(A)[a]Servants, be obedient unto them that are your masters, [b]according to the flesh, with [c]fear and trembling in singleness of your hearts, as unto Christ,

Not with service to the eye, as men pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, [d]doing the will of God from the heart.

With good will, serving the [e]Lord, and not men.

[f]And know ye that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, that same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free,

[g]And ye masters, do the same things unto them, putting away threatening: and know that even your master also is in heaven, neither is there (B)[h]respect of person with him.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 6:5 Now he ascendeth to the third part of a family, to wit, to the duty both of the masters and of the servants. And he showeth that the duty of servants consisteth in a hearty love and reverence to their master.
  2. Ephesians 6:5 He mitigateth the sharpness of service, in that they are spiritually free, notwithstanding the same, and yet that spiritual freedom taketh not away corporal service, insomuch that they cannot be Christ’s, unless they serve their masters willingly and faithfully, so far forth as they may with safe conscience.
  3. Ephesians 6:5 With careful reverence: for slavish fear is not allowable, much less in Christian servants.
  4. Ephesians 6:6 To cut off occasion of all pretences, he teacheth us that it is God’s will that some are either born or made servants, and therefore they must respect God’s will, although their service be never so hard.
  5. Ephesians 6:7 Being moved with a reverence so Godward, as though ye served God himself.
  6. Ephesians 6:8 Although they serve unkind and cruel masters, yet the obedience of servants is no less acceptable to God, than the obedience of them that are free.
  7. Ephesians 6:9 It is the duty of masters to use the authority that they have over their servants modestly, and holily, seeing that they in another respect have a common master, which is in heaven, who will judge both the bond and the free.
  8. Ephesians 6:9 Either of freedom or bondage.

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