Paul's Letter to the Ephesians | Ephesians 6:5-9 | J. Allen Mashburn

Paul has previously discussed our relationship with God, our worship, our marriages, and the parent-child dynamic. In these verses, he shifts focus to the master-slave relationship, a common institution in the Roman Empire, where an estimated 50 million people were enslaved. While the Bible does not explicitly condemn slavery, it acknowledges the system's widespread abuse. Since slavery is unfamiliar to us today, let’s explore insights from Dr. John MacArthur about this ancient practice. In Greek and Roman societies, slaves had no legal rights and were treated as commodities—bought, sold, traded, or discarded like animals or tools. Roman citizens viewed work as beneath them, relying heavily on slave labor. Compassionate masters, like Pliny the Elder, who mourned his slaves’ deaths, were rare. One Roman writer classified agricultural tools into three groups: articulate (slaves, who could speak), inarticulate (animals), and mute (tools and vehicles). Slaves were barely distinguished from animals or objects. The Roman statesman Cato advised discarding old or sick slaves as worthless, and stories abound of cruel punishments—like Augustus crucifying a slave for killing his pet quail or Pollio feeding a slave to lamprey eels for breaking a goblet. Juvenal described a slave owner who delighted in the sound of his slaves being whipped. Given the rampant abuse in slavery, God inspired Paul to provide instructions for both slaves and masters. While slavery no longer exists in our society, these principles apply to the employer-employee relationship today. Let’s examine these verses to understand Spirit-Filled Service and how it shapes our service to God and others.