Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Thankfully, today in our culture, we are often far enough removed that it is difficult for us to even think about what it would be like to own another person in the sense of slavery.

Our American context of slavery is also different than what slavery looked like in the NT.

It is extremely important to look at the culture that surrounds different passages that speak about slavery because Greek, Roman, and Jewish cultures all had slightly different views on slavery.

But they were all significantly different that our western view that we hold today.

for the most part knowledge of slavery as practiced in the New World in the 17th–19th centuries has hindered more than helped achieving an appropriate, historical understanding of social-economic life in the Mediterranean world of the 1st century, knowledge which is absolutely essential for a sound exegesis of those NT texts dealing with slaves and their owners or using slavery-related metaphors.

Cultural background.

for the most part knowledge of slavery as practiced in the New World in the 17th–19th centuries has hindered more than helped achieving an appropriate, historical understanding of social-economic life in the Mediterranean world of the 1st century, knowledge which is absolutely essential for a sound exegesis of those NT texts dealing with slaves and their owners or using slavery-related metaphors.

Slavery in NT times

Central features that distinguish 1st century slavery from that later practiced in the New World are the following: racial factors played no role; education was greatly encouraged (some slaves were better educated than their owners) and enhanced a slave’s value; many slaves carried out sensitive and highly responsible social functions; slaves could own property (including other slaves!); their religious and cultural traditions were the same as those of the freeborn; no laws prohibited public assembly of slaves; and (perhaps above all) the majority of urban and domestic slaves could legitimately anticipate being emancipated by the age of 30.

In the Roman tradition, slaves on the one hand were rigorously regarded in much legislation as things (instrumentum vocale—a “speaking tool”), yet on the other hand they were regularly treated as well as free human beings and were normally granted Roman citizenship when set free, as happened regularly.

For this reason, it has been argued that urban and domestic enslavement under Roman law is best understood as a process rather than a permanent condition, a process of social integration of outsiders

despite the neat legal separation between owners and slaves, in none of the relevant cultures did persons in slavery constitute a social or economic class (see Garnsey and Saller 1987:109–25 for an analysis of class and status).

Slaves’ individual honor, social status, and economic opportunities were entirely dependent on the status of their respective owners, and they developed no recognizable consciousness of being a group or of suffering a common plight

by no means were those in slavery regularly to be found at the bottom of the social-economic pyramid (MacMullen 1974:93–94).

Rather, in that place were those free and impoverished persons who had to look for work each day without any certainty of finding it (day laborers), some of whom eventually sold themselves into slavery to gain some job security.

The Greco-Roman world though was essentially a slave based economy.

It was slaves that provided Roman citizens with the life of leisure they were able to enjoy.

a part of the population’s freedom from the demands of a subsistence existence advanced hand in hand with the increase of the number of human beings held in Greek and Roman slavery.

Paul though is writing here to the Christian family.

This is because of the nature of the extended household.

Slaves were parts of families.

In many cases, slaves became Christians along with their owners.

The quality of daily life of all those in slavery, but especially that of household slaves (and children), depended almost entirely upon the particular character and mood of the owner (or father; see Eph 6:4):Greco-Roman slave systems and legal frameworks gave slave owners much room to be cruel or compassionate.

Greco-Roman society had come to depend on persons in slavery as the basic labor force, as essential components of the imperial economy, and a normal part of the daily life of most families.

This extensive use of slave labor produced much wealth and the leisure that permitted the development of Greco-Roman culture.

Slaves were used for “an enormous variety of functions in enormously different circumstances” (Bradley 1987:15), some of which when compared to New World slavery seem astonishingly responsible: “doctors, teachers, writers, accountants, agents, bailiffs, overseers, secretaries, and sea-captains”

A slaves status in the culture was determined by their owner.

There was often a realistic expectation by many slaves, especially in urban areas, that they would be set free after a time and granted citizenship if their owner was a Roman citizen.

This is strikingly different from our modern view of slavery.

This almost seems like more of an indentured servant.

Someone who has signed a contract for their labor.

With the differences clearly stated we can still apply the principles laid out for us in our lives today.

Some forms of employment in the ancient world and in history might come close to this situation (e.g., the “indentured servant”), but most employees do not work in this kind of legally binding framework.

We must, then, take into account this basic difference before we apply what Paul says here about slaves to workers in general.

Having said that, however, it is also true that Paul’s advice to slaves here enunciates some basic principles about how Christians should “serve” someone else that are broadly applicable.

Obedience to earthly masters.

Just at children were told to obey in verse 20, now servants/slaves are told to obey.

This is not the voluntary obedience as in the submission of the wife, but commanded obedience.

Obedience whether they want to do it or not.

Similar to children though, Paul is also addressing slaves as responsible adults.

Paul is treating the slaves he is writing to as people made in God’s image.

He treats them as morally independent individuals that are fully capable of living a Christian life.

Remember back to 3:11

All that place their faith in Jesus have the same position through their faith in Him.

The fact that they are a slave, potentially being victims of injustice does not excuse returning evil for evil, or even halfheartedness for that matter.

That is why Paul gives the command to obey in everything.

Obey in everything.

Paul gives the command to obey in everything.

There is a semblance of time here though as well in the statement.

They are to obey their earthly masters.

This won’t last forever.

And it points as well to a greater master.

They were masters “according to the flesh.”

Paul subtly reminded the readers of a major theme of this section.

There is an ultimate master reigning over both slave and master.

Slaves of every age have rested their hopes of justice on that truth, and heaven has become a vital, hope-producing focus of life.

James D. G. Dunn, The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: William B. Eerdmans Publishing; Paternoster Press, 1996), 254.

In the sphere of our lives, we also have earthly masters whether we want to admit it or not.

They come in many different forms.

In the employment realm our supervisors are our earthly masters.

If we own our own business, the people we are doing work for are in essence our earthly masters.

If we have a loan on our home or automobile, the bank is an earthly master.

Our government is an earthly master.

Do we have hope that goes beyond these masters?

A hope that focuses on Christ?

Thankfully in the country that we live we have opportunities, we have rights, we can vote, we are not slaves.

But what is our point, what is our purpose.

Do we think with an eternal perspective in regards to our earthly masters?

The focus on God and His kingdom ought to direct our thoughts, our actions.

Our interactions with our earthly masters can draw people to or drive people away from our heavenly master.

This is the reason Paul continues and further describes how the slaves ought to act.

Paul tells slaves to be obedient not only when their master is watching, to gain favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.

Not only while being watched.

Those that have worked in management, or worked with others in general for that matter.

You quickly realize who works well and who needs supervision to complete a task.

You realize who is brown nosing the boss to better themselves rather than the group as a whole.

Don’t work to make an impression in the owner’s presence.

Don’t work to make an impression in the boss’s presence.

Don’t work to make an impression in the client’s presence.

Don’t work to impress your buyers.

Don’t be a people pleaser.

Rather work with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

Work for the Lord.

We must remember, as with the verses previous to this, verse 17 which set the stage.

While not slaves, when employed by another, we do have a responsibility to them and to the business.

Again, keeping in mind that we cannot draw a direct comparison from the work of slaves to our work,

They are very different situations.

The Christian ethic requires an altogether different approach to our assignments.

If Christian slaves were expected to work heartily out of reverence for the Lord, every Christian, regardless of the circumstances, must do the same thing.

The temptation may be to work only to attract attention or to get by with as little as possible.

The Christian, by contrast, must give wholehearted service in the workplace in all circumstances, because our work is something done for the Lord.

We work in the confidence that it will not be wasted but that it will be gathered up by God, who brings everything to its successful culmination.

Our motivation for our service ought to begin out of our reverence for the Lord.

Communion

Work for the Lord, not for men.

Our true reward is our inheritance in heaven.

We serve the Lord Jesus.

There is no room for favorites.

We celebrate communion today out obedience to the Lord’s command to remember.