The third group that Paul addressed was slaves and masters (cf. 1 Cor. 7:17-24). Most slaves served in the home in Paul's day so this section fits in well with what precedes about other household relationships. Some students of Roman history have estimated that about one-third of the population in the Roman Empire was slaves, approximately 60 million individuals.148Many of these people were Christians. Most ancient Greeks and Romans regarded slaves as little more than living tools.
"Aristotle lays it down that there can never be friendship between master and slave, for master and slave have nothing in common; for a slave is a living tool, just as a tool is an inanimate slave.' A slave was nothing better, and had no more rights, than a tool. Varro, writing on agriculture, divided agricultural instruments into three classes--the articulate, the inarticulate and the mute. The articulate comprises the slaves; the inarticulate the cattle; and the mute the vehicles. The slave is no better than a beast who happens to be able to talk. Cato gives advice to a man taking over a farm. He must go over it and throw out everything that is past its work; and old slaves too must be thrown out on the scrap heap to starve. When a slave is ill it is sheer extravagance to issue him with normal rations. The old and sick slave is only a broken and inefficient tool."149
6:5 Paul contrasted masters according to the flesh with the Master of the human spirit, namely Jesus Christ. Christian slaves owed their earthly masters obedience. Obedience demonstrated their submission to Christ (cf. 5:22).
Seven qualifications describe proper obedience. Service was to be respectful (with fear, reverence; cf. 5:33). Second, it was to be with "trembling"or "fear,"that is, with care that the slave not make a mistake. Third, it was to be sincere, without hypocrisy or duplicity. Fourth, service should be as to the Lord.
6:6 Fifth, service was to be consistent, whether the master was watching or not. Paul may have also had in mind doing work that the human master could not check on. Sixth, it needed to arise from proper motives, not to please men only but, what is more important, to please the Lord.
6:7 Seventh, the slave should have an attitude of good will toward his or her master. He should serve for the master's welfare. Such good will "does not wait to be compelled."150This kind of service is to be done as to the Lord, not as if to the Lord. The Lord is the One whom the slave really serves as well as the earthly master.
6:8 Paul reminded faithful slaves that they would receive a reward from Jesus Christ in the future whether their masters on earth acknowledged their good service or not. This reward would come at the judgment seat of Christ if not earlier.
"Like Jesus himself, Paul does not shrink from referring to rewards."151
This principle applies to all who serve the Lord whether slave or free.
