Ephesians 6:5

The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 6:5-9

The duties of servants and masters. I. DUTY OF SERVANTS . "Servants, be obedient unto them that according to the flesh are your masters." The Revisers have shown good judgment in retaining "servants" here, and putting "bond-servants" in the margin. For though" bond" (the same word) is in the eighth verse distinguished from "free," yet the thought requires a modification of the meaning. It would be pedantic to translate in the sixth verse "bond-servants of Christ" (or elsewhere,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 6:5-9

Servants and their masters. "Servants," etc. There are two thoughts underlying these verses. 1. The existence of social distinction , s amongst men . There are masters and servants, rulers and subjects. These distinctions are no accidental phases of society, they grow out of the constitution of things. Diversity in the temperaments, tastes, capacities, and circumstances of men give rise to masters and servants. 2. The one spirit which is to govern men of all distinctions . ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 6:5-9

Servants and masters. The early preachers of the gospel were wise in not provoking futile and fatal attempts at a social revolution by denouncing slavery. Nevertheless, they laid the foundation of that revolution and secured its peaceable and bloodless accomplishment. Slavery could not permanently survive the establishment of the principle of Christian brotherhood. Meanwhile under the then existing circumstances Christianity taught certain necessary duties of slaves and masters, the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ephesians 6:5

Servants - οἵ δοῦλοι hoi douloi. The word used here denotes one who is bound to render service to another, whether that service be free or voluntary, and may denote, therefore, either a slave, or one who binds himself to render service to another. It is often used in these senses in the New Testament, just as it is elsewhere. It cannot be demonstrated that the word here necessarily means “slaves;” though, if slavery existed among those to whom this Epistle was written - as there can be... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ephesians 6:5-8

Ephesians 6:5-8. Servants Δουλοι , bond-servants; or he may include also those that were in the station of hired servants; be obedient to your masters For the gospel does not cancel the civil rights of mankind; according to the flesh That is, who have the command of your bodies, but not of your souls and consciences. Or, the expression may mean, who are your masters according to the present state of things: hereafter the servant will be free from his master; with fear and trembling A... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ephesians 6:1-9

Christian relationships (5:21-6:9)People can have good relations with one another only as they consider one another. When they insist on their rights without considering others, they only destroy harmony and fellowship (21).In the next section Paul illustrates this principle in certain family and social relationships. In 5:22-33 he considers the the case of husbands and wives, in 6:1-4 the case of parents and children, and in 6:5-9 the case of masters and servants. In union with Christ, people... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ephesians 6:5

Servants. App-190 . masters . Greek. kurios. See App-98 . according to . App-104 . fear and trembling . Compare 1 Corinthians 2:3 , the same phrase. singleness . Greek. haplotes. See Romans 12:8 . unto = to. Christ . App-98 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Ephesians 6:5

Servants, be obedient unto them that according to the flesh are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ.This injunction addressed to slaves and masters "does not imply either approval or disapproval of the institution of slavery itself."[8] Those who understand Christianity as any kind of an attack upon the established institutions in society, should take account of the fact that the most shameful and disreputable institutions of ancient culture were... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Ephesians 6:5

5. Servants—literally, "slaves." masters according to the flesh—in contrast to your true and heavenly Master ( :-). A consolatory him that the mastership to which they were subject, was but for a time [CHRYSOSTOM]; and that their real liberty was still their own ( :-). fear and trembling—not slavish terror, but (See on :-; 2 Corinthians 7:15) an anxious eagerness to do your duty, and a fear of displeasing, as great as is produced in the ordinary slave by "threatenings" (2 Corinthians 7:15- :).... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Ephesians 6:1-9

A. Spiritual walk 4:1-6:9Paul had explained the unity of Jewish and Gentile believers in the church and had prayed for the realization of that unity in experience (Ephesians 2:11 to Ephesians 3:21). He now told how to attain a spiritual walk, namely, a life that manifests the Holy Spirit’s control."The key word in this last half of the book is walk (Ephesians 4:1; Ephesians 4:17; Ephesians 5:2; Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 5:15), while the key idea in the first half is wealth." [Note: Wiersbe,... read more

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