EPH 6:5-9

Serving with Honor

5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ —

6not with eye-service as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul,

7rendering service with good disposition as to the Lord and not to men,

8knowing that whatever good each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord — whether slave or free.

9And masters, do the same things toward them, giving up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in the heavens, and there is no partiality with him.

In the world it was spoken into

In the 1st-century Roman Empire, slavery was a deeply entrenched institution, with enslaved persons constituting a significant portion of the population. Enslaved individuals were considered property, with masters holding absolute authority over them. The relationship was often marked by coercion, threats , and fear. Enslaved persons were expected to obey their masters, but this obedience was frequently superficial, characterized by 'eye-service' —working diligently only when under direct supervision. This passage addresses both enslaved persons and masters, urging enslaved individuals to serve sincerely, as if serving Christ, and masters to treat their enslaved persons with fairness, abandoning threats. The emphasis on mutual accountability before God challenges the hierarchical norms of Roman society, where masters held unchecked power and enslaved persons were dehumanized. The mention of receiving good from the Lord, regardless of social status, subtly undermines the rigid class distinctions of the time.

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How other translations render this

EPH 6:5

KJV: Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
BSB: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
Koinōnos: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ —

EPH 6:6

KJV: Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
BSB: And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
Koinōnos: not with eye-service as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul,

EPH 6:7

KJV: With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
BSB: Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,
Koinōnos: rendering service with good disposition as to the Lord and not to men,

EPH 6:8

KJV: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
BSB: because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
Koinōnos: knowing that whatever good each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord — whether slave or free.

EPH 6:9

KJV: And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
BSB: And masters, do the same for your slaves. Give up your use of threats, because you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.
Koinōnos: And masters, do the same things toward them, giving up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in the heavens, and there is no partiality with him.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

EPH 6:5

slaves,:The word translated 'slaves' here refers to individuals who were born into servitude or became slaves through various circumstances, indicating a state of complete dependence on a master.
masters:The term translated 'masters' indicates someone who holds power or authority over others, often implying ownership or control, similar to a lord.

EPH 6:6

eye-service:The word translated 'eye-service' describes work done only when under direct supervision, implying a lack of diligence or sincerity when not being watched.

EPH 6:9

threatening,:The word translated 'threatening' often appeared in the plural and could refer to boastful promises or, more commonly, to actual threats of harm or punishment.