Free Indeed

Series on I Timothy

V Wisdom

D Respect, Text: 6:1,2

Title: Free Indeed

Introduction

Paul addresses the issue of slavery often in his letters. This is a crucial concern in our own society because of our history. After the civil rights movement of the sixties there developed black liberation theology in the 70’s. Some proponents advocated integration, others urged a complete separation of black and white people, and some went as far as to demand costly economic reparations for slavery. The existence of slavery in our country in the past continues to be both a source of aggravation and a source of shame. As much as one third of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire were slaves. Slaves came from many sources. Most were prisoners of war, but men also became slaves through indebtedness, or because they had broken the law, or because they were sold into slavery by their parents, or through being kidnapped. In the USA slavery was primarily economic. Recently, while visiting Charleston, SC, my wife and i discovered that before the Civil War over 10% of the population of the city consisted of free black men who through their skill and industry had earned their freedom. The majority of these free black men owned slaves themselves. Thus it is quite clear that economics controlled the degrading system in the south. What the Bible says about slavery is important for these reasons, and also because the lessons here teach us something important about ourselves.

I Oppression and Outreach

Injustice and oppression should concern us because God is a God of justice and Jesus came to establish justice through his sacrificial life and death. But, surprisingly, Paul does not tell owners to get rid of their slaves and he does not tell slaves to run away. In fact in the book of Philemon Paul writes to a slave owner about his runaway slave Onesimus who has been converted. He sends Onesimus back to his master with good advice for their relationship. In verse 1 Paul tells Christian slaves how to behave toward their masters, All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. The Apostle’s foremost thought is that God’s name and teaching should not be slandered. Because Christian slaves bear their master’s name, they can either bring honor to it or reproach. Furthermore they bear the gospel as a precious treasure which must not be compromised by their behavior. Paul writes to Titus in 2:9, Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them. To sum up, the outreach of the gospel and the progress of the kingdom of God ought to be our first consideration. We all experience injustice. Slavery is not the only form of oppression though it may be the worst. We can experience oppression in the neighborhood, in the job and in the family. Our first thought always seems to be getting justice. People sue their neighbors, their employers, and their family members to get justice in court. This verse says that our first consideration should not be retribution, retaliation, or revenge, but the progress of the gospel through lives that promote the cause of Christ in word and deed. We must always ask what does this do to the reputation of the gospel and our God.

II Oppression and Order

Paul adds another concern in Ephesians and Colossians. The passages are similar so let’s look at Colossians 3:22-24, Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. The primary concern of the Apostle is with our position as servants of Christ. The issue is not so much the effect on others as the effect on ourselves. We are Christ’s servants and we must please Him. We serve the Lord not men. What matters is our relationship to Him. It is Christ who is the judge and will determine our eternal inheritance. If we do not keep the proper order of Jesus first, we undermine our Christian lives. Remember that the injustices we encounter all the time in society, in the neighborhood, the job, the family must be addressed not first of all with a desire for retribution and an immediate display of justice, but with the realization that Christ is first and our relationship to Him is more important than the circumstances of this present evil age. We must be concerned as Paul has said, for the cause of God and the truth, and also for our relationship to the Lord. This relationship can never be separated from the liberating truth, If the son shall make you free you shall be free indeed. If we seek other freedoms, we must never despise the freedom we have in Christ.

III Oppression and Opportunity

In the second verse of our text Paul speaks to those slaves who have Christian masters, Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them. They are not to presume upon their relationship to their masters as brothers, rather they are to work all the harder and serve more faithfully because they are brothers and because there is a benefit. In the New International translation the benefit is clearly to the masters, but not everyone agrees that this is the best translation. For example the commentator William Hendriksen translates it differently. “those who have believing masters should not despise them because they are brothers, but should serve them better because they are believers and beloved ones who reciprocate this kind of service.” Whether or not this is the correct translation Paul certainly makes this point repeatedly. He tells Philemon to receive the runaway slave Onesimus as a dear brother. He tells the Christian slaveowners in Colosse to provide what is right and fair because they have a master in heaven. To the Ephesians he says they should treat their slaves in the same way as they want to be treated and not threaten them. Now, many are upset that Paul didn’t tell the slave owners to set their slaves free. They usually accuse the Apostle of accommodation and continuation of the status quo. The truth is Paul neither advocates revolt nor the continuation of the status quo. What he teaches is change from the inside out. The surest and most commendable way of working toward the final goal of the abolition of this gruesome inhuman institution was to destroy the very essence of slavery. This could only be done indirectly, that is, by changing men’s hearts in the relationship. That’s why William Wilberforce pursued this goal for many years in England in the days of John Newton. His heart had been radically changed. We need to broaden this principle for ourselves. Injustice and oppression happens and will continue to happen, but it is an opportunity for change if we do it the Lord’s way. Through the gospel real change can be effected. The grace of Christ always works from within outward. Even the legal changes in the institution of slavery came about because God worked in the hearts of men.

Conclusion

Jesus gave his life on the cross to set us free, but both He and His apostles made it clear that this was not freedom from oppression or injustice in this world. Great changes in the world come as a result of being free in Christ, but His freedom is not freedom from our current injustices or oppressions. It is a freedom of sonship, of being delivered from death and hell, and that makes us free in all other circumstances. Until we see that for ourselves we will never be truly free and we will continue to try to solve our problems of injustice in the neighborhood, in the job, and in the family the wrong way.