49
The
Responsibilities of Employees and Employers
(Eph.
6:5-9)
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
We recall
that the division of Ephesians we have been studying is called, “Walk In
Submission.” We have seen in great detail that we are to walk in submission in
the home, that each family member submits according to God’s order.
But Paul
here mentions another area in which we are to walk in submission, and that is
in the area of employee and employer relationships. This emphasis might seem
strange at first until one thinks of labor relations in the past and present.
Historically, one can read (and some folks can even remember) the violence that
ragged in the early days of the labor unions. Some of this continues today.
Today many employees want more money and benefits with fewer hours of work.
Many employers want more production with as little overhead, in the form of
wages and benefits, as possible. It is quite easy for us to see the problem
that is true on both sides, and that problem is self-centeredness and greed.
Instead of there being a submission to God’s standards, where everyone does all
he can to get along with others, there is the humanistic drive to satisfy only
self.
How can
the problem be solved? Some advocate Socialism or even Communism, where
everyone is supposedly equal and receives an equal portion. Both systems are
not only a lie, but it has been proven over and over again that neither of
these philosophies works either socially or economically. Sadly, many political
Liberals in America and several policies they have succeeded in getting made
into law are socialistic, because the hallmark of such a system is the
redistribution of wealth.
Still
others have tried Collectivism, where all control of economic activity is in
the hands of a community or government because, it is believed, economic power
is too important to be left in the hands of individuals. But the fact is that
there is no better earthly system than the free trade system (or as some
radicals prefer to spit out the word Capitalism). Is Capitalism perfect? Of
course not! Man is depraved and will pervert any system to his own advantage.
Abuses of Capitalism are on the record, but they pale to virtual insignificance
when compared to the abuses of others systems.
Once
again, however, God’s Word has the answer. It declares that there are standards
that both the employee and the employer must follow. Let us take each of these
in-turn and see what his responsibility is.
I. The Submission of the Employee (vs. 5-8)
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Let us
further divide this point into seven emphases.
The Meaning Of The Word
“Servant”
What does
God’s Word mean by this word servants? Slavery is an insidious thing,
and it is slavery that is in view in our text. The Greek here is doulos
which literally means “slave, bondservant.” Paul was not dealing primarily with
hired servants but with literal slaves. He is, therefore, speaking here to
slaves who are believers and instructs them on how they are to conduct
themselves. But may we interject here that it is impossible to expound this
passage without first understanding what slavery is and what God says about it.
Let us take a look at history starting in the present and going backwards.[1]
First, there is slavery in modern times.
Today there are countless millions of people who are enslaved in Southeast
Asia, Africa, China, and many other places around the globe. Nazi Germany
followed the ancient practice of making slaves of conquered people. Of course,
the Soviet Union was notorious for that; it sent countless people, who it
dubbed “political prisoners,” to the gulags, where they suffered horribly.
Second, consider slavery in American
history. The first slaves, twenty negroes, were brought to Virginia in 1619 and
within 150 years that number grew to about a half a million. When captured in
Africa such slaves were often forced to travel on foot for as much as 1,000
miles; those who fell from exhaustion were left to the wild animals. The slave
ships which carried them to America had multiple levels of cubicles, each not
much larger than a coffin, in which each slave would lay for the duration of
the journey. One can only imagine the darkness, the stench, and the suffering
that involved. The ultimate step was the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in
1857. The Dred Scott decision declared that black people were not “legal
persons” according to the U.S. Constitution. Is it not interesting that this is
exactly what the Supreme Court said about unborn babies in 1973? To make
matters worse, it was proven before the Civil War began that slavery was
actually economically unprofitable. Why then did men want to hold on to it?
While several theories have been offered, the biblical one is that there is a
desire within man’s depravity to dominate and enslave others.
Third, there was the slavery in Western
Europe. Prior to the slavery in America, there was a similar situation in
Western Europe that was lead by Spain and Portugal. The Spaniards not only
enslaved the Negro, but they also enslaved, and all but exterminated, the
Indians in certain locations.
Fourth, we consider slavery in the Roman
Empire. In some respects slaves were treated better in Rome than in other
societies. For example, as far as many of the Romans were concerned a slave was
an agricultural tool that was too valuable to mistreat.
But still
there was abounding barbarism. As far back as Aristotle, slaves were just
things. In his book, On Farming, the famous 1st Century Roman
scholar Varro classified
farm implements into three classes: the inarticulate (which were animals), the
mute (which were tools and vehicles), and the articulate (which were slaves).
In that spirit, Cato,
the great Roman statesman, advised that the new owner of a farm should throw
out everything that was not useful, which included throwing the old slaves on
the scrap heap to starve because they were just broken tools. A slave that ran away but was then
caught and returned was sometimes killed or at least had his forehead branded with
the letter F for Fugitivus.
One source
of slaves, of course, was war; thousands of slaves were won in wars with
surrounding civilizations. But Rome was not satisfied with that. She had an
insatiable thirst for slave labor, so she began the practices of slave raiding
and slave trading. Slaves became so cheap that they were freely sacrificed in
the gladiatorial games and even pitted against wild animals in the coliseum. Ancient
historians estimate that there were some 60,000,000 slaves in the Roman Empire,
or about one-half the population. In
Paul’s day a lethargy had settled on the citizens of Rome. They felt that since
Rome was “the mistress of the world” that it was, therefore, beneath their
dignity to work. Because of this, slaves did all the work; even doctors,
teachers, secretaries, and financial stewards were slaves.
Again,
masters were often good to their slaves, and there was even genuine affection
among some. But the rule was that the life of a slave was a terrible one.
Juvenal, a famous Roman satirist, tells of a Roman matron who ordered a slave
killed only because she lost her temper with him. He also records these words
about one master, “[He] delights in the sound of a cruel flogging, thinking it
sweeter than a siren’s song.” He also tells of the master “who summons a
torturer and brands the slave because a couple of towels are lost.” Gaius, the
famous Roman lawyer, said, “We may note that it is universally accepted that
the master possesses the power of life and death over the slave.”
Mistresses
often ordered a maid’s hair torn out, their cheeks torn with the mistress’
fingernails, and their private parts violated with foreign objects. Augustus
crucified a slave who accidentally killed his pet quail, and Pollio threw a
slave into a pond of deadly lamprey eels simply because the slave broke a
crystal goblet.
Does not
all this show how insidious a thing slavery is? Like abortion, slavery
demonstrates the depth of man’s depravity. Man’s inhumanity to man is beyond
comprehension!
Fifth, there was the slavery among the
Greeks. Things were much the same under the Greeks as they were under the
Romans. In the city of Athens most slaves were treated well; some were even
considered part of the family. But those in the silver mines south of the city
suffered every brutality. They were manacled and literally worked to death.
Aristotle, who oddly enough has been praised as one of the greatest
philosophers in history, maintained, “A slave is a living tool, just as a tool
is an inanimate slave.”
Sixth, we consider slavery in the light
of the Mosaic Law. What does God say? When the Law was given, slavery was
universally accepted throughout the world because, as we pointed out earlier,
this attitude is part of man’s depravity. Therefore, instead of banning slavery
and causing total culture shock, the Law carefully restricted it. The Hebrews
could only be hired servants, not bondservants, that is, slaves (Lev.
25:39-40). This situation usually came because of debts that could not be paid
any other way. Such a Hebrew could be redeemed at any time by a relative (Lev.
25:48) but was still freed after six years regardless (Ex. 21:2; Deut. 15:12-14), unless they voluntarily chose to remain
(Ex. 21:5–6). If a
master abused a slave,
the slave was to be set free (Ex. 21:26–27). Religious rights were also
protected, such as enjoying the Sabbath rest (Ex. 20:10). Foreigners (Non-Hebrews) also
became slaves; some became slaves the same way Hebrews did; others were
captured in war. But the Law protected even these.
Here,
then, we already see a seed that God planted against slavery, that the Bible
does not condone slavery in way, shape, or form. It was forbidden, for example,
to kidnap anyone to make them a slave (Ex. 21:16). That fact proves without
argument that Americans and Europeans who practiced slavery were wrong! What
Theological blasphemy it was for so-called Christians of the Pre-Civil War era
to argue for slavery on “Biblical” grounds! It was ludicrous! Furthermore,
Non-Hebrew slaves enjoyed most of the same religious privileges as the
Israelites, including: the rest of the Sabbath (Ex. 20:10), the attendance of
national festivals (Deut. 16:10-11), and the privilege to gather for the
reading of the Law (Deut. 31:10-13). Asylum was even given to runaway slaves
(Deut. 23:15-16). So, God’s Law protected everyone from the abuses of slavery.
It is extremely significant, then, that as a result of the influence of the
Law, slavery among the Jews had virtually disappeared by Jesus’ time. We
say again: no one can justify slavery from God’s Word.
Seventh, we now consider slavery as
referred to in Ephesians 6. We’re going to deal with the applications of this
passage to today’s employee/employer relationship later, but we need to deal
here with what Paul is saying to slaves, that is, literal slaves.
At this
point I must admit to having a real problem with those commentators who say
that Paul’s words are a blanket statement that the slave must be totally
submissive to slavery, even to the extent of not escaping if possible. I have
read some who speak of the “stigma” of being a runaway slave and how repulsed
people have been in past history, as in the Civil War, by a runaway. I am
appalled by such thoughts because they imply that the slave is the one at
fault! We must wonder how differently such writers would feel if they had ever
been in a Russian gulag! Many commentators say that the Bible doesn’t
“explicitly” teach against slavery, which we’ll come to in a moment. As a
sidelight, it is quite interesting to note that in the history of Roman
Catholicism not one pope has ever declared slavery to be incompatible with
Christianity; here is just one more proof that Catholicism is pagan, not
Christian.
Well, we
must say that we disagree with such attitudes in light of what we have already
seen in the Mosaic Law. Even more than that, we must disagree because slavery
is as diametrically opposed to the grace of God and liberty in Christ as
anything could possibly be. It is an insidious thing. It is one of most vivid
demonstrations of man’s utter wickedness and his disregard for the Law of God.
Many Christians today are appalled by abortion and take a firm stand against
that horrendous evil, but slavery seems to be one of those “gray areas” about
which we can’t be totally sure.
Now, we
should certainly note that neither the Lord Jesus nor Paul said anything openly
and publicly against slavery. There are two reasons: to do so would have
resulted in complete alienation from society because slavery was an accepted
norm, and to do so would involved them in social reform, which is not the main
issue for the Christian. Historically, for example, slavery and other social
diseases were not cured by political activism. Political activism among
Christians is error because it has no biblical basis. Rather what changed
society was the powerful preaching of men such as John Wesley and George
Whitefield. Social conditions change nothing, rather it is Christ Who changes
everything.
That being
said, however, to say that “slavery is not uniformly condemned in either
the Old or New Testaments,” as some commentators do, is clearly inaccurate.
While not doing so publicly, Paul clearly taught against slavery. Consider I Corinthians 7:21: “Art
thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free,
use it rather.“ Some teachers maintain that this means a slave should surrender
himself to gaining freedom only if his master grants it. But may we submit, if
that is true, then it would be wrong for a prisoner of war to try to escape, or
for a Christian to try to escape or defect from a communist country. May we
also ask, if that is true, why did God say in the Mosaic Law to give asylum to
a runaway slave? If it were wrong for the slave to escape, then wouldn’t God be
a party to sin by commanding asylum? Rather, as some commentators will admit,
this verse can be translated: “if you have an opportunity to be free, seize
it.” Indeed, here in Ephesians Paul says to obey and serve honestly as long as
you are a slave, but that does not mean one can’t escape if possible.
The letter
to Philemon has also been cited as an example of a slave staying under his
master. Indeed, the record shows that Paul sent Onesimus, a runaway slave, back
to his master Philemon. But verse 18 of that letter reveals the real reason
Paul sent him back: “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee anything, put that
on mine account” J. B. Lightfoot, a recognized authority on Philemon, comments:
The case is stated hypothetically, but the words doubtless describe the actual offense of Onesimus. He had done his master some injury, probably had robbed him; and he fled to escape punishment.[2]
So, the
point is not that Onesimus was a runaway slave but that he was a thief!
Paul obviously told him that even though he was forgiven, he must return and
make restitution. May we add, as most commentators agree, there can be little
doubt that Philemon freed Onesimus after restitution was made. Why? Because
seeing the grace of God through Paul he realized that slavery could not be
justified; he realized that it is blatantly and totally incompatible with the
Gospel of Christ.
I do want
to add here that the motive for the view that a slave should stay a slave is
admirable. The view says, “Christians live no matter what the circumstances;
Christianity does not offer escape from circumstances but conquest of
circumstances.” We do indeed agree with that; a Christian can and should do all
this and in so doing be a witness. We disagree, however, with the view that
says, “A Christian should never resist.” To illustrate, what would a pregnant
Christian woman do if the government came to her and said, “You must abort that
fetus you are carrying?” This is, in fact exactly the case the Communist China.
She would, of course, resist based upon the clear teaching of Scripture.
Now, we
purposely do not use the words “rebel” or “revolt” because of the implied
violence. We do not advocate armed rebellion, taking up arms against the
government. But there are most certainly times when Christians not only can
but must resist, times when we must stand upon the Truth of Scripture.
Slavery is slavery and there is nothing wrong with seeking freedom. To those
who disagree with that idea, may we say, You should leave America because if
America had not broken sought freedom from tyranny, we would still be a British
colony. Our forefathers resisted an ungodly king. While American schools teach
that those early Americans revolted against England, British history
actually teaches the truth, namely, that America was forced out of the Empire
by an act of Parliament; this means
that The “Revolutionary” War was not a revolution at all, rather a war of
defense against a foreign invader.[3]
Likewise,
if a slave should stay a slave, then it would be wrong for a Christian to go to
war to fight for freedom. And if that is true, then we should have allowed
Hitler to do what he started out to do—exterminate the Jews and enslave all of
Europe. America has her faults, some in fact that might take her someday to her
oblivion, but she has historically, for the most part, defended freedom and
opposed tyranny. We rejoice in the history of our nation, which was actually
founded upon a Reformation base.
We must
maintain, therefore, that God’s Word nowhere condones slavery nor does It
command a slave to remain in that bondage. With the understanding of slavery
both historically and biblically, let us now go deeper into the application for
today by looking at six other principles.
The Employee’s Conduct (“obedient”)
Indeed, a
Christian should be the most cheerful, the most agreeable, and the most
productive worker on the job. The word obedient means exactly what it
says. The Greek used here is the same word used for children back in verse 1, hupakouō. The prefix hupo means
“under” and the root akouō means “listen or hear.” So, the employee is to get under the
authority of the employer and heed his orders. The construction of the verb is
Present Imperative which shows that God’s command is that the employee is to
continually obey his employer. So then, whether or not the employee agrees with
the employer, he is still to obey him. He must not try to undermine his
authority, nor should he do things grudgingly. Rather, he is to agreeably and
cheerfully obey.
At this
point we must ask the obvious question: “Are there any exceptions to this
rule?” Some expositors and commentators say, “No, the employee must always
obey.” One expositor, for whom I have great respect, goes into detail. He
starts by saying, “There is no sin involved when a Christian does things in
connection with a system in which he is involved, though he might prefer
personally not to do such things.” He then gives an example: many Christians
are involved in a business or industry which demands that they work on Sunday,
thereby forcing them to miss church. “Are they sinning?” he asks. “No, provided
that if they had the freedom to choose in this matter they would choose not to
work on Sunday.”
No matter
how hard I try, I just cannot make any sense of such a teaching. If something
is wrong, is it not wrong all the time? Are we not flirting with Relativism to
say that depending upon the circumstances certain conduct is okay, namely, when
we are obeying an employer. Obedience
does not mean control. Oddly enough, the same expositor then turns right
around and says that a Christian must :take a stand” if asked to do something
that “affects his personal relationship with Christ.” He cites an example of
how the early Christians submitted to Caesar, but would have rather died than
say, “Caesar is Lord.” But may we submit, we see no difference in this and
working on Sunday. Why? Well, if not being in church on Sunday does not affect
our relationship with the Lord, what would? How can our not being under the
preaching of the Word and our not being with God’s people in worship not affect
our relationship with our Lord and our spiritual life?
Some folks
sound out in fear at this point, “But what if such a stand causes me to lose my
job?” But we answer with another question, “What is more important, our
obedience and our standing for what God says or some temporal job?” God’s
promise is that He will always provide, and if one loses his job because he
stands for God, God will give him another. And may I add, I have personally
never known or heard of a Christian who lost his job because he took this
stand. There will certainly be special circumstances, that is, emergencies that
require missing attendance on the Lord’s Day (Lk. 14:5), but these should be
the exception, not the rule. We must take a stand on that which is unbiblical
and would take us away from the Truth.
So, we put
the matter this way: We obey an employer unless he orders us to do that
which is immoral, dishonest, illegal, or otherwise unscriptural. We saw the
same principle when it comes to the wife submitting to her husband or children
obeying to their parents. The main reason for this conclusion is that if
something is wrong, it is wrong! Indeed, we may be part of a particular
“system,” but God does not want us to contribute to the ungodliness of that
system. After all, we are all in this “world system” (Greek kosmos), but
we are not to conform to this world system. Neither does God want us to conform
to any system on this earth. So, to apply all this, when we are on the job, we
shouldn’t obey if it cheats someone, if we have to lie to someone or otherwise
misrepresent a product or ourselves, if it affects our spiritual life in any
way, or even if it keeps us away from our family too much of the time.
This
principle is further proven by Romans 13. God ordains the powers that be, and
we submit to those powers whether they are the government or an employer. But
when those powers demand that we personally violate God’s laws, they
immediately forfeit the authority that originally God gave them.
The Employee’s Outlook (“according
to the flesh”)
With this
prepositional phrase Paul not only emphasizes that this submission is
temporary, but he also implies that there is a higher authority above the flesh—the
Lord Jesus. So, even though submission to authority is demanded, our true authority
is above. Keeping that thought in mind will continually encourage us in our
daily labor relations.
The Employee’s Attitude (“fear
and trembling”)
This
attitude is not cowering in fear of our employer, rather a respect for
his position and authority. But deeper than this is the thought of our fear of
neglecting our responsibility and in so doing disobeying the Lord. The same
thought occurs In I Corinthians 2:3, where Paul wrote that he came to the
Corinthians in fear and trembling. This fear was a fear of failing both
the Corinthians and the Lord. We cannot help but wonder how many preachers have
this fear nowadays (and how many do not). Many men today who are meeting
so-called “felt needs” are in reality failing their people and failing God! If
they really love both, they will meet the real need of God’s Truth, not
the “felt-need” of fleshly desire. Do we really fear failing the Lord and the
people He has given us to lead?
This
thought is also found in Philippians 2:12, where Paul writes, “Work out your
own salvation with fear and trembling.” Notice, the verse does not say work for
salvation but work out salvation. As believers we work out the salvation
we possess; that is, we manifest it, we prove it to others. We do
all that with the attitude that we do not want to fail our Lord.
The Employee’s Dedication
(“singleness of heart”)
Singleness is haplotēs, which in Classical Greek carried a numerical meaning of “single”
in contrast to “double” (diplous). In the ethical sense, it came to mean
straightness, openness, speaking without a hidden meaning. This developed into
the New Testament usage of “personal wholeness, undividedness, and hence
uncomplicated simplicity.”[4] One expositor, therefore, writes
that such “obedience was to be rendered, not in formality, pretence, or
hypocrisy, but in inward reality and sincerity, and with an undivided heart.”[5] It does little or no good to do
work with complaint, a negative attitude, or hypocrisy. One may get the job
done but he has really failed the overall task. As one commentator puts it:
The slave [or employee] is ever tempted to labour while yet he is loitering, to put on the seeming of obedience and obey with a double heart. The counsel of the Apostle, therefore, is, that he should obey in singleness of aim, giving undivided effort and attention to the task in hand.[6]
Years ago
I worked as an electrician and worked on several large construction sites. In
the building trades this pretending to work is called “hiding” and means just
what it says, hiding from the work to be done or pretending to look busy. The
Christian should be the best worker on the job. Another expression in the
building trades is, “I’ll give you eight for eight,” eight hours work for eight
hours pay.
It is
fascinating to see this principle illustrated in history. For example, the
Roman emperor Constantine lifted persecution of Christians when he discovered
that they were not troublemakers as were many of his other subjects. He found
them to be honest and hard working. He even fired most of his government
officials and put Christians in their place. A similar thing happened in Russia
during World War II. Stalin suddenly relaxed laws governing Christians because
he found them to be the most reliable and productive workers. This is a
tremendous challenge to us today. Such dedication is one of the most effective
ways we can be witnesses of Christ.
At this
point we should interject a word concerning “evangelizing on the job.” Some
folks see nothing wrong with taking the employer’s time to sit down and witness
to someone. But may we submit, this is the same thing as stealing merchandise
from the company. We most certainly should witness at all times by our actions,
but any more than this must be done on our time.
The Employee’s Incentive (“as
unto the Lord”)
Here is
without doubt the key to understanding the employee’s labor. What is it that
drives the employee? What keeps him going? The answer to this should be that
all is done as unto the Lord. As Paul said to the Corinthians, “Whatever
you do, do all to the glory of the Lord.”
Paul goes
even further in our text by saying, Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers.
Here is a tremendous principle! The Greek behind menpleasers is anthropareskos,
from anthropos (man) and areskō
(to please). Augustus Strong offers the most graphic meaning of “man-courting,
i.e., fawning.” How many people there are today who fawn over someone else to
get their approval or praise. Likewise, the Greek for eyeservice (ophthalmodouleia) is
comprised of ophthalmos (“eye,” English “ophthalmologist”) and douleia
(“service, slavery, bondage”) and means that one serves only when someone else
has their eye on him, only serves for the sake of appearance.
But the
godly employee doesn’t do that, as Constantine observed. He doesn’t look busy only when the
boss is around; he doesn’t just do the minimum of work to get by; he doesn’t
need to be constantly watched; he doesn’t even do his work to please his boss,
get commended by his boss, or even to get a raise in pay. In short, he is
not trying to please men! His incentive is to please the Lord, to [do]
the will of God from the heart. Commenting on the words “as unto the Lord,”
one expositor writes:
Mark how this motive sweetens, sanctifies, ennobles our earthly work. It then becomes a part of our worship. Animated by such a thought, the school boy diligently, joyfully applies himself to his task. The clerk needs no other master’s eye over him to keep him to his work. The tradesman carefully executes his orders to the last stitch, when he feels that he works not merely for men, but for Christ. The merchant no longer sells spurious or adulterated goods, when he feels that he sells, not to men, but to the Lord Himself. The minister, the physician, the lawyer, are no longer content with a formal or perfunctory discharge of duty. The creditor, presenting his account, asks no more than is really due, and the debtor faithfully pays it.[7]
The Employee’s Reward (v.
8)
Verse 8
declares the servant’s reward, Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man
doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
How many people there are today who labor on the job while thinking of only one
reward—a paycheck. Well, that is the wrong reward to desire. What about the
reward of “a job well-done?” I saw many in the building trades who did not care
about the quality of their work. While no longer in those trades, I have still
had opportunity to observe them even today, and the situation has gotten even
worse among many. They do their job just to get by, just to get paid, with no
care whatsoever for the quality of the work. But how refreshing it was when I
see a true craftsman, one who doesn’t cut corners, one who does his work with
an attitude of satisfaction that it was done right and done well.
The
greatest reward we should seek, however, is just the knowledge that we have
pleased the Lord by our work. We can also feel the reward of knowing we have
been a witness to others by our diligence and other work habits. Finally, He
shall reward us in glory. Oh, such rewards last much longer than a paycheck!
One
commentator recounts the story of an elderly missionary couple who,
after many years of sacrificial service in Africa, returned home on a ship, a
ship that also carried Theodore Roosevelt, who had just completed a highly
successful big game hunt. (The folks in my church could really appreciate this
because Teddy also used to hunt in the very area of our church in Colorado and
stayed in an old local hotel that still exists.) While thousands of
well–wishers and dozens of reporters lined the pier to welcome Roosevelt home,
not a single was there to there to welcome the missionaries. As the couple rode
to a hotel in a taxi, the man complained to his wife, “It just doesn’t seem
right. We give forty years of our lives to Jesus Christ to win souls in Africa,
and nobody knows or cares when we return. Yet the president goes over there for
a few weeks to kill some animals and the whole world takes notice.” But as they
prayed together that night before retiring, the Lord seemed to say to them, “Do
you know why you haven’t received your reward yet, My children? It is because
you are not home yet.”[8]
II. The Submission of the Employer (v. 9)
And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
As he did
with wives and children, Paul once again makes a startling and revolutionary
statement; he says that employers are do the same things that his
employees are to do. Why? Because it is very easy to abuse the power we hold
over others. After all, we all the old adage goes, “Power tends to corrupt and
absolute power corrupts absolutely.”[9] It was Plato who well-said that
the treatment of slaves is a test of character, because a man can easily abuse
them with impunity.[10] While there are labor laws today
that help control tendencies, there still ways that the employer can abuse his
wokers.
We should greatly appreciate commentator Kent Hughes’ comment here that the words do the same things are the “Managerial Golden Rule.” In other words, the godly employer will treat his employees as he would like to be treated. He treats them, for example, as he hopes that his customers or clients will treat him. What a sad situation it is when an employee says, “My boss says he’s a Christian, but you’d never know it!” There are, therefore, at least three principles in our text.
First, the employer is not to be intimidating. The words forbearing threatening demonstrate the fact that masters commonly threatened their slaves. Paul’s command, then, is to “give up, or cease” (aniēmi, forbearing) such a practice, to not mistreat those under their authority, to be considerate of them. A godly employer will, therefore, give his workers fair wages for a reasonable number of hours, and he won’t take advantage of them. As Paul wrote to the Colossian believers, “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven” (4:1).
The story is told of the celebrated 18th Century
Earl of Chesterfield that in his will he left legacies to all his servants,
equal to two years’ wages each, considering them to be “his unfortunate
friends, equal by birth, and only inferior by fortune.”[11] What character! While the superrich today often think they
are superior in every way, the godly rich man does not.
Likewise, the beloved J. Vernon McGee recounts his knowing
several businesses run by dedicated Christians who had chapel service on
company time and paid their workers while they are attending. God blessed the
employer and employee alike, and certainly no union was needed. One employee
told McGee, “If we were under a union, we wouldn’t be making what we are making
right here.”
Second, the employer is to be influenced
by God. When a master knows that his master also is in heaven,
that will make him realize that he should act like God in his treatment of
those under his authority. A godly employer realizes that he is only the boss
“according to the flesh” (v. 5) and would never even dream of asking his
employee to do something unscriptural.
I have yet
to read a more comprehensive and eloquent description of the employer’s
responsibility to his employees than the one written by the great expositor
Joseph Lathrop in 1810:
And with respect to all servants of every denomination, equity requires that we treat them with humanity and kindness: that we endeavour to make their service easy, and their condition comfortable; that we forebear rash and passionate language; that we overlook accidental errors, and remit trivial faults; that we impose only such labour as is reasonable in itself and suitable to their capacity; that our reproofs be calm and our counsels well times; that the restraints we lay upon them be prudent and salutary; that we allow them reasonable time for rest and refreshment, for the culture of their minds, and for attendance on the worship of God; that we set before them a virtuous example, instill into them useful principles, warn them against wickedness of every kind, especially against the sin which most easily besets them; that we afford them opportunity for reading and private devotion, and furnish them with the necessary means of learning the way of salvation; that we attend to the preservation of their health, and have compassion on them in sickness; and in a word, that we contribute all proper assistance to render them useful, virtuous, and happy.[12]
How many
workplaces would be transformed if employers would post that on their bulletin
boards and live out those principles?
Third, the employer is to be impartial.
Just as there is no respector of persons with God, the employer is to be
fair and just; he doesn’t show partiality to one employee over another or set
one against the other.
Godly
labor relations can really be summed up this way: The employee dedicates
himself to his WORK, while the employer dedicates himself to his WORKER.
Oh, how different today’s world would be if that principle were followed!
Everything from laziness to labor unions would disappear.
We come
to the end of our lengthy study of Paul’s instructions concerning “Walking In
Submission.” Dear Christian, when we all walk in submission to one another,
being filled with the Holy Spirit, what great blessing it will bring to the
Body of Christ, our local churches, our homes, our workplaces, and even our
country and the world.