Ephesians 6:6

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

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 6:6

Not in the spirit of eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the bond-servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Exegetical of the last exhortation, with a negative and a positive clause, according to the apostle's frequent practice (comp. Ephesians 2:8 , Ephesians 2:19 ; Ephesians 3:5 ; Ephesians 4:14 , Ephesians 4:15 , Ephesians 4:25 , Ephesians 4:28 , Ephesians 4:29 ; Ephesians 5:18 , Ephesians 5:27 , Ephesians 5:29 ; Ephesians 6:4 ). Eye-service and... read more

Albert Barnes

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

Nor with eye-service - That is, not with service rendered only under the eye of the master, or when his eye is fixed on you. The apostle has here adverted to one of the evils of involuntary servitude as it exists everywhere. It is, that the slave will usually obey only when the eye of the master is upon him. The freeman who agrees to labor for stipulated wages may be trusted when the master is out of sight; but not the slave. Hence the necessity where there are slaves of having “drivers” who... 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 6:6

with = according to. App-104 . eyeservice . Only here and. Colossians 3:22 . menpleasers . Only here and Colossians 3:22 . the . Omit. will . App-102 . God . App-98 . from . App-104 . heart = soul. App-110 . Ephesians 6:2 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Ephesians 6:6

Not in the way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.Eyeservice ... refers to the slave (or other workman) who is diligent to appear busy only when the boss is looking. It is the opposite of work done out of good will with love and integrity.Men-pleasers ... A motive far higher than winning approval of inspectors or superiors marks the work of Christians, that of considering every task as "the will of God," and striving to please him in... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Ephesians 6:6

Ephesians 6:6. Not with eye-service,— "Not as attending on their business only while their master's eyes are upon them." Grotius takes notice of the great elegance of the compound words made use of here in the original; which our translators have endeavoured to imitate. But as the Greek abounds more in such compound words than any other language, so St. Paul has frequently introduced them in his writ read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

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

6. ( :-). Seeking to please their masters only so long as these have their eyes on them: as Gehazi was a very different man in his master's presence from what he was in his absence ( :-). men-pleasers—not Christ-pleasers (compare Galatians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4). doing the will of God—the unseen but ever present Master: the best guarantee for your serving faithfully your earthly master alike when present and when absent. from the heart—literally, soul (Psalms 111:1; Romans 13:5). 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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