Page 67 - Pastoral Epistles student textbook

V1-2. All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of
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full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who
have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow
believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are
dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfareof their slaves.

Roman slavery was deeply ingrained into the Roman Empire and its economy. Some
scholars estimate that over one-third of the people in the Roman Empire were slaves
—that's approximately 50 or 60 million individuals!

Out of those 50-60 million slaves, there were a variety of different practices of
slavery during the Apostle Paul’s time. Some slaves were simply employees who did
a variety of different kinds of work: teachers, craftsmen, managers, cooks, and even
government officials. Many slaves owned slaves themselves. It's also important to
recognize that Roman slavery was not fundamentally based on background or skin
color but on economic and social status. In order to gain Roman citizenship and thus enter into Roman
society, many people would sell themselves into slavery. In some cases, slavery was helpful for poorer
individuals, providing security and stability for slaves in a variety of different locations. There were also
opportunities beyond slavery, for many slaves were released by the time they were 30 years of age, as
they had become capable of providing for themselves at that point.
After Paul, has previously instructed Timothy on how to treat widows and elders, he now opens a new
subject: how slaves should behave toward their masters.
Slaves have three defining characteristics.

1. They are property of another person.
2. Therefore, they can be bought and sold.
3. Their will is subject to another person’s will.
Slavery is a form of oppression. Even though some slave-owners were kind and treated their slaves
with gentleness … slavery by itself is a denial of human personhood and should be outlawed.

Who are the slaves in V2 and how does that apply to us today? ___________

 Slave owners in V2 are Christians.
 Today they would be Christian employers.
Let’s suppose that some of us have been victims of something. Maybe it is slavery.
Maybe something else. Maybe we’ve have been abused physically, verbally and emotionally. Maybe
we suffer racial discrimination. Or, on a lesser scale, maybe we’re being treated unfairly at work.
How are we as Christians, supposed to respond when we are victims of abusive or unfair
treatment?
(Answers below: 1-2-3.)
How should we counsel a victimized person who comes to us for help?

In 1 Timothy 6:1-2 Paul gives an answer. It’s easy for us to sit in church and say, “Preach it to those
slaves, Paul!” But Paul isn’t just preaching to slaves in a far-away culture that no longer exists. His
words apply to every believer today who is a victim of abusive, unfair treatment. He shows us all how
to be a good Christian victim.

1. Remind ourselves that life is not fair.
The Bible is clear that if we got what was fair, we all would go straight to hell, because we’ve all
rebelled against a holy God.
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