The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 279

The workman ie to fear and tremble before his master, the domestic is to fear an,1 tremble before her mistress, not because the master or mistress is better born, or has more wealth, or has a title (for in that there is little to canse fear and trembling), but because he or she represents an authorHy in heaven that in no case is to be trifled with. "In singleness of your heart." That is to say, the servant must give the reality, and not the semblance of service. And the only ground on which this can be thorouahly 0 secured is by regarding his service as done unto Christ. 2. FauJ,t to be auoided. " Not in the way of eye-service, as rnen-pleasers." The word translated "eye-service" seems to have been of the apostle's own coining, and is strikingly descriptive. The eye-servant is one who takes the rule of his action from the eye of his master. His object or motive (as expressed in the word "men-pleasers ") is to get credit for whatever he does. Such a person may work with a will when he thinks of the master's eye being upon h.im, and expects that it will be put to his credit. Even in such a case the principle is wrong. It would lead him to "scamp" his work when he thought that his master's eye was not on him, and that he would not be made to suffer for it. Could it be secured (which it cannot be) that the master's eye was always on ~he servant, ancl that the servant always got credit for what he did, yet work done on such a principle (whatever it may be in political economy), from a Christian point of view is radically wrong. 3. Positive excellence to be sought. (1) In relation to work. "But as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." The servants of Christ must apply the principles of Christ to their work. According to the teaching of the apostle, a servant's thought is not to be this-how little work he can get off with; nor this, in the first place (though it is an important consideration)-what is the will of bis master; but this-what is the will of God, i.e. what does Goel expect of him in amount, in excellency, to be rendered to his master. Having found ouL this, he is to do his work, not in the spirit of drudgery, but with a true, it may be an ardent, love for it, as it is here put-" from the heart." To do the will of God in this way may sometimes require not a little Christian courage. In these days there are trade-unions, com- binations among the workmen, with the view of protecting their rights. Though unobjectionable in principle, yet (like other combinntions) they may sometimes be dominated by selfishness, nnd act tyrannically. And n Christian workman mny be in the position of choosing between the will of God and incurring the opprobrium of hi~ fellow-workmen. If he is worthy of his master's Master, he will not, to please his fellow-workmen, give stinted, heartless work, but he will bravo the consequences of doing his duty, saying, "I must obey God rather thlln man." (2) In relation to his master. "With good will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not unto men." A servant may not be able altogether to approve of the treatment he receives. What is exacted of him (and what he cheerfully renders, as being the will of God) may be unjust. Nevertheless, as a Christian, he is to keep up good feeling toward his master. He is always to respect him because of his position. More th:m that, he is to have "good will" toward him, that good will which (as the angelic doxology shows) is so much of the essence of the gospel. And he is not merely to have good will toward him as a man, but good will also toward him in the particular relationship in which ho is placed to him as his master. And he is to have this good will toward him, not on worldly grounds, nor on purely rational grounds, nor on purely theistic grounds, but specially on Christian grounds. "As unto the Lord," and not unto a master by himself or out of relation to the Lord. That is to say, he is to bear goo,l will towarcl his master as being (by no figure of speech, bnt in very fact) the Lord's representative, and thus, it may be said, for the Lord's sake, and further, that the Lord's ends in the rcln.tionship (so fo.r as he is concerned) may be served. 4. Encouragement to duty. "Knowing that whatsoever good thing each one doeth, the same shall ho receive again from tho Lorrl, whether he be bond or free." The slave, or bondmn.n, hero referred to (n.nd very commpn then) was considered to be entitled to nothing. His earthly receivings wcro very meagr\l, unless in lashes when he came under the displeasure of his master. The apostle, then, ie to be nnclerstood as holding out to him this encouragement (for ho names him particularly, that there may be no mistak~), that, if he did his work in a Christian manner, then he would boa receiver, equally with the free man-he would be a receiver, if not on earth, yet in heaven; he would receive from the Lord Jcsns Christ himself. He who saved his sonl as well as that of the free man, and put both on tho samo  280 THE .EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [OH, Vl. 1-24,