The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 272

Vers. 5-9.-Th.e Christian treatment of sla.very. The ireatment of slavery by Christianity is one of the most interesting of themes. Because Christianity did not preach a servile war, that is, did not propose emancipation by force, it was imagined that it was a conniver in the selfish plot against the liberties of man. But Christianity confines itself to spiritual means. It is by a spirit that it regenerates mankind. Force and mechanical appliances may subserve its purposes,judgment may have to take place IIl consequence of men's selfishness and sin, but the instrumentalities of Christianity are not ca.rnal, but spiritual, and so mighty through God to the pulling down of the diabolic strongholds. It can be shown that the Mosaic le,,,aisl.ation, as well as the Divine jc.ci,,"lllents in Old Testament times, were hostile to slavery.3 But we are now concerned mth Panl's policy about slaves. Suppose, then, that he had advocated revolt and immeaia.te emancipation. The slaves would have been separated from their masters, and a chasm created between them which would not have been filled for generations. Christianity wonld have been the disintegrater instead of the unifier of mankind, and the e,ils of separation would have been excessive. Was it not better to infuse a new spirit into service and ma.sterhood? Was it not better to carry both into a Divine light, and so secure the master and slaves dwelling together in unity? Christianity consequently told master and slave how they were each related to the one Master in heaven, and so made them one. The actual emancipation has been the out- come of the Christian spirit. I. BOND il"'D FREE WERE TOLD ABOUT A COMMON MASTER IN BEAVEN. (Vers. 7-!l.) The slave was thUB asked to look past his earthly master to his heavenly. He might be possessed by a master on earth, but a Master in heaven told him he was not his own, but bought with a price, and so bound to serve him with his body which was God's. This lifted life at once to a new plane and infused into service a religious spirit. Tho Christian slave became the conscioUB property of Jesus. But at the same time, he felt that this slavery to God was "perfect freedom," that to be God's "slave" was to be at the same time his " freeman." He was thus spiritually emancipated. .Again, the master was given to understand that he had a Master in heavec., and was the slave of God. Hence his spiritual life gave to him the ideal of what authority is when its spirit ill love. Lovingly dealt with by God above, he had a model of masterhood evermore set before him, and his own relation to his slaves was of necessity modified ther<:;by. IL THEY lfEBE A88UBED THAT HE WAB NO BEBPEO'l'BB OF PEBSONB. (Ver. 9.) Here a blow was struck at the caste prejudices of the time. Here persons were lifted into the light of eternal justice and seen in their native equality. Now, if God took no 1 Cf. Dale on 'The Ten Commandments,' on the Fifth; also Washburne's 'Social Law of God,' on 'The Law of the Household.' • Cf. 'Thoughts on the Decalogue,' p. 114. • Cf. Cheever's eloquent appeal, • God against Slavery' passim. OH. VI. 1-24,] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 273