Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people, knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. —Ephesians 6:5-9
“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” —Acts 17:6
Mutual submission brings
“Slaves…and masters.” —Ephesians 6:5, 9
“For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.” —Galatians 3:27-28
“Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” —Revelation 21:3-5
“What I have said respecting and against religion, I mean strictly to apply to the slaveholding region of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between he Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference…I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land.” —Fredrick Douglas
“…submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.” —Ephesians 5:21
“a slave is a living tool, just as a tool is an inanimate slaves.” —Aristotle
In slaves we see:
“Paul could no more envisage a world without slavery than we can envisage a world without electricity.” —N.T. Wright
In his instructions, Paul is sowing seeds of
“And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.” —Ephesians 6:9
Positive disrupters do not have to be loud - but their
“The ancients described a humble person as someone with enormous vitality who has been trained for service. A stallion trained for service is humble. An athlete disciplined for excelled is humble. Spiritual humility is the process of channeling energy into the world of God for others.” —Eugene Peterson
For further study:
Scripture: Matthew 19:3-8; Galatians 5:13-15; Philippians 2:1-8
Resources: “Reading While Black” by Esau McCauley
Community Group Guide:
In what ways have you experienced positive disruption?
How does mutual submission lead to positive disruption?
How can the church be a positive disrupter for racial equality?
To prepare for next week: The Armor of God; Ephesians 6:10-20