Ephesians 6:5–9

Context

Ephesians is traditionally accepted as a letter written by Paul while in prison, though some scholars regard it as a later document written in Paul's name. This passage is the final part of the household code (a list of exhortations concerning relationships within the household, known in scholarship as a Haustafel), which begins with "Submitting yourselves one to another" in 5:21. The code addresses in turn the relationships between wives and husbands, children and parents, and servants and masters. Roman households of the time included slaves, and the early church counted both slaves and masters among its members. Colossians 3:22–4:1 contains a nearly identical exhortation.

Verses 5–8 tell servants to put away "eyeservice" (working only when being watched) and to serve from the heart "as unto Christ," stating that whoever does good will receive a reward from the Lord regardless of social status. Verse 9 tells masters to "do the same things" and to forbear "threatening." The ground given is that masters and servants alike serve the same Lord in heaven, with whom there is no "respect of persons." A distinctive feature of the passage, in contrast to the customs of the time, is that it also places obligations on masters.

Interpretation

• As a work ethic: Many evangelical and Reformed preachers read this passage as a basis for viewing work as service rendered before God. This reading is connected to the Reformation tradition's understanding of vocation.
• In its historical setting: A number of biblical scholars hold that the text neither endorsed slavery nor called for its abolition. Rather, working within the social order of its day, it relativized the relationship between master and servant by placing it under the lordship of Christ. Some consider that this relativization later provided a foundation for the critique of slavery.
• Critical readings: Feminist and liberation theologians draw attention to the ways household codes have been used to entrench hierarchical order.

Controversies and Issues

• History of use in defending slavery: Defenders of slavery in the nineteenth-century American South cited this passage and similar New Testament texts in support of their position. Abolitionists countered by appealing to the spirit of Scripture as a whole, as well as to Galatians 3:28, Philemon, and other texts.
• Application to modern employment: Some point out that the situation of ancient slaves differs from that of modern wage earners, so the passage cannot serve as grounds for unconditional obedience. Others hold that its principles of diligence and fairness can apply to both labor and management.
• Translation: The Greek word doulos can be rendered either "servant" or "slave," and the choice shapes the impression readers receive.

In the Korean Church

The passage is frequently cited in sermons on working life and church service as the basis for the exhortation to work "as to the Lord."

Related Passages

• Colossians 3:22–4:1
• 1 Peter 2:18–25
• Galatians 3:28
• Philemon 1:15–16