WORK ARRANGEMENTS WITH BELIEVERS

28, 29. (a) What counsel did the apostle Paul give to Christian slaves with believing owners? (b) Why was such counsel needed?

²⁸ Not all Christian slaves in the first century C.E. however, had unreasonable masters at whose hands they endured mistreatment. On account of the existing social conditions at that time, even some Christians had slaves. When the slave and his master were disciples of the Son of God, both men needed to look at their spiritual relationship in the correct light. Directing his admonition to slaves with believing owners, the apostle Paul stated: “Let those having believing owners not look down on them, because they are brothers. On the contrary, let them the more readily be slaves, because those receiving the benefit of their good service are believers and beloved.”​—1 Timothy 6:2.

²⁹ Why was this counsel needed? The believing slave was a joint heir with Christ and, therefore, enjoyed a spiritual equality with his believing master. Consequently, the slave needed to guard against reasoning that this spiritual equality annulled the secular relationship existing between them and the authority of the master in that relationship. Such an attitude could easily have led to a slave’s taking advantage of his master, not doing his best in discharging his duties. The apostle Paul’s counsel came to grips with any wrong conclusions that slaves may have drawn from their brotherly relationship with other members of the congregation. Because of being in such a relationship with their masters, they had even stronger reason to discharge their duties in a fine way. It was their privilege to do something for a Christian brother, and this should have been a source of great joy to them.

31. What counsel did Christian masters have to keep in mind?

³¹ On the other hand, Christian masters or employers were not to disregard the fact that they, too, had a master, Christ. The realization of their being accountable to the Son of God was to affect the way in which they treated their slaves or workers. Commenting on this, the apostle Paul wrote: “You masters, keep dealing out what is righteous and what is fair to your slaves, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”​—Colossians 4:1.