Ephesians 6:5-9·~1 min

Serving with Honor

Paul tells slaves to obey with sincerity and wholehearted service as servants of Christ rather than as people-pleasers, knowing that the Lord will reward every good deed whether done by slave or free. Masters are to act in the same spirit and give up threats, since both they and their servants answer to the same Master in heaven who shows no partiality.

S⁵laves, 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.

Section summaryPaul tells slaves to obey earthly masters sincerely as serving Christ rather than merely pleasing people, since the Lord sees and rewards every good deed. He then tells masters to do the same in kind, leaving off threats because both master and slave share the same Lord in heaven, who shows no partiality.

Role in the chapterThis section presses the lordship of Christ into relations of work and power. It relativizes earthly hierarchy by placing both sides under the same heavenly Master.