1 Timothy 6:1 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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1 Timothy 6:1

Comments

These are such important words for us today. There were of course many slaves in New Testament times, and particularly in the Roman world. The masters of these slaves had absolute power over them, and indeed the Greek word here translated ‘masters’ is the very word that we have taken in the English language as ‘despots’. Why that word? Because it refers to absolute power of ownership and absolute authority. The master of a slave could do with his slaves anything he liked. He could beat them, whip them, expect anything of them. There were no contracts of employment; there were no conditions of service. There was no limit to what a master could do to a slave in those days. And yet, even in that context, Paul says, ‘Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour.’ The more you look at the text, the more remarkable it is. Think too of that word ‘yoke’. The slave was under a yoke, just like an animal. Just as the oxen were under the yoke, so a slave was bearing a burden under a yoke of control and constraint constantly. In those days there were slaves who were prisoners of war. There were slaves who were condemned criminals, who were sentenced to slavery rather than imprisonment. That was one way in which the ancient world had far, far fewer prisons than the modern world. They did not spend their money on prisons. So much they had some, but not very many. They simply put people into slavery. Many who were criminals and their slavery was a life sentence. It might be for a small theft, but that's what it was. There were many who were enslaved because they were debtors, and there were many who were enslaved simply because they had been kidnapped and sold into slavery. Tragically, there were many people who were slaves because they had been sold into slavery by their parents – maybe vicious and heartless parents, or maybe sorrowing parents who were destitute, who had no other way out of their dilemma. Then there were others who were born as slaves: they were the children of slaves. If you were the child of a slave, you were owned absolutely by the same master that owned your parents. In the Roman world, doctors were very often slaves and barbers and all kinds of trades. You didn't have to be just the offscouring of society to be a slave. Many masters had their slaves trained. They were trained and educated, capable people, when by some means or another they came into slavery. They carried on their trades as slaves. It simply meant they didn't get paid. And yet, here is the command, ‘Count their own masters’ –whatever you think of them – ‘worthy of all honour’, which means to say that they are to be treated with respect, that they are to be obeyed, and obeyed with a good and a willing and a friendly spirit. Now that is a tremendous command. That is the standard of righteousness for the Christian believer in times of slavery. How much more is it the standard of righteousness for today!

Application

If this was the duty of slaves, how much more is it the absolute duty of Christian believers in a free society in this present age! This is what has to be taught. We have to teach the work ethic, and the doctrine of employment and the doctrine of subservience to authority in the Christian life. It is so important we do not allow the world to rub off on us. It is common that as Christian people, we do not honour employers. We do not honour authorities over us. We behave like thoroughgoing worldlings and these commands are given even to slaves. So we have to observe them and study them and understand them.

Some reasons are given; further reasons are given in other texts also. Here it is that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. Ultimately the honour of God is at stake. Christian men and women must have such sanctified lives and such reasonable disposition and willing and cheerful and happy disposition in all things, that the doctrine of God and the gospel is never discredited on account of them. No ground must be given for abuse, for blasphemy, for discrediting the doctrine of Christ on account of the conduct of slaves. What counts more than anything is not my rights or your rights or how we are treated, what counts more than anything is the honour of God, the honour of Christ, the Gospel of Christ, the spiritual needs, the souls of those around us, however unreasonable they are. The testimony of the gospel is paramount in the life of a Christian believer, absolutely paramount. The most important thing is that the master, the despot, thinks well of Christ, and maybe personally is attracted to Jesus Christ. The paramount thing is that that person comes to marvel at the sanctification of a Christian person, at the meekness and the self-control, at the deep respect that that person is capable of and the goodwill, no matter how that person is treated; that a testimony emerges and that that testimony is on no account spoiled. That is the teaching of the word of God: that wherever we are, wherever providence has placed us, our first thought is to the Lord and to the testimony and to the souls of men and not to our particular situation.

This is not only sanctified Christian conduct which will redound to the credit and glory of the gospel in so many ways. It tells your employer that you are the sort of person you claim to be. He can see from all this that at the end of the day, you have principles that govern your life, and what happens on this world is not the beginning and end of everything for you. If he wants you to follow a particular plan, you'll do that even though you don't necessarily agree with it. It will greatly be to your credit and in the way in which you are estimated by others. But furthermore it will be good for your own spirit. Instead of chafing, instead of being crushed by every rebuff, instead of being a very sensitive person and a very tense person, you will work cheerfully. The word of God says to you, ‘You have had your say. You have put your point of view when you were asked for it. Now you accept the policy and with all your enthusiasm you follow it even if it wasn't what seemed to you the right way in the first place.’

Questions

The Scriptures are against slavery by and large, even though it was permitted in ancient times for various purposes. The will of God is against slavery. Slavery is a wretched business and an evil business, and it was through the influence of the word of God that finally it was done away with in most parts of the world. But whilst slavery prevails in society, these are the instructions to Christian people. Unreasonable as they may be, vicious as they may be, godless as they may be, slaves are to count their own masters worthy of all honour.

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Introduction

1 Timothy 6:1 Commentary and Bible Study

Explain meaning of 1 Timothy 6:1