of His divine plan.
Gods Will, always trumps the will of men:
Genesis 39, Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
Exodus 2:1-10, The mother of Moses disobeyed Pharaoh’s decree
Exodus 12:31-32, Pharaoh orders Moses to take Israelites and leave.
Daniel 3:1-28, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego
Daniel 6:10, Daniel obeys God over King Darius, openly prays to God.
Ester 7:3, Ester Risked her life to save her people from kings decree.
Joshua 2:6, Rahab protected the Israelite spies, defying her king’s orders.
Acts 4:18-20, Peter and John, Ignored the Sanhedrin’s command to stop
preaching about Jesus.
Luke 3:19, John the Baptist – Spoke out against King Herod’s immoral actions,
leading to his imprisonment and killed.
Throughout the New Testament Paul continued to preach the Gospel despite facing persecution and imprisonment, and death from authorities, and Jesus willingly gave His life as He lived in obedience to Gods will over there will of men.
Wow, Ron!
Nice recap on biblical history!
I like the phrase “subject under consideration,” too!
I think Paul means wholeheartedly, without reservation or separation of duties. I think it is hard for us to imagine being a servant in the context that Paul uses because we have lived a life that is compartmentalized between work and home life. We are accustomed to a “quittin’ time.” Being a servant of Christ means there is no “quittin’ time.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Great point, Chris!
Some servants are never “off duty.”