Yoked
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I want to thank Jimmy for preaching last Sunday. I love listening to the men of this church preach and lead us in the study of God’s Word. You might not know how blessed RHCC is to have men who are able and willing, gifted and called to preach and teach. Very few churches have such capable and godly men.
I knew Jimmy could handle all of 1 Timothy 5, and he did so with ease. Jimmy got to wrestle 25 verses; I’m only going to take-on 2 verses this morning. I was tempted and I almost tacked these onto what Jimmy was preaching last week (most commentators and even your Bible group them together under the heading “Women, Elders, and Slaves”).
There’s a clear connection between chapter 5 and these two verses in chapter 6. But these two verses in 1 Timothy 6, considering the topic covered, require a separate sermon.
Let’s go ahead and read our text for this morning. If you have your Bible (and I hope you do), please turn with me to 1 Timothy 6. If you’re able and willing, please stand for the reading of God’s Holy Word, out of reverence for Him.
1 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.
These are the things you are to teach and insist on.
May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!
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There are many versions of slavery, several iterations, and it’s important that we discuss what those are so that we can understand what Paul is writing here. Chances are, what we have in mind is slavery as we know it from American History. But this here in 1 Timothy is quite different. It’ll be helpful to provide some background and context to the discussion of slavery so we can better define our terms and understand the text.
World history is filled with various types of slavery. Therefore, we have to be careful when we talk about this subject. When you hear the word slavery, no doubt there are certain images that come to mind. Not all forms of slavery look the same. We’re going to consider a few different ways slavery has been practiced in history (David Platt has provided us with a helpful summary of a few different types of slavery).
The first is Hebrew servanthood.
In the OT, there’s a system of Hebrew servanthood that was set up for poor Israelites to become servants. This servanthood was designed to provide for poorer Israelites and their families.
Poverty is a reality in every age, and so the law of God made this provision for those in poverty. Hebrew servanthood is discussed in Leviticus 25:
In this type of servanthood, a person could sell themselves into slavery as a way to escape poverty. They wouldn’t be treated as a slave, but as a hired hand. Now, there were those who abused their servants, but that was not God’s intention in setting up this system. Hebrew servanthood was much, much different from the pre-Civil War slavery in the southern United States.
In the system of Hebrew servanthood, the Lord even provided a reprieve for slaves by instituting sabbatical years when all the slaves had be be released.
2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything.
Another form of slavery was present in the Roman Empire. Slavery was deeply ingrained into the fabric of Roman society. Some estimates have over one-third of the people in the Roman Empire as slaves; that’s 50-60 million individuals.
Some of those slaves were simply employees—teachers, craftsmen, cooks, even government officials. Roman slavery wasn’t based on ethnicity or skin color but on socio-economic status. In order to become a Roman citizen, people would sell themselves into slavery and work for their freedom. Many slaves were free by the time they were 30 years old.
However, slavery wasn’t a great life by any means. Slaves were still slaves: marginalized, powerless, prone to disgrace or insult, saddled with grueling labor and harsh treatment, on the receiving end of physical and sexual abuse.
This system of slavery was ingrained into the empire’s economy.
Common in colonial America was indentured servitude. Many people could not afford to come to the new county on their own so they’d contract themselves out as indentured servants and agree to work in certain households until they could earn enough money to pay off their debt.
Historians estimate that over one-half to two-thirds of European white immigrants who came to America came as indentured servants.
Indentured servitude and Hebrew servanthood are pretty closely related.
Fourth and finally, there is the picture of slavery connected to the African slave trade. This type of slavery was promoted across the 18th and 19th centuries. Within this evil system, millions upon millions of Africans were traded and sold across Europe. They were transported in cruel, grueling conditions. Upon being sold into slavery, these slaves were subjected to harsh working conditions as well as physical abuse, sexual abuse, and torture.
Frederick Douglas, one of the leaders in the abolitionist movement, wrote the following about his first slave-master, Captain Anthony:
He was a cruel man, hardened by a long life of slave-holding. He would at times seem to take great pleasure in whipping a slave. I have often been awakened at the dawn of a day by the most heart-rending shrieks of my own aunt, whom he used to tie up to a joist, and whip…till she was literally covered with blood. No words, no tears, no prayer from his gory victim seemed to move his iron heart from its bloody purpose.
I don’t relish the sharing of such an awful account, and yet I realize that short paragraph is a fairly tame representation of the atrocities of that time. It can’t be downplayed or excused. There is no justification for even one ounce of the African slave trade. It’s a horrific moment in history, this kind of slavery which took place in our own country not that long ago.
>It’s important to note that the slavery we’re familiar with, the slavery that took place on American soil, the slavery that divided the states IS NOT the kind of slavery Paul is addressing in 1 Timothy 6. There is no mention of slavery anywhere in the Bible that can be used to justify or okay the African slave trade. None.
I’ve heard more than a few people say, “Well, the Bible talks about slavery and slaves are even instructed not to disobey or disrespect their masters!”
It’s apples and oranges. No, it’s more like apples and limousines. The slavery Paul discusses here and the sinful, racist, bigoted slavery of the American South do not belong in the same category. They’re not on the same page or the same book; they aren’t even in the same library.
Just because it’s mentioned in the Bible doesn’t mean the Bible encourages it. Divorce is discussed at some length; that doesn’t make it commendable.
We need to understand the kind of slavery Paul is referencing so that we don’t begin to confuse or equate the various forms of slavery. Paul is by no means condoning the mistreatment of slaves.
We need to note a few truths about slavery in the Bible:
Slavery is not part of creation (God’s original created order)
Slavery is the product of sin (poverty, class distinction, prejudice, bigotry, favoritism, abuse)
Situations in a sinful world call for specific instructions to a sinful world (because slavery existed, something had to be said about slavery, regulations and protections had to be put into place)
Biblical instructions concerning slavery do not imply biblical support of slavery (when slavery is addressed it’s addressed to help shepherd people who were trapped in a sin-stained economic and social system that produced the need for slavery)
The Bible very clearly condemns slavery. Slavery undermines the dignity and worth of a human being by functionally denying it.
Slavery undermines God’s creation and the imago dei, the image of God in which all people are created.
Every single person has equal dignity and worth before God and because of God. Every. Single. Person.
It wasn’t Abraham Lincoln who came up with the idea that “all men are created equal.” That is not an American invention; it’s God’s truth, the Creator’s truth.
Lincoln said: “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
But this was God’s idea long before Lincoln or any of us even were:
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Every single person has equal dignity and worth before God and because of God. Every. Single. Person. Every person is of enormous value because God says so.
Christians should be the first to stand up and say that slavery—any slavery, including the slavery of our forefathers—was shameful, sinful, and wrong.
Some “Christian” pastors and church members in the “Christian” south were buying and selling, trading and using, abusing African slaves. This is one of the darkest, most shameful moments in our history.
True Christianity, however, made an impact upon the institution of slavery. Christianity was, in fact, the major social force in altering man’s understanding of the worth of the individual, that before God all men are of equal value. This realization and the conviction of Christians led to the overthrow of slavery as a social institution.
When we come to this here in 1 Timothy 6, Paul is addressing Christian slaves who are serving under either unbelieving or believing masters. Some of the slaves the apostle was addressing were likely sitting in the church amongst Christian brothers and sisters who loved them, cared for them, and were commanded to provide for them as fellow members of the body of Christ.
Here’s why Paul and other NT authors have to address this issue.
The system of slavery was deeply-rooted in that time, both socially and economically. It was unlikely that the system of slavery was going to be overturned or abolished anytime soon, so it was important to have rules for how Christians were to function within an imperfect and sinful world.
The early church needed to understand how to live out their faith even and especially through difficult times.
This is not Paul’s approval or God’s approval of slavery. This is Paul leading and teaching the church how to live out their faith even in unfavorable circumstances.
If this isn’t a word for us here and now, I’m not sure what is.
How do we live out our faith in unfavorable circumstances?
How do we relate to one another within the church?
1 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.
These are the things you are to teach and insist on.
Paul refers to those who are slaves as “under a yoke.” Yokes are designed for animals, particularly for oxen. A yoke is a large wooden beam, placed over the shoulders of working animals. It would keep them together, and give the worker control of the oxen or cattle.
To be sure, this speaks to the oppression and subjugation of slavery.
But it also makes us think of our responsibility as Christians. We are not slaves to any earthly master. We are not servants oppressed by another person. But there is a yoke that we are to bear, and willingly.
Jesus, upon inviting us to come to Him for comfort and rest, still mentions His yoke:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus’ yoke—His teaching, His moral instruction, His ethics for the Christian life—that yoke is upon us. He is our Master, and we are His servants. What’s different is that Jesus’ yoke isn’t oppressive or burdensome. Jesus says, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
We are under, not a yoke of slavery, but under the yoke of Jesus’ teaching, instruction, demands on our lives.
We are:
Yoked to God’s Name
Yoked to God’s Name
Paul wanted slaves to honor (fully respect) their masters (just as the church was to honor widows and honor elders—double honor toward some) those slaves who belonged to Christ were to honor their masters, whether their masters were believers or unbelievers.
The reason? So that God’s name…may not be slandered.
Christians who happened to be under the yoke of slavery were even more importantly yoked to God’s name and making sure His name wouldn’t be slandered or blasphemed (the Greek word is βλασφημῆται). They were to behave in a way that would glorify God.
This is, after all, the chief end of man—the glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
This is, after all, what drove Paul and what drives all of Scripture. Our overriding concern is that God would be glorified in us and through us and even in spite of us.
This has been explained throughout 1 Timothy as our reason for being and doing. We pray for all people because it pleases God. We honor the widow because it pleases God. Elders are to have a good reputation so that God’s name isn’t dragged through the mud.
Paul’s concern in addressing the conduct of Christian slaves is that they would carry the name of Christ well, that God would be glorified and that God’s glory would be made known, particularly before unbelieving masters.
These unbelieving masters should be able to see the grace of God in the lives of their slaves who had become followers of Christ.
We, as slaves to Christ, have the same responsibility, the same yoke. We are to make sure that God’s name is praised, that God is glorified in what we do and in how we live.
Whether you’re a student or an employee, remember: every time you turn in a project, hand in an assignment, make a decision, or act in any way, you are to reflect the glory of God.
Yoked to the Gospel
Yoked to the Gospel
Another goal in the conduct of slaves is the advancement of the gospel. Slaves are to honor their unbelieving masters, says Paul, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Paul doesn’t want the good news to be slandered, blasphemed, or ignored, so he calls for Christian slaves to be obedient to and honoring of their masters.
Their obedience to the yoke of Christ, their honoring of their unbelieving masters, will adorn the gospel. Their honor expressed toward their masters will show how life-changing and life-impacting the gospel really is.
Paul’s exhortation for slaves to honor their masters has a missionary motivation. If unbelieving masters see the hard work of believers, they will no doubt wonder why. This opens the door for a proclamation of the gospel and ministry to their masters.
This is what we’re after. Christianity isn’t primarily about social reform. Paul isn’t urging them to work against the system of slavery. He’s not organizing letter-writing campaigns and sit-ins. He’s not calling for boycotts or slave strikes. Instead, Paul is telling Christian slaves to live for the proclamation of the gospel and for the salvation of their masters.
Changing society or the political system will never, ever, not in a million years, save or transform anybody.
But people transformed by the gospel, a society transformed by the gospel will start to see societal structures transformed.
The way the Bible addresses slavery is by aiming for personal redemption and personal transformation. The gospel lays “the explosive charge that ultimately leads to the detonation, and the destruction of slavery altogether.”
We, yoked to Christ, must put the proclamation of the gospel ahead of our comfort and before convenience. Gospeled people will gospelize. We take the gospel far and wide. We’re yoked to it.
Yoked to One Another
Yoked to One Another
Twice in verse 2, Paul uses the phrase fellow believers. This is the word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi). The conversation has shifted now, and Paul is speaking to Christian slaves who have Christian masters.
It seems that some Christian slaves were taking advantage of their masters and were slacking off on their commitment/agreement to serve.
Their fellow believers, their brothers and sisters in Christ are worthy of their respect, their hard work, their love. Their Christian masters should be dear to them.
Whenever, wherever we encounter a fellow believer, a brother or sister in Christ, we need to realize that we are tied to them. Our relationship to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ is stronger, more permanent, more lasting than any other relationship.
We won’t relate to our spouses as such in heaven (Jesus is clear about this). And I can’t imagine we’ll relate to our parents or children the way we do here and now.
The relationship that lasts, the bond that lasts, will be those within the family of God. Relationally, I am closer to you—my fellow believers—than I am to anyone else. And vice versa. This matters, deeply.
This should play itself out in our lives—at home, at church, at school, at work. In whatever situation we find ourselves, we are yoked to one another.
>The essence of Christianity is that our Master has become our servant, and so, in turn, we gladly become His slave.
5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Jesus took the form of a slave for our sake. For His sake, we willingly become His.
Every follower of Christ should long to be identified as a slave of the Lord Jesus—one who takes up His yoke and praises His name, proclaims His gospel, and loves His people.
We do this, as our glad and joyful service. We do this as slaves.
Here’s the truth: you are either a slave to sin and Satan or a slave to Christ. Which one are you—slave to sin or slave to Christ? Which one are you yoked to?