The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Timothy 6:1-2,
"All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. These are the things you are to teach and insist on."
Paul gives Timothy direction on things to be taught to the fellowship in Ephesus. The believers there would include both slaves and slave masters and so he provides guidance on how each should treat the other. Slave masters are to be considered worthy of respect and treated as such. the believing slaves should serve their believing masters "even better" as the masters should be considered dear to them as fellow believers. On the other hand, slave masters are to be "devoted to the welfare of their slaves."
Where is the justice in this? Why didn't Paul agitate for slavery to be abolished?
Forgotten in our day, perhaps, is the point of God's redemption of mankind in the world we live in. Certainly, many of the ills among mankind have been impacted for the good through the spread of Christianity. After all, it was Christian England and Christian America that brought the practice of slavery, as a world trade, to an end. Many of the wonderful accomplishments of lifting mankind out of depravity have been a result of the spread of the gospel.
However, those accomplishments are the byproducts of God's redemptive purposes and agenda. It is the spread of the gospel, the challenging of people everywhere to consider Jesus Christ as their savior, to embrace him in faith, that lies at the heart of God's redemptive purposes and agenda. - not the fixing of all the world's ills.
Note the reason Paul gives for his instruction to Timothy about masters and slaves, "so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered." Paul's mission was not to bring about social justice or to cure all the world's evils, it was to shepherd the work of the gospel to bring about the salvation of souls. And, certainly, as that agenda had its impact in the world, it impacted the world's evils.
While Paul did not forbid slave ownership, he also did not condone it. His teaching in this area can be found in Ephesians 6:5-9, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him."
Rather than a social justice warrior, Paul had other priorities. It was because of those priorities Paul would say, " Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord's freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them."
"All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. These are the things you are to teach and insist on."
Paul gives Timothy direction on things to be taught to the fellowship in Ephesus. The believers there would include both slaves and slave masters and so he provides guidance on how each should treat the other. Slave masters are to be considered worthy of respect and treated as such. the believing slaves should serve their believing masters "even better" as the masters should be considered dear to them as fellow believers. On the other hand, slave masters are to be "devoted to the welfare of their slaves."
Where is the justice in this? Why didn't Paul agitate for slavery to be abolished?
Forgotten in our day, perhaps, is the point of God's redemption of mankind in the world we live in. Certainly, many of the ills among mankind have been impacted for the good through the spread of Christianity. After all, it was Christian England and Christian America that brought the practice of slavery, as a world trade, to an end. Many of the wonderful accomplishments of lifting mankind out of depravity have been a result of the spread of the gospel.
However, those accomplishments are the byproducts of God's redemptive purposes and agenda. It is the spread of the gospel, the challenging of people everywhere to consider Jesus Christ as their savior, to embrace him in faith, that lies at the heart of God's redemptive purposes and agenda. - not the fixing of all the world's ills.
Note the reason Paul gives for his instruction to Timothy about masters and slaves, "so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered." Paul's mission was not to bring about social justice or to cure all the world's evils, it was to shepherd the work of the gospel to bring about the salvation of souls. And, certainly, as that agenda had its impact in the world, it impacted the world's evils.
While Paul did not forbid slave ownership, he also did not condone it. His teaching in this area can be found in Ephesians 6:5-9, "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him."
Rather than a social justice warrior, Paul had other priorities. It was because of those priorities Paul would say, " Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord's freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them."
Don't look to Paul to see if he promotes your politics, and don't blame him if he doesn't. He had much higher priorities than getting this temporal world straightened out. He had an eternal perspective and wanted to insure the various fellowships would comport themselves in such a way as to promote God's agenda of the redemption of mankind with that eternal perspective in mind.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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