Sermon Tone Analysis

The Chicago Sun Times reported a story about an exceptional doorman.

You've probably never heard of Wilbert Williams.

He's not famous or rich.

Still, Williams received an honor normally reserved for the connected, powerful, and wealthy.

On December 2, 2004, the city of Chicago designated a street as Wilbert Williams Way.

The honor was in celebration of his upcoming retirement.

What did someone as unknown as Williams do to deserve such a tribute?

The question becomes even more compelling when you realize that for nearly 40 years, Wilbert Williams has worked at the Woman's Athletic Club as a doorman.

Normally, an honorary street sign goes to people who get the door held open for them—not to the one holding the door.

What set Williams apart?

He has carried out his duties in an exemplary fashion.

Police Officer Paul O'Donnell said, "In all these years, I've never heard him speak a harsh word about anyone.

He's a gentleman."

Through his kindness and service to others, Williams made an impact on those who he met at the corner of Michigan and Ontario.

Commenting on why he has always helped tourists, pointing them in the right direction, Williams says, "If I was in a different city, I'd like someone to help me."

Having a street named after you is impressive.

How much greater the honor God promises to give to those who serve him well, an eternal inheritance that will never spoil or fade away.

This is also one exceptional difference between people today and people of the first century.

Although slaves had some big responsibilities and some had status in society depending upon their masters, one thing that a slave could not receive was an inheritance.

So for Paul, not only to address them specifically, but also to tell them of an inheritance they will receive was definitely outside of the cultural norm.

Inheritance from the Lord

Paul is reminding christian slaves here who their ultimate master is.

They were told to obey, not as a way of pleasing people, but out of sincerity of heart, because of their love for the Lord.

If that wasn’t enough motivation for them Paul continues on to remind them of what they will receive because of their relationship with Jesus.

An inheritance.

This is significant because slaves could not inherit things.

They did not have legal standing apart from their master and according to the laws of the world could not inherit.

But Paul makes the point that they are promised an inheritance.

And that inheritance comes from the Lord of the universe.

In the NT the term for inheritance moves across a spectrum from simple judicial concern for personal property to heavenly and imperishable inheritance that moves beyond history.

In Lk 12 Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool.

Paul is illustrating this point here in Colossians.

He is still driving at the motivation for serving to the best of your ability.

Inheritance in the case of the passage in Luke sets off a discussion of motivations regarding earthly posessions.

Jesus teaching points towards earthly motives, and what to do with a life that consists of an abundance of possessions.

The rich man’s motives were his own ease.

God gave him plenty, so he desired to relax, eat, drink, and be merry.

The man’s motives were for himself, rather than focused on God.

His desire consisted of the abundance of his possessions.

Rather than taking the surplus God had given him and using it for God’s glory, his desire was that for his own ease.

On the other end of the spectrum we see inheritance used also in 1 Pet.

This is the type of inheritance that Paul is referring to when speaking to the slaves.

He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven.

Christ himself as the Son is the true heir (Mt 21:38; Mk 12:7; Lk 20:14); he has inherited a name above every name (Phil 2:9; Heb 1:4) and has been appointed heir of all things (Heb 1:2; see Ps 2:7, 8; Mt 28:18).

But by his grace all who become his through faith are counted joint heirs with him (Rom 8:17).

The slaves inheritance, our inheritance as believers is with Christ.

Another significant use of inheritance has to do with how scriptures speak of believers in relationship to God.

Israel is specifically referred to as God’s inheritance but we also see this being true of believers as well.

The verb obtained in the verse carries the meaning of being appointed by lot, chosen as God’s portion.

There is another connection that can be made in this passage to us as believers.

As Christians we were bought with a price, the ultimate price.

We have been purchased by our heavenly father with the blood of His son.

The master has bought and paid for us, God made the payment for our sins, we owe Him our allegiance, we owe Him our life.

Ought we not act in such a way as to do our best, to work for our real master.

The inheritance we receive is greater than anything we could possibly imagine.

More than that though, we do not remain slaves, we are given freedom and called children of God.

Children, heirs, have an inheritance.

Adoption is based on faith in Christ and obedience is emphasized.

Just as Paul is reminding slaves to be obedient to their earthly master, we are to be obedient to our heavenly master.

Verse 25 can throw us for a bit of a loop if we take it out of context.

Remember the letter is written to believers, and specifically to slaves at this point.

This is as much encouragement as warning.

Although as slaves the likely face injustice, they must remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord.

But also Paul writes that there is no partiality, no favouritism.

it can also stand as a reminder to the slaves that God will not overlook the wrongs they do, as if their servile status might exempt them from accountability

there is a God-given justice among peoples and individuals determined by God and that those who ignore or flout it cannot expect to escape the consequences, whether slaves or masters

If one is serving Christ, one need not fear, as with earthly masters, that those who cover up shoddy work by putting on a good show in the boss’s presence will get away with it, or that the master’s own favourites will be rewarded however hard others may work.

No: anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favouritism.

Masters

In 4:1 Paul continues his pattern, to the Masters.

In reality, the head of the household likely held all three of these positions in the household.

The head of the house, who has the most responsibility, also has the greatest responsibility to those who are under him in the household.

This again is outside of the norm in the culture.

The concern for kindness and regard for others was most often not the focus of the household leaders.

Putting it straightforward, masters are to provide their slaves justice and fairness.

This verb to treat is in the same form as when Paul tells wives to submit.

It is a willful volition.

The masters are to treat their slaves justly and fairly out of their own will, out of their own choice to do so.

They have a choice to make.

Will they follow culture, or will they follow Christ?

The reason for this is is that Christian masters also have a Master in heaven.

As Christians, the masters must also recognize that they are not their own.

Remember the verse from 1 Cor.

I referenced earlier.

No one is exempt from accountability to the Master in heaven, regardless of their position in life.

If masters are mindful that God has not dealt with them from a strict code of rightness and fairness, but by grace, they will be more forgiving and gracious towards others in their charge.

As believers this must be our attitude in our relationships.

If God were to deal with us out of rightness and fairness, if he were to give us what we deserve, we deserve death.

But He has dealt with us by grace.

We also ought to be more forgiving and gracious towards others.

Sharing the love of Christ we have recieved.

In whatever role, then, a Christian finds himself or herself, at home or at work, life can and must be lived ‘for the Lord’, and in harmony with one’s fellow human beings.

The rules which facilitate this state create true freedom.

Why so much about slavery?

Why is there such a focus on slavery in the household here in Colossians?

This section in its parallel passage of Ephesians 6 is much shorter in regards to slavery.

In the context of when this letter was written, we also have the letter to Philemon.

The differences, however, are best explained by the recent business involving Onesimus.

The pronouncement makes clear that becoming a Christian does not nullify past wrongs against others; the wrongs must be paid back.

In Onesimus’s case, Paul assumes the obligations owed to his master: “If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me”