SLAVES AND MASTERS
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
Ephesians 6:5 (NIV)
Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them.
Titus 2:9 (NIV)
When reading the Bible, it is important to know about context. As you read, you need to make sure to look at the context of the text. In the Old and New Testaments, slavery was a common practice. The New Testament was written in Greek and used words to describe both slaves and masters. This might seem like a terrible way to talk about this in today's world, but it was common at the time.
Pastor Chuck Smith describes it as: Most of us are either in an employer or employee relationship. In the Biblical days, this was usually referred to as a slave-master relationship. What applies to one applies to the other. This helps explain why the writers used the language they did.
I struggled with this concept when I became a Christian. I had to do research, pray and ask God to show me what this meant in the Bible. Once I learned more about the times and context, it made so much sense to me. It also changed how I viewed my work relationships, knowing what this meant.
The writers of the New Testament were not condoning slavery but using the Gospel to change the narrative and show people that the institution of slavery was bad and needed to change. They knew this would not be an immediate change, but there was one way to change things: through the person of Jesus Christ.
Always remember that you can bring your questions to God. If you are confused or upset by a passage, ask Him to reveal what He is saying. You can also do research and talk to others about it.
APPLICATION: Take time this week to study the context of your favorite Bible story. Try to understand how the context of the people, places and time can change your opinion of what was happening. Ask God to reveal what He wants you to know from this.
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for loving us. I pray that as I learn more about the context of the Bible, Your Word will become clearer to me and help me to use it in my life. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?