#1493. Slaves, Obey (13/4/26)
- Matt Beaney
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 21 hours ago
Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we Continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.
From Ephesians 6:5, we reflect on how Christianity’s teaching and power contain the seed to change the world - but we must all beware of being a captive to our culture.
To watch this devotional, please select the link below:
‘Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.’ (Ephesians 6:5)
A Difficult Command
In this section on godly submission, Paul moves from marriage and parenting to address slaves and their masters.
We might instinctively prefer, ‘Slaves, defy your masters!’ Yet Paul calls them to obey - with respect, sincerity, and a Christ-centred heart. This is not an endorsement of injustice, but a call to live under Christ’s lordship in whatever situation they found themselves.
At the time, a significant proportion of the population - likely over a third in the Roman world - were slaves. Paul is speaking into a reality that was deeply embedded in society.
A Broken System
Slavery in the Roman world varied greatly. Some were treated as part of the household, while others were abused and exploited.
Although it differed in many ways from the race-based slavery of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, it was still a system marked by inequality and, often, suffering.
Seeds of Transformation
While the Bible does not directly call for the immediate abolition of slavery, it introduces truths that ultimately undermine it:
All people are made in God’s image
In Christ, there is “neither slave nor free” (Galatians 3:28)
Believers belong to one family
We are called to love and serve one another sacrificially (Jesus washing His disciples’ feet for example).
These gospel truths reshape how people see one another - not as property, but as brothers and sisters.
From Slave to Brother
In Paul’s letter to Philemon, he appeals on behalf of Onesimus, a runaway slave who has become a Christian:
‘No longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother… both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.’ (Philemon 1:16)
Here, Paul reframes identity. Onesimus is not merely a servant - he is family. Such a vision quietly but powerfully erodes the very foundation of slavery.
The Gospel at Work in History
In later centuries, these biblical convictions bore visible fruit. Following the Evangelical Revival, Christians such as John Wesley spoke out against slavery, influencing groups like the Clapham Sect - including William Wilberforce - who laboured for its abolition.
A note from the ESV Study Bible on 1 Corinthians 7:21): ‘The Roman institution of being a “bondservant” or “slave” (Gk. doulos; see ESV footnote and Preface) was different from the institution of slavery in North America during the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries. Slaves (bondservants, servants) generally were permitted to work for pay and to save enough to buy their freedom (see Matt. 25:15 where the “servants” [again Gk. doulos] were entrusted with immense amounts of money and responsibility). The NT assumes that trafficking in human beings is a sin (1 Tim. 1:10; Rev. 18:11–13), and Paul urges Christian bondservants who can gain . . . freedom to do so. The released bondservant was officially designated a “freedman” and frequently continued to work for his former master. Many extant inscriptions from freedmen indicate the tendency to adopt the family name of their former master (now their “patron”) and to continue honouring them.’ (ESV Study Bible)
Response - A Challenge for Us
Christians in every age have been shaped, for better or worse, by the cultures around them. This issue reminds us how easily we can accommodate what God intends to transform.
The call of this passage is not just about slavery - it is about living under Christ’s lordship wherever we are.
Do we obey Christ sincerely, even in difficult circumstances?
Do we treat others with dignity, as those made in God’s image?
Are there areas where our thinking has been shaped more by culture than by Scripture?
Community Group Study
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
Something that builds relationships and confidence to share; it’s good to regularly use this moment to ask the group: How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.
On Sunday, we resumed our series: Ephesians: to the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.
We reflected on the vital role of work in our service to God.
Please read Ephesians 6:5-9 and discuss:
Personal Reflection – From Sunday’s message and this passage, what stood out to you? Was there anything the Spirit particularly impressed on your heart?
Our Daily Work as Worship - What is your daily work - even if you are not in paid employment, how do you serve God each day?
Biblical Principles for Work - What principles does this text teach about how we are to do our work?
Eternal Perspective and Reward - How does the Lord ‘reward’ us for faithfully serving Him in our daily work?
SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)
Exemplary work brings God glory - Read Titus 2:9-10: How does the way we work make the gospel attractive?
Sharing Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.
Practical Next Steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?
Let’s Pray Together
Let’s pray for one another in light of what we’ve studied and bring any other needs before God.
Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.
Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.
General prayer: From our study, or from personal needs, how do people want prayer?
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