Instructions for Masters

In my last message to you, I spoke to you about how bondservants were to be obedient to their masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling. In sincerity of heart, they were to be obedient to their earthly master as they would be to Christ who was their heavenly Master. This was Paul's instruction to them. With good will, they were to do service to their master, not with eyeservice as men-pleasers. But they were to see themselves as bondservants of Christ in the nearest and most ultimate sense, as the One who was over them. They were to realize that they should do their service to their earthly master out of goodwill to him, even as they would render their service to Christ with good will to Him. And in doing this, they would receive the approval and the blessing of the Lord for all their service, both earthly and heavenly. Paul says in verse 8, that this same principle applies to all Christians whether they are a slave or free. Truly, I think that we can say that it is the highest and most important principle, that Paul has given us, concerning our labors for the Lord, or in the work that we do. It is also the most important principle to our being of service to Christ in His cause and kingdom. And so, in this message, I want us to think now about Paul's instruction to masters of slaves here. It is 1st of all – That they should do the same things to them; that is, being of good will towards them, doing good things for them, and governing as unto Christ. 2nd – That they should give up threatening. And then 3rd – We will look at a good example of a master in Philemon.