Five Biblical Principles which control the relations of rulers and ruled, masters and servants, employers and employees.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:5-9

“Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”

Based on Biblical principles the business of the church is always to deal with conditions in the church.  The church’s task primarily is to evangelize, and to bring people to a knowledge of God.  Then, having done that, she is to teach them how to live their lives under God as His people.  The church is not here to reform the world, for the world cannot be reformed.  The business of the church is to evangelize, to preach the Gospel of salvation to men who are blinded by sin and under the domination and the power of the devil. 

The moment the church begins to enter into the details of politics and economics, she is doing something that militates against her primary task of evangelism.  Suppose the church speaks out aggressively against communism, she will be effectively closing the door for any effective evangelism among communists.  The communist will say, “Your Christianity is just anti-communist and pro-capitalist; I am not going to listen to that message.”  Therefore you cannot evangelize him.  The church is to preach her Gospel to all and sundry whatever they are, and to bring them to a knowledge of Jesus Christ.  She must refrain from entering into details lest her primary task of evangelism be impeded and hindered, and lest she herself shut the door against the very thing she claims she should be doing. 

Principle 1:  Christianity does not abolish our relationship to existing social, political and economic conditions.  Some early Christians erred at this point, and there are many who still do so.  There are those who still think that once a man becomes a Christian he is no longer bound to his wife if she is not a Christian.  Hence Paul had to write the 7^th chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians.  It was happening on both sides.  The man, for instance, would argue in this fashion: “We were married when we were pagans in unbelief, but now I am a Christian and I see everything differently.  My wife is not a Christian, so I am not bound to her any longer, for that would hinder my Christian life.”  Similarly with the woman.  The converted were tending to leave unconverted partners.  But Paul writes to them and tells them not to do so.  There were children who were tending to behave in the same way.  They had been converted but their parents remained pagan, so they said, “Of course our parents are pagans, and therefore we must no longer submit to them and their guidance.”  But Paul teaches them otherwise.  And so it was with the question of servants in their relationship to masters.  We find in the 3^rd chapter of Second Thessalonians, that there were some Christians who even stopped working.  They argued that they were now in a new realm and were to spend their time in looking for the return of the Lord.  So they abandoned their daily tasks and were just looking to the heavens and waiting for the appearance of the Lord.  The Apostle has to tell them quite plainly that “if a man will not work, neither should he eat”.  What they were doing was due to a lack of understanding of Christianity. 

In the case of the relationship of servants and masters, the tendency was to argue wrongly from the fact that we all are equal in the eyes of the Lord, and to say, ‘Does not the Apostle Paul teach that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; ye are all one in Christ Jesus?” We are all equal now.  There is no difference between men and women any longer, and no longer should servants be subject to their masters.  The fact that we are Christians has abolished the old relationships’.  Again, a complete misunderstanding of Christianity!  What Paul teaches is that there is no difference from the standpoint of the possibility of salvation.  But that does not do away with the orders of society, it does not abolish the inherent difference between a man and a woman, or these various other relationships.

The history of the Christian church shows that people have constantly fallen into this error.  The sect known as the Anabaptists, which arose in the sixteenth century in England, did so, and said that Christians should have nothing to do with the State or Federal government.  They tried to cut themselves off, to segregate themselves from the world in every respect.  This resulted from a failure to see this first principle – that the fact that we have become Christians does not dissolve or abolish our relationship to the government, and to social, political and economic conditions.

Paul even goes so far here as to say that our becoming Christians does not even automatically bring slavery to an end.  He does not tell slaves that because they have become Christians the former conditions are abolished; indeed he says the exact opposite.  The slaves are to go on as they were before, but with the new standpoint and attitude which he here teaches.  In his epistle to Philemon he teaches exactly the same thing.  But the clearest statement of all is found in 1 Cor. 7: 20-24 – “Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.  Art thou called being a servant (a slave)?  Care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.  For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant (slave), is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant (slave).  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants (the slaves) of men.  Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God”.  That is the classical statement on this whole matter.  “Art thou called being a slave? Care not for it.”  Do not allow that to be the big thing in your life; do not become anxious about it; do not let it absorb all your attention; do not allow it to occupy the center of your thinking.  “Care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.”  The fact that we have become Christians does not abolish our relationship to social, political and economic conditions.

Principle 2:  Christianity not only does not change our relationship to these conditions, it does not even condemn such things as slavery directly as being sinful.  This has been a great stumblingblock to many people, and particularly during the 19^th century.  But our business is to understand Scripture.  People argue that slavery is patently wrong and sinful, therefore Christianity must of necessity denounce it.  They say, “But it is obvious, everyone can see that it is wrong; even a man who is not a Christian can see it; any man who has a sense of fairness and righteousness, and a view of the dignity of man, must see at once that it is altogether wrong”.  Yet the plain fact is that the Bible does not condemn slavery as such directly.  If it intended to do so, Paul would surely do it here; but he does not.  In writing to Philemon he does not do so, and he does not do so elsewhere.  Our Lord Jesus Christ did not do so.

This is something which the natural man simply cannot understand at all.  He cannot see that it is a man’s relationship to God that matters fundamentally, and that once a man has seen that, everything else, including slavery, becomes different to him.  Though he is still a slave he does not view that as he did before; he is now “Christ’s freeman”.  It is because the natural man is blind to the supernatural, blind to the spiritual, because they see nothing but this world, nothing but this life, that the whole of their thinking is corrupted.  Christian thinking is unlike natural thinking at every point.  Christian thinking focuses on relationship with God and the eternal rewards. 

Principle 3:  While Christianity does not condemn slavery it does not condone or justify it either.  Here, once more, there have been frequent misunderstandings.  There have been Christians who have thought that Christianity is but a justification of the ‘status quo’.  After the Second World War the Roman Catholic church spoke out vociferously against Communism, and invited all Protestants, and all who used the name Christian to join with them in doing so.  Those who accepted the invitation did not see that Roman Catholism was mainly concerned to defend her own particular form of totalitarianism.  It was simply a case of one totalitarian system against another, a defending of the ‘status quo’.  Christianity never does that.  It does not condemn slavery, but neither does it not condone or justify slavery.  What is its attitude then?  What Christianity is interested in is the way in which a Christian slave behaves himself towards his master, and how the master behaves towards his slave.  It does not deal directly with the questions of slavery per se. 

The trouble today is that the leaders of the Christian church are spending much of their time in dealing with these things directly.  They are preaching about them, sending messages and protests to governments, taking part in processions.  Direct action!  Issues such as drugs, alcohol, divorce, homosexuality, war, right to life, etc.  What the Bible is concerned about is how the Christian on the two sides of the problem and the situation conduct themselves.  We must not take up a position of antagonism towards those whom we want to win for Christ.  If we spend the whole of our time talking against them we shall never win them.  The business of the church is not to denounce alcohol; it is to get the alcoholic to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; because that alone can deliver him.  The business of the Christian church is not to defend any particular system – political, social or economic.  Christianity, while it does not condemn slavery does not condone slavery.  Its attitude is the detached one which looks on and is concerned about principles.

Principle 4:  The Bible’s concern, Christianity’s concern is how the Christian should react to these things, and how he is to live in such a world as this.  That is the essence of the teaching, and we have it here in Ephesians 6:5-9.  Paul, when he comes to ‘servants and masters’, does not begin to give his views as a Christian on the question of slavery.  ‘Servants’, he says, ‘be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice…’  In other words his one interest is as to how they are to conduct themselves as Christians in that situation.  Likewise with the masters.  ‘You masters, do the same unto them, forbearing threatening.’  He does not tell them to give up their slaves; instead, he says, ‘Do not threaten them, do not be unkind, do not be cruel to them, “knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with Him”.’

We have the same teaching in 1 Peter 2:18 – ‘Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear’ and notice – ‘not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh’.  He does not tell the slaves to rise up and rebel against the masters.  The Bible never does so.  But it is very interested to assert that a Christian man should never abuse his position – ‘not using your liberty as a cloak for maliciousness’ (1 Pet. 2:16).  That is the danger, that the Christian may use his Christian position as a cloak for the malice that is in his heart; in the home, the church, and the work place.  That has often been done and, indeed, continues to be done; things done in the name of Christianity that should never be done at all.  And that does untold harm to Christianity.  It is because employees and employers (men and masters) forget that their duty is to God, their Master who is in heaven.  Our business, as Christian individuals, is primarily to relate ourselves correctly to the position in which we find ourselves (1 Cor. 7:20).

In Romans chapter 13 we find the same teaching.  There Paul tells Christians ‘to be subject to the powers that be, for the powers that be are ordained of God.  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation’.  These words were written to people who were under the power of the Emperor Nero, of all men.  But that is what the Christian has to do.  His primary concern is to be a servant of God and of Christ.  Whatever his position, whatever his circumstances, whether he is master or servant, employer or employee, husband or wife, king or subject, it does not matter.  They are all to submit themselves together, and to see that in every way they are behaving as Christian people.  They are not to be primarily concerned about the situations and the conditions as such; their concern as ‘pilgrims of eternity’, as ‘strangers and pilgrims’, is to be true to their Master, and to be preparing for their everlasting home; to be ‘working out their salvation, with fear and trembling’ (Philippians 2:12).  

Principle 5:  It is not the business of the church to be concerned about improving conditions; her business is always to be concerned about instilling these Biblical principles.  She should never attack the circumstances and the conditions directly.  But, at the same time, that does not mean that the individual Christian, as a citizen of a country, should not be concerned about improving conditions.  The individual Christian is never to take the law into his own hands.  But he is certainly entitled as a citizen of a country to which he belongs to take part in improving the circumstances and conditions in which he and others live.

The Christian message is primarily concerned to produce Christians and help them to grow in spiritual maturity.  It preaches the Gospel of Christ, it convicts men of sin, it calls them to Jesus’ blood, it brings them to this Word by which they can be born again by the power of the Spirit, it changes men.  Then, having changed them in that way, it goes on to teach them these great principles.  That is the direct task and business of the church.  But as the church does that, she is indirectly doing something else; she is obviously influencing the whole personality of such people – their mind, their thinking, their understanding.  And the moment that begins to happen to men they begin to see things in a different way and they begin to apply their thinking to daily living. 

Throughout history the ministers and evangelists through whom the Holy Spirit brought revivals were preaching the gospel of Christ and Him crucified for our sins.  Always as a result of revivals the thinking of men changed and the conditions and circumstances within communities and countries were greatly improved.  The preachers were always dealing with men as men, and the result of their preaching was that people were changed and converted.  They became Christians, they were born again.  What was the result of that?  They began to use their minds.  They had not used them before.  They had been living in sin, engaging in all the various sinful activities.  But now having been awakened spiritually, the whole man became awakened.  They found that they had minds.  The first thing they desired to do was to read the Bible, but many of them could not read, so they asked that they might be taught how to read; not in order that they might set up political and social organizations, but that they might read the Bible.  Thus they were awakened and enlightened, and they began to realize the truth about man, and man’s personality and dignity.  And having gone so far they went further; they began to look at the circumstances and conditions in which they were living.  They began to ask whether such conditions were fair and just and right, and coming to the conclusion that they were not, they proceeded to take measures to change them.

That was right and good; and entirely in accord with the Scriptural teaching.  That teaching does not denounce slavery, and it does not condone it.  It does not expect men to rise up and change it; neither does it simply maintain the status quo.  It deals with the man himself first, and then, under the influence of this teaching, and with this new understanding, the man himself begins to examine the position and to deal with it.

The church does not command any of these changes; it should never do so.  There is not a word in the Bible which tells men to abolish slavery; and yet we know that it was Christian men who eventually brought that to pass.   And that is exactly in accordance with Biblical teaching.  There is no command to do it; the Bible does not deal with these things directly, and yet when men become Christians they begin to think, and they think on both sides of the question.

The tragedy is when the church is talking about these particular problems and dealing directly with politics and economics and social conditions; then, no Christians are being produced, and the conditions get worse and the problems mount.  It is as the church produces Christians that she changes the conditions; but always indirectly.  The pastor or religionist who gets the television exposure and the newspaper headlines is wasting his breath for change and, is indeed, turning people against Christianity.  It is the pastor who is diligently preaching the gospel of Christ through which people are being converted who will indirectly produce the greatest change in both the church and society.  As an individual Christian, it is only when you are in the right ‘spirit’, the right relationship with God, that you are capable of producing positive change, of bearing fruit for Christ.

Life in the Spirit in Marriage, Home and Work by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

What is your primary concern?  Is it the social and political conditions in which you find yourself, or is it your relationship to God and eternity?

The defining purpose of the civil government is to restrain and punish sin/evil.  Can you imagine a world without any restraint whatsoever of man’s sinfulness?  It would be a situation of every man for himself.  Every man would do what he considered to be right in his own eyes.  Thank God for his loving provision of these wise protections and restraint.

In Romans chapter 13:1-7 Paul says how we are meant to be subject to the “higher powers” (civil governments) which are “ordained of God.”  That they have been established for our good; that we are to pay “tribute” (taxes) or the cost of providing the means to restrain sin; and that we are to be good citizens.  It is through such a system that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Rom. 1:18).  Of course, there are other ways that the wrath of God is so revealed, but surely the establishment of civil government provides an environment of relative safety and security for the present-day Church (the body of Christ) to flourish.  Yet, the churches (the existing local bodies of believers) appear to be squandering its opportunity.  It is God’s way that ability (resources) provided and not used is taken away.  Judgment must begin at the house of the Lord.  Attacks are coming from both within and without the church; Why?  What does the future hold?  Who will bear the responsibility?

In Eph. 4:17-19 Paul describes unregenerate man as those who walk in the vanity of their mind, whose understanding is darkened, that they are ignorant, that their hearts are blind, and that their consciences are past feeling.  See Psa. 82:5; Prov. 2:13; John 8:12; 12:35; 1 John 1:6.  As indicated here, the problem is not just in the mind alone.  It isn’t just a matter of the lack of intelligence.  The problem includes the mind, heart, conscience, and spirit.  The spirit being dead, their heart hardened, their conscience no longer capable of guiding them, they have been given over by God to their own uncleanness; to their own lusts and evil desires (Rom. 1:21-24).  In this state they cannot understand spiritual truths contained in Scripture; to them it is foolishness (1 Cor. 1:18, 23, 25; 2:14).  It does not matter how much money is spent trying to instill Christian principles in them in public schools, the churches, prison systems, social services, universities, or wherever, it is all in vain and will not be of any lasting benefit.  The only answer to this awful and helpless situation is that the Holy Spirit apply the power of God in their lives through the preaching of the gospel message by the called ones of God and thereby implant in them the light of Jesus Christ.   

Jesus Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12).  Thus, since we are reborn as new creatures in Christ, Paul can say in Eph. 5:8 that we are light; not just that we are “in the light”, but that we are light!   He then instructs us to walk in light as the children of light.  Paul states in 2 Cor. 4:6 “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”  It is God who gives light, it is God who gives the knowledge of Jesus Christ; without this light and knowledge no one could be regenerated; no one could be saved!  It is the gospel of Christ that is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth (Rom. 1:16).  The unsaved person is in such a state of darkness that nothing but the power of Almighty God through the working of the Holy Spirit can take it away.  So states Paul in 1 Cor. 2:12: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”  

We are Christians only because the Spirit of God has opened our blind eyes and has taken away the darkness and replaced it with His light.  This is the only answer for the state of the world as it is today. 

Coming soon -

1. For what purpose did God institute civil government?

2. What is the purpose of the Church?  Is the Church fulfilling its purpose?

3.  What is the real object of Christianity here on earth?

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Eph. 5:14).

     I believe that one of the primary reasons that the church (the visible Christian churches) are so ineffective today is their failure to disciple their members; the failure to teach Bible doctrines in depth.

     Therefore, this blog will try to promote understanding of what it means to be “in Christ”; what it means to “walk in the Spirit”; then, how do we accomplish that?  We will ask a lot of questions in regards to how, why, where, when, who, what, as regards to Scriptural words, phrases, order of priority of word/phrases, in order to get a deeper meaning than any commentary gives.  It is “exposition” of the Word that is the object first; then it is the “application” of the lessons learned to our lives that are the goals of this blog.

    Our personal conduct should always be under the light of Ephesians 4:15 – “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”  Let’s analyze part of this verse as a great example of what I mean.

     This phrase must first be regarded within its context in chapter 4 of Ephesians, then within th book of Ephesians as a whole, then within the entire Bible.  It introduces the positive aspect of the Apostle Paul’s teaching with regard to the function of the ministry in the Christian Church.  The object of the ministry is to bring us all to “a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).  As Paul teaches, in order to attain that objective, we must start where we are: and the first thing we have to do is to realize that we are children and subject to some of the characteristices of children; children in a spiritual sense.  So having warned us that we must not henceforth continue as children, Paul exhorts us to “speak the truth in love” and to “grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”.

     The Greek word translated “speaking” would be better translated as “professing”, so we should translate the phrase “professing the truth in love”.  It is not merely speaking, but it includes the idea of discussing it together, and teaching it.  It includes the whole of our deportment (attitude, actions, decisions, words, facial expressions, body language, everything).  We are to be true and to walk in the truth and in love.  We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro, but rather, holding the truth in love, we must grow up into Christ in all things.

     “Speaking the truth in love” does not mean that we regard and hold “fellowship” to be more important than truth.  This verse does not say that we are to tolerate anything and everything; just that the truth be professed in love; and we must not hesitate to do so.  All it takes for evil to florish is for a few good men to do nothing.  Instead of being like wather vanes, turing this way and that, we are to “hold to” somethng particular and definite, even the truth.  This necessitates that you know the truth!!     How can I judge these various “winds of doctrine” that blow around and about me unless I know the truth.  The truth is solid, a definable standard which is found in the Bible and has been stated in various Creeds and Confessions drawn up through the centuries to safeguard the truth concerning our Lord and His great salvation.  These truths state clearly what is to be believed; dogmas which do not subscribe to these stated truths must be denounced.  These truths we must “hold on” to.

     Every one of us is to understand, to believe, the truth revealed in the Scriptures, “the faith which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).  Today, instead of clear doctrine there is vague teaching about God and the brotherliness and Christ-likeness and of doing good and being loving.  This happens because there can be no sound teaching unless the teacher knows what the truth is.  The business of the Church is not to speculate about God and about the Perswon of Christ; it is to teach the revealed truths concernig them, to communicate the principles revealed in Scripture, and to build herself up on her most holy faith.  “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine (sound teaching) which was delivered you (Rom. 6:17); or “Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me” (2 Tim. 1:13).

     These doctrines are not from the minds of men: “I certify you, brethern, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.  For I neither received it of men neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11-12).  To Timothy Paul says, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).  The Christian message is precise truth, consisting of propositions about God, and the LOrd Jesus Christ, His Person and His work, about the Holy Ghost and His work, the only way to salvation, the Church, and all necessary truth about life.

     We must be equally careful to “hold the truth in love”.  What Paul is saying is that while we “hold the truth” or “Profess the truth” we are to watch our spirits.  False teachers are liable to disturb us and annoy us, and we have to oppose them, and to do so strongly.  But we must not do so in a wrong or bitter spirit.  We must never be hard and rigid, we must never be lagalistic or self-righteous; but we must emphasize the absolute necessity of definitions, creeds, and of explicit Scripture.  We must never behave in such a manner as to give the impression that our one concern is to prove that we are right and everyone else is wrong.  We must never do so merely to win an argument or a dispute.

     The truth of which Paul writes must never be approached with the intellect only.  If my heart is not moved by the truth, if I do not feel it and its power, my spirit is wrong.  Truth must produce passion, and in a truly Christian profession there is emotin and feeling.  A truth which is only held in the intellect becomes hard, and arid and dry; and a man of whom this is true can never speak the truth in love.  The goal of stating the truth in love is to help others; in order to win souls for Christ.  We must feel love for those who are unlearned, misguided, or led astray in order to lead them to the truth.  We must be able to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).  We must never start by denouncing, we must start by explaining and expounding.  We are told that, as Jesus looked upon the people, He saw them “as sheep without a shepherd and had compassion on them” (Mat. 9:36).  We must realize that love is not sentimental and weak; love is strong, love is true, love is pure.  To love a person truly is to desire the very best possible for that person.  Sometimes love hurts – “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth; and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Heb. 12:6). 

     The principle which should govern us in all this is the well known principle enunciated early in the history of the Christian Church – “In things essential, unity; in things indifferent [things which are not essential, and concerning which there is no absolute certainty] liberty; in all things charity.”

     Welcome!