Ephesians 6:1-24
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling … [and] … render service, as to the Lord, and not to people, (vv. 5, 7) Kathy H. gave me a book to read a few weeks back, Jesus and the Disinherited, by Howard Thurman. The back cover notes that this book was first published in 1949 and was “an important and influential book whose message helped shape the civil rights movement and changed our nation’s history forever.” In one small section of this book Thurman recalls his grandmother (a slave at the time) telling him of their white masters occasionally holding a religious service and the minister almost always quoting these verses. Based on these few verses she swore that if she ever learned to read and write that she would never read any of Paul’s epistles. Funny how a particular context can change one’s understanding of Scripture…!
So today we end Paul’s letters to the churches. We’ll spend the next two weeks in his “pastoral epistles” – letters written to individuals, Timothy and Titus.
See also: September 13 / Ephesians 6:1-9; September 14 / Ephesians 6:10-23
I don’t think Paul either endorsed or rejected slavery. Early Christians were both slaves and owners. He was talking about relationships between people. If we follow in wholesome relations between slaves/workers and masters/employers, then other things fall into place. A fair and compassionate boss likely doesn’t make his or her wealth by stealing wages and abuse, but more likely raises salary and benefits. A respectful worker does his or her best without needing supervision to stay on task, etc. Humility toward each other is the key, and then hearts and minds change toward practices such as slavery or underpaid and abused workers.