Colossians 4:1 Commentary and Bible Study

Believing masters are to feel they owe something even to slaves? That was unheard of. That virtually ended slavery in a way – it turned the slave into a servant. ‘Just and equal’ – the word equal can mean different things. It can mean fair – ‘Give your bondslaves that which is just and fair.’ Literally, it is ‘the equality’ or ‘fairness’. Paul is not telling believing masters to immediately release all their slaves; he does not say this, but instead gives instruction to masters, which are to be carried out within the ongoing institution of slavery. If he had meant them to release all slaves, he would not have added the final statement: ‘knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven’; that would no longer be relevant if there were no masters on earth anymore. What he means is treat your slaves with respect as human beings, even though they have the status of slaves in society. Do not take advantage of them because of your position of power over them. Be fair to them and make their lives as pleasant as they can be to the extent that that is possible for slaves. We think of the Roman centurion and his care for his slave. This led him to ask Christ to heal him, although at the same time he declined to have Christ come under his roof but requested the Lord to heal the slave at a distance (Luke 7). The word ‘equal’ should not be understood to mean that the master was to treat the slave as his equal in the society of those days. Certainly master and slave are equal spiritually before God, but the Christian gospel is not a revolutionary force in society. That equality in society must come through legitimate means. The instruction here is given to masters while the institution of slavery still continues. Rather, he is to treat them even-handedly, fairly, not punishing them for fictitious offences, rewarding them adequately, making sure they are fed and clothed, and giving them regular times of rest. Under the law God’s command to every Israelite was, ‘Thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates’ (Exodus 20:10). Slaves or servants were also to benefit from the sabbath day.Nevertheless, the principle of equality must work its way out in society, leading to the eventual total emancipation of slaves – given the meaning of the Greek word. If you deal on this basis with slaves then the notion that I am entitled to this service because I am superior and he owes me a debt – that notion is gone. Gift for gift – just as you have been treated by God with grace, then return grace to others, including your slaves. If you have bought him and think you can keep him lifelong, then think again. Equal is equal in the sight of God and that is the perfect society to which all believers are heading. In heaven masters and slaves will be equal and all earthly distinctions will belong to the past.