{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-1695","native_reference":{"book_number":610,"chapter_from":6,"chapter_to":6,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":1,"verse_to":1},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Apostolic Constitutions</b>: But as to servants, what can we say more than that the servant should bring a good will to his master, with the fear of God, although his master be impious and wicked, but yet not yield any compliance as to his worship? And let the master love his servant, although he is his supervisor. Let him reflect on the fact that each shares equally in the other's humanity. And let one who has a believing master love him both as his master, and as of the same faith, and as a father, but still with the preservation of his authority as his master…. In like manner, let a master who has a believing servant love him as a son or as a brother, on account of their communion in the faith, but still preserving the difference of a servant.<br/><i>— CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES</i></p><p><b>Ignatius of Antioch</b>: Now I write these things unto you, not that I know there are any such persons among you; nay, indeed I hope that God will never permit any such report to reach my ears, He \"who spared not His Son for the sake of His holy Church.\" But foreseeing the snares of the wicked one, I arm you beforehand by my admonitions, as my beloved and faithful children in Christ, furnishing you with the means of protection against the deadly disease of unruly men, by which do ye flee from the disease [referred to] by the good-will of Christ our Lord. Do ye therefore, clothing yourselves with meekness, become the imitators of His sufferings, and of His love, wherewith He loved us when He gave Himself a ransom for us, that He might cleanse us by His blood from our old ungodliness, and bestow life on us when we were almost on the point of perishing through the depravity that was in us. Let no one of you, therefore, cherish any grudge against his neighbour. For says our Lord, \"Forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you.\" Give no occasion to the Gentiles, lest \"by means of a few foolish men the word and doctrine [of Christ.] be blasphemed.\" For says the prophet, as in the person of God, \"Woe to him by whom my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles.\"<br/><i>— Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: But if this be not the meaning, if he bade them forsake their masters and strive contentiously to become free, in what sense did he exhort them, saying, \"Let each one remain in the calling in which he is called?\" And in another place, \"As many servants as are under the yoke, let them count their own masters worthy of all honor; and those that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren who partake of the benefit.\" And writing to the Ephesians also and to the Colossians, he ordains and exacts the same rules. Whence it is plain that it is not this slavery which he annuls, but that which caused as it is by vice befalls free men also: and this is the worst kind of slavery, though he be a free man who is in bondage to it. For what profit had Joseph's brethren of their freedom? Were they not more servile than all slaves; both speaking lies to their father, and to the merchants using false pretences, as well as to their brother? But not such was the free man: rather every where and in all things he was true. And nothing had power to enslave him, neither chain nor bondage nor the love of his mistress nor his being in a strange land. But he abode free every where. For this is liberty in the truest sense when even in bondage it shines through.<br/><i>— HOMILIES ON FIRST CORINTHIANS 19.4</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: \"Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters worthy of all honor, that the Name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed.\"</p><p>Let them count them \"worthy of all honor,\" he says; for do not suppose, because thou art a believer, that thou art therefore a free man: since thy freedom is to serve the more faithfully. For if the unbeliever sees slaves conducting themselves insolently on account of 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.</p><p>Then because he had said, \"Do nothing by partiality,\" as if under the necessity of interpreting 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 commanding the servants rather than their masters, showing them the ways of submission, and treating them with great regard. He exhorts them therefore to submit with great meekness. 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.\" They suffer much toil and trouble for your repose, ought they not in return to receive much honor from their servants?<br/><i>— Homily on 1 Timothy 16</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: Those who are under the yoke as slaves should regard their own masters as worthy of all honor; so that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed. And those who have faithful masters should not despise them because they are brothers, but rather serve them all the more, because they are faithful and beloved, sharing in the benefit. Teach and encourage these things.</p><p>Paul discusses faithful slaves who have unbelieving masters, saying, so that even these things may be.</p><p>so that the name of God may not be blasphemed. For if, Paul says, because the masters are unbelieving, the faithful slaves disobey and act arrogantly, giving their own household members a reason, they provide the masters with grounds to blaspheme Christ and the preaching, as if it were the cause of the slaves' arrogance.</p><p>should not despise them because they are brothers. Do not let the fact that you are a brother be the cause of your despising, Paul says, but considering that the masters are faithful and beloved of God, serve more, mixing fear and love. For as much as you do good to the masters who are your brothers, so much more become grateful in serving more. Or because you are benefited by the masters, through being nourished and clothed.</p><p>but rather serve them all the more; that is, the slaves. For by hyperbaton it is placed. However, it should be placed in the middle, because they are faithful and beloved, and the word masters should be understood. Simply, as it is written, one must understand sharing in the benefit, that is, the masters who take care to benefit the slaves.</p><p>Teach and encourage these things. Therefore, the teacher requires not authority, but gentleness.</p><p>According to those who are greedy for gain, and false teachers.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON 1 TIMOTHY</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"58bb9de8adba1981b228b71d0701b8f4b44fc46bb233c82fcf21431c12bf825d","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":1695,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"a567c4d12aa9b8507bbb3f2e76fd019ad229f551b46bc8d96d59cca2fdaec350","translator":null,"work":null}