Bondservants and Masters

(A)Bondservants,[a] obey your earthly masters[b] with fear and trembling, (B)with a sincere heart, (C)as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as (D)people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, (E)knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, (F)whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, (G)and stop your threatening, knowing that (H)he who is both their Master[c] and yours is in heaven, and that (I)there is no partiality with him.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 6:5 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 6; likewise for bondservant in verse 8
  2. Ephesians 6:5 Or your masters according to the flesh
  3. Ephesians 6:9 Greek Lord

Slaves and Masters

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.

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