Ephesians 6:5
5 Servants, [doulos] be obedient
[hupakouo] to them that are your masters [kurios] according to [kata] the
flesh, [sarx] with [meta] fear [phobos] and [kai] trembling, [tromos] in [en] singleness [haplotes] of
your [humon] heart, [kardia] as [hos] unto Christ; [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
5 Slaves, be obedient to those
who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the
sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; NASB
Slave is a reference to someone who labors under
the authority of another. This can
include voluntary service or involuntary service. In any case, all service is paid for in one
way or another.
Whether your master is an employer or the hierarchy
within an organization, you are bound by some semblance of authority, and in
that regard, you are mandated herein to obey in accordance with the customs of
that employment.
These days we do not have slavery as it historically
existed back in ancient times. But even
then there were rules governing the ownership or employment of individuals.
The principles involved here are not the rights or
wrongs of slavery, but the authority relationship through which labor or
commerce was engaged.
The same principles apply in our current day. Authority in the work place, in bureaucracy
or in any organization are the framework for a well-run and successful and
efficient organization.
Just as in the home, where authority is the
foundation for the successful family, so too that principle applies to all
aspects of life.
Volition is the framework for self-control. Marriage is the framework for
relationships. The family is the
framework for the basic training of the children, and business or labor is the
framework for the economic stability of society.
In every situation, authority, whether it is from
self or in relation to others, provides the backbone for ones success and
achievement in life.
