The Gospel Under the Yoke Text: 1 Timothy 6:1-2
Introduction: The Watching World
The Christian faith is not a private hobby. It is not a set of abstract doctrines to be debated in a classroom and then filed away when you go out into the world. Our faith is intensely practical. It invades every corner of our lives, every relationship, every transaction, every institution. And because it does, the world is always watching. They are watching how we conduct our business, how we treat our spouses, how we raise our children, and, as we see in this text, how we work.
The apostle Paul, writing to Timothy in Ephesus, is giving instructions for the household of God. And in the first-century Roman world, a significant portion of that household was made up of slaves. Modern sensibilities recoil at this, and for good reason. The chattel slavery of the American South, built on the execrable sin of man-stealing, was a profound evil. But we must be careful not to read our historical situation directly back into the text. The Bible condemns man-stealing as a capital crime (Ex. 21:16; 1 Tim. 1:10), but it does not treat the institution of slavery itself, as it existed in the ancient world, as an intrinsic sin that would bar a slave-owner from church membership. Philemon was a slave-owner, and Paul calls him a beloved fellow worker.
The New Testament's approach to slavery was not one of violent, revolutionary overthrow. The radical abolitionists of the nineteenth century were not taking their cues from the apostle Paul. The gospel works like yeast in a loaf (Matt. 13:33). It does not blow up the bakery; it gradually and inexorably transforms the whole lump from within. Paul is not writing a political manifesto for the immediate abolition of a deeply embedded Roman institution. He is giving pastoral instruction to Christians on how to live within that institution in a way that adorns the doctrine of God our Savior. The primary concern is not the Christian's personal comfort or his social standing, but the reputation of God. How does a Christian's work ethic, his attitude toward his boss, his demeanor under authority, either commend the gospel or bring it into disrepute? That is the question on the table. And it is a question that applies directly to every one of us who works for someone else.
The world is watching, and your nine-to-five is a theater for the glory of God. How you conduct yourself when you are "under the yoke" of an employer is a powerful testimony, for good or for ill.
The Text
All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be slandered.
But those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.
(1 Timothy 6:1-2 LSB)
Honor for the Sake of the Gospel (v. 1)
We begin with the general instruction to all Christian slaves.
"All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be slandered." (1 Timothy 6:1 LSB)
Paul begins by acknowledging the reality of the situation. These believers are "under the yoke." This is not a sugar-coated description. A yoke is an instrument of submission, of hard labor. Paul is not pretending that their situation is pleasant. He is realistic. The Christian faith does not promise an immediate escape from difficult circumstances. It teaches us how to be faithful in the midst of them.
The command is to "regard their own masters as worthy of all honor." The word for honor here, time, has to do with value, price, and respect. This is not a command to feel a certain way, but to act a certain way. It means giving the master the respect and obedience that his position requires. It means being a good worker, not out of fear of punishment, but as a matter of principle. It means not being insolent, not talking back, not shirking duties. This honor is to be given to their "own masters," whether they are kind or harsh, competent or foolish. The honor is due to the office, the position of authority that God in His providence has placed over them.
But why? What is the motivation? It is not primarily for the master's benefit. The motivation is entirely theological and evangelistic: "so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be slandered." The word is blasphemed. If a Christian slave is lazy, insubordinate, and disrespectful, what does the pagan master conclude? He does not conclude, "My slave is a bad person." He concludes, "That slave's God is a fraud, and the religion he professes is worthless." He sees the hypocrisy and blasphemes the name of Christ.
Imagine a pagan master saying, "My slave became a Christian last month, and ever since he has been worthless. He talks about being a 'child of the king' and now he thinks he's too good to do what I tell him. This new religion of his makes men rebellious and lazy." When that happens, the doctrine of God is slandered. The gospel is made to look like a recipe for social chaos. The Christian's poor work ethic has become a stumbling block, driving his master away from the faith. But when a Christian slave is the most honest, diligent, and respectful worker the master has, it forces the master to ask why. It adorns the gospel. It makes the doctrine of God attractive. Our work is a platform for the gospel, and our attitude in the workplace is either commending or condemning the Christ we claim to serve.
Brotherhood is Not a Loophole (v. 2)
Next, Paul addresses a specific and tricky situation: when the master is also a believer.
"But those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved." (1 Timothy 6:2 LSB)
This is a fascinating piece of pastoral wisdom. One might think that having a Christian master would make everything easier. But Paul identifies a peculiar temptation that arises from this very situation. The temptation is to be disrespectful "because they are brothers." How does this work? The slave might be tempted to think, "My master and I are brothers in Christ. We are equal in God's sight. We will share the same inheritance in heaven. Therefore, he has no right to tell me what to do down here. This earthly arrangement is a temporary sham." Familiarity can breed contempt. The spiritual equality we share in Christ can be twisted into an excuse for social insubordination.
The slave might presume upon the relationship. He might show up late, thinking, "Oh, Philemon won't mind, he's a brother." He might do a shoddy job, assuming that his Christian master is obligated to show him grace and overlook it. This is an abuse of grace. It turns the glorious reality of our brotherhood in Christ into a carnal excuse for laziness. Paul says this is absolutely forbidden. Our spiritual unity does not erase the different roles and stations God has providentially assigned to us in this life.
In fact, Paul says the opposite should happen. Instead of using brotherhood as an excuse to work less, it should be a motivation to "serve them all the more." The logic is powerful. Why should you work harder for a Christian boss? "Because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved." Who partakes of the benefit? The master. The benefit is the slave's good and faithful service. When you work diligently for a Christian master, who are you helping? You are not just helping some pagan get rich. You are helping a fellow believer, someone beloved by God, to prosper. Your hard work is a direct act of service to a member of Christ's own body. It is an expression of Christian love.
Think of it this way. If your work benefits an unbeliever, it is a powerful evangelistic testimony. If your work benefits a believer, it is a powerful act of fellowship and love. In both cases, the motivation is theological. The goal is the glory of God and the good of His people. The Christian's work is never just about earning a paycheck. It is always about worship.
Conclusion: Teach and Exhort
Paul concludes this brief section with a charge to Timothy: "Teach and exhort these things." This was not a minor point of household etiquette. This was essential apostolic doctrine. It was to be taught authoritatively and urged upon the congregation. Why? Because the way Christians conduct themselves in their vocations, in their places of work, is a matter of first importance. Our work is where our faith becomes visible.
The world does not read our systematic theologies. They read our lives. They watch us when we are under pressure. They see how we respond to authority. They observe our diligence, our honesty, our cheerfulness, or the lack thereof. And from this, they draw their conclusions about our God.
Whether you are a slave in first-century Ephesus or an employee in twenty-first-century America, the principle is the same. You are under a yoke. You have a master, a boss, a supervisor. Your task is to work in such a way that you regard them as worthy of all honor. Not because they always deserve it, but because the God you serve always deserves it. Your work is not ultimately for them; it is "as to the Lord and not to men" (Col. 3:23). When you work this way, you are not only storing up for yourselves treasure in heaven, you are adorning the doctrine of God on earth. You are showing a watching world that our faith is not a pious fiction, but a living reality that transforms everything it touches, right down to the daily grind.