Servants, be obedient to them that are [your]
masters
The apostle enlarges on the duty of servants, as well as
frequently inculcates it in his epistles; because, generally
speaking, they were more rude and ignorant, and less pains were
taken with them to instruct them; they were apt to be impatient
and weary of the yoke; and scandal was like to arise from
servants in the first ages of Christianity through some
libertines, and the licentiousness of the false teachers, who
insinuated, that servitude was inconsistent with Christian
freedom: the persons exhorted are "servants", bond servants, and
hired servants; who are to be subject to, and obey their
"masters", of each sex, whether male or female, of every
condition, whether poor or rich, believers or unbelievers, good
or bad humoured, gentle or froward: such as are their masters
according to the flesh;
or "carnal masters", as the Vulgate Latin version renders it;
even though they are unregenerate men, and are in a state of
nature, and only mind the things of the flesh, yet they are to be
obeyed in their lawful commands; or "in things pertaining to the
flesh", as the Arabic version renders it; in things temporal,
which concern the body, and this temporal life; not in things
spiritual and religious, or that belong to conscience, and which
are contrary to them: or "according to your flesh", as the
Ethiopic version renders it; signifying that they are only
masters over their bodies, not their consciences; and that their
power only extends to corporeal things, and can last no longer
than while they are in the flesh; see ( Job 3:19 ) ; and obedience
is to be yielded to them
with fear and trembling;
with great humility and respect, with reverence of them, and
giving honour to them, with carefulness not to offend them, with
submission to their reproofs and corrections, and with fear of
punishment; but more especially with the fear of God, being by
that influenced and constrained to obedience;
in singleness of heart;
with readiness and cheerfulness, without hypocrisy and
dissimulation, and with all integrity and faithfulness:
as unto Christ;
it being agreeable to his will, and what makes for his glory, and
serves to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.