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 in no case frontally assaulted by Christianity. Some who should know better are embarrassed by this; but there were reasons grounded in the greatest wisdom, why such an open attack was not made. See discussion of this in my Commentary on 1 Corinthians 7:21.

With fear and trembling ... "This is not advice for the slave to cringe before his master, but is to be taken in close relationship with the words, as unto Christ."[9]

In singleness of your heart ... This means, "Not merely through fear of punishment, but from a principle of uprightness."[10]

As unto Christ ... All work must be done, by all people, slaves included, as being performed under the eye of God. Every piece of work a Christian does must be good enough for God to see. The economic and labor problems of the world, especially acute today, are not primarily economic at all. The problem which the world faces is a religious problem. Barclay observed that:

We will never make men good workmen by increasing pay, bettering conditions or heightened rewards. It is a Christian duty to see to these things, of course; but in themselves they will never produce good work. The only secret of good workmanship is that it is done for God.[11]

[8] Francis W. Beare, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. X (New York: Abingdon Press, 1963), p. 732.

[9] Ibid., p. 733.

[10] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (London: Carlton and Porter), in loco.

[11] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 215.