Be Faithful to Your Master.1 Timothy 6:1-2.
Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. Those who have believing masters must not be respectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.
Dear Citizens of Heaven,
We now turn to matters at the workplace. The Roman labor framework relied heavily on slavery. Anywhere between a third and two-thirds of the population of the Roman empire in the first century was or had at one time been slaves. Slavery in Roman times, while still an unfair practice, was not the dehumanizing, racial slavery of Europe, America, and Asia of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. All the same, Paul’s teaching here is not justification or endorsement of slavery. It is meant to help Christians cope with a prevailing situation. Some Christians assume that every social imbalance and injustice must be resolved immediately.
The reality is that social justice is ever-evolving, as we better understand and appreciate God’s desire for us. Attempting to solve a problem abruptly can result in greater upheaval and injustice. African independence is a case in point. Because of the urgency, particularly because of the unfairness and discrimination of most colonizers, independence was rushed. The colonizers did not prepare most Africans to govern themselves. The aftermath of that is evident in the almost continent-wide poor governance in Africa. A more recent example is the Arab Spring. Most of the countries that underwent the revolution are either no better, or worse than before the revolution.
For the Sake of the Faith (v. 1). The name of God is honoured when believers are faithful. Christians are to honour masters because that is in agreement with the teaching of the faith. In modern times, this applies to employers and those they put in authority over employees. Whether the boss is evil or saintly, the Christian is called upon to honour him.
For the Sake of the Fellowship (v. 2). The fact that the master is a Christian and a brother is not justification for dishonesty, unfaithfulness, or disrespect. On the contrary, the Christian ought to serve with more diligence because the beneficiary is a beloved brother. One of the tragedies of our time is Christians who are unfaithful in the workplace. Worse, some even steal from Christian employers. Be faithful. Honor the boss. Serve as to God (Colossians 3:23).
Your loving Pastor Chris.