their faith, he will blaspheme, as if the Doctrine produced insubordination. But when he sees them obedient, he will be more inclined to believe, and will the rather attend to our words. But God, and the Gospel we preach, will be blasphemed, if they are disobedient. But what if their own master be an unbeliever? Even in that case they ought to submit, for God’s Name’s sake. Ver. 2. “And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved partakers of the benefit.” As though he had said, If ye are thought worthy of so great a benefit, as to have your masters for your brethren, on this account ye ought more especially to submit. “Going before to judgment.” This he had said, implying that of evil actions here some are concealed, and some are not; but there neither the good nor the bad can be concealed. And what is that going before to judgment? When one commits offenses that already con- demn him, or when he is incorrigible, and when one thinks to set him right and cannot succeed. What then? What is the use of mentioning this? Because if here any escape detection, they will not hereafter. There all things are laid open; and this is the greatest consolation to those who do well. Then because he had said, “Do nothing by partiality,” as if under the necessity of inter- preting it, he adds, “As many servants as are under the yoke.” But you will say, What has a Bishop to do with this? Much surely, for it is his office to exhort and to teach these too. And here he makes excellent regulations with respect to them. For we see him everywhere com- manding the servants rather than their masters, showing them the ways of submission, and treating them with great regard.1285 He exhorts them therefore to submit with great meek- ness. But the masters he recommends to forbear the use of terror. “Forbearing threatening” (Eph. vi. 9.), he says. And why does he thus command? In the case of unbelievers, naturally, because it would have been unreasonable to address those who would pay no heed to him; but where believers were concerned, what was his reason? Because masters contribute greater benefits to their servants, than servants to their masters. For the former furnish the money to purchase for them sufficient food and clothing; and bestow much care upon them in other respects, so that the masters pay them the larger service, which is here intimated, when he says, “they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit.”1286 They suffer much toil and trouble for your repose, ought they not in return to receive much honor from their servants? Moral. But if he exhorts servants to render such implicit obedience, consider what ought to be our disposition towards our Master, who brought us into existence out of nothing, 1285 Or making a great point of them, i.e. of the ways of submission. 1286 The words οἱ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι may mean, “such as set themselves to confer benefits.” 806 1 Timothy 5:21-23