“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do … Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ” (Colossians 3:22, 24).

It’s one of the most controversial Bible passages for modern readers, and it was equally controversial for the earliest readers, but not for the reasons we think.

Plain and simple: Paul does not condone slavery. Half a chapter prior to this passage, he wrote, “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us” (Colossians 3:11). New life in Christ, according to Paul, means that each person is equal, and no individual gets to lord over another. What’s he doing in the final verses of Colossians 3?

It’s important to remember that Paul was writing to an ancient Roman society. Slavery of any kind is wrong, which is made clear in the Bible since the earliest books of the Old Testament (think of when God saved his people from Pharaoh) because no human can be owned by another.

Slavery in ancient Rome was somewhat different than the slavery we think of today. Our understanding of slavery is the horrific and sinful kidnapping of Africans and using their labor for our nation’s development. In Rome, slavery happened when a person of any race had a debt that couldn’t be paid. To avoid imprisonment, that person would find a wealthy person – often a friend – who could pay off the debt and consequently own the indebted person until payback was completed. To be clear, even that, according to biblical standards, is wrong.

If Paul thought slavery was wrong, why didn’t he tell his readers to resist it? Keep in mind that Paul is writing from a Roman prison. The Romans, who enforced slavery, had a simple way of dealing with people who disrupted their systems and way of life: torture and execution (example: Jesus). If Paul started a riot against the government, his beloved readers would have been crucified just like Jesus, and we wouldn’t have Christianity today.

Instead, Paul tells them how to overcome slavery even under Rome’s supervision: serve like Jesus. Was Jesus a doormat? No. Was Jesus indebted to anyone? No. Did he belong to any person? Absolutely not. Jesus took on the position of a servant and saved the world. It seems that Paul is telling his readers who are slaves that they’re the ones in a position to change the world. He’s empowering them by reminding them Rome doesn’t own them. Rather, “the Master you are serving is Christ” (3:24). Paul is consistent with the rest of the Bible: no person ever gets to own another person. We belong to Jesus.

To push his point further, Paul tells Christian “masters” who would read his letter that in their households, slaves will not be treated like slaves. Instead, earthly masters are no different than the people their government has placed them in charge of. Paul says to them, “You also have a Master—in heaven” (4:1).

Do you see how controversial this was? From a Roman prison, Paul is turning the sinful practice of slavery enforced by Rome up on its head without harming a single person. What were they going to do with this troublemaker, Paul? Eventually, they killed him, and that’s important to remember. Paul didn’t write this from luxurious comfort. He told slaves that they were free and masters that their slaves didn’t belong to them when he was imprisoned. But he knew he was free in Christ.

What does it mean for us today? Sometimes, we think of ourselves as better than other people. Sometimes, we believe others who think they’re better than us. It’s not as explicit as slavery, but when we act like someone owes us for mistakes they’ve made or favors we’ve done, we’re sinfully taking a place that doesn’t belong to us. In the family of God, there is one master – Christ – and we all belong to him.

Questions for reflection:

  1. When is it tempting to believe we are better than others?
  2. When is it tempting to believe that others are better than you?
  3. How does the context of Colossians 3:18-4:1 help you understand what Paul said to his original audience? What does imply for your life?