1 Timothy 6:1-2

The Principle Of Faithful Service Is Also To Apply To Slaves Who Become Christians, Who Are To Recognise That In Being Faithful To Their Earthly Master They Are Demonstrating Their Faithfulness to God (1 Timothy 6:1-2 ).

Those who know little about life in the 1st century AD ask why Paul did not openly and directly campaign against slavery. However, the fact is that the world at that time was based on slavery. It was as natural as breathing, and actually provided security for large numbers of people. Furthermore there were something like 60,000,000 slaves in the Roman Empire, and because of their numbers they were always regarded as potential enemies. So even the suggestion that all slaves be freed might have caused a rumbling dissension resulting in a slave revolt which would have been put down with merciless force. For the Roman Empire could not take the risk of a slave uprising. If a slave ran away and was caught, he was either executed or branded on the forehead with the letter F, which stood for fugitivus, which means runaway. There was indeed a Roman law which stated that if a master was murdered all his slaves could be examined under torture, and could be put to death in a body. Besides, slaves were often freer than ‘free-men’ and held important positions. No campaign to free slaves would have had any support from anywhere else. Campaigns against slavery that were later successful depended on a solid amount of support from like-minded people, and also from the common people, on the basis of the kind of atmosphere that Christianity had built up. Anyone campaigning that way in the 1st century AD would simply have been looked at with incredulity. Opponents would well have asked, ‘If all slaves were released where would they go and what would they do?’ The answer is that they would simply have starved, while the economy of the world would have collapsed. So anyone who attempted a direct anti-slavery campaign would have spent their time battering against a brick wall, even if they had not been permanently imprisoned. What Paul did instead was use the wiser and more successful way and undermine slavery by his positive teaching concerning freedom and equality. Among Christians ‘there is neither slave nor free-- for they are all one in Christ Jesus’, he declared (Galatians 3:28). In fact what he did was alter the moral attitude of people, and that eventually led to the banning of slavery, a campaign in which Christians played a huge part. Nor must we think of 1st century AD slavery in the same terms as slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many 1st century slaves rose to positions of great importance and were treated with great respect. They would actually have been the first to attack any anti-slavery campaigners.

So here Paul is not arguing about the rights and wrongs of slavery, which he recognises that he can do little about in the short term. He is dealing with what the attitude of a Christian slave should be towards his earthly master, probably in the light of difficulties and problems that had arisen, or were threatening to arise. For he had already given his instructions concerning masters and slaves in his previous letter to the Ephesians. He was probably aware that the masters were actually doing what he had requested, but that there had been an unfortunate reaction on the part of the slaves. They had begun to be disrespectful and even lazy (the fact that they could do so and get away with it serves to demonstrate the ease of their conditions). So Paul emphasises that they are not to be like that, but are to treat their masters with honour so that no disgrace come on the Name of God, and no discredit would come on Christianity, in such a way as to cause a great deal of harm to other Christian slaves.

And this was to be especially so where slaves had a Christian master. They must not take advantage of the fact but rather serve them the better because what they did would be benefiting a Christian. The fact that he gives no instruction concerning Christian masters may indicate that he was aware that in Ephesus the Christian masters treated their slaves well. He had certainly gives them instructions previously (Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1).

Analysis.

· Let as many as are slaves under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour (1 Timothy 6:1 a)

· That the name of God and the doctrine be not blasphemed (1 Timothy 6:1 b).

· And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brothers, but let them serve them the rather, because they who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. These things teach and exhort (1 Timothy 6:2).

Note that in ‘a’ slaves are to count their masters as worthy of honour, and in the parallel they are not to despise masters who are believers. Central in ‘b’ is the fear lest the name of God and the doctrine be blasphemed.