1 Let all who are servants under the yoke give all honour to their masters, so that no evil may be said against the name of God and his teaching.
If you were a servant when you became a Christian, let it not be a grief to you; but if you have a chance to become free, make use of it. For he who was a servant when he became a Christian is the Lord's free man; and he who was free when he became a Christian is the Lord's servant.
Servants, do what is ordered by those who are your natural masters, having respect and fear for them, with all your heart, as to Christ; Not only under your master's eye, as pleasers of men; but as servants of Christ, doing the pleasure of God from the heart; Doing your work readily, as to the Lord, and not to men: In the knowledge that for every good thing anyone does, he will have his reward from the Lord, If he is a servant or if he is free.
Servants, in all things do the orders of your natural masters; not only when their eyes are on you, as pleasers of men, but with all your heart, fearing the Lord: Whatever you do, do it readily, as to the Lord and not to men; Being certain that the Lord will give you the reward of the heritage: for you are the servants of the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will have punishment for the wrong he has done, without respect for any man's position.
Saying true and right words, against which no protest may be made, so that he who is not on our side may be put to shame, unable to say any evil of us. Servants are to be under the authority of their masters, pleasing them in all things, without argument; Not taking what is not theirs, but giving clear signs of their good faith, in all things doing credit to the teaching of God our Saviour.
Have respect for all, loving the brothers, fearing God, honouring the king. Servants, take orders from your masters with all respect; not only if they are good and gentle, but even if they are bad-humoured. For it is a sign of grace if a man, desiring to do right in the eyes of God, undergoes pain as punishment for something which he has not done. What credit is it if, when you have done evil, you take your punishment quietly? but if you are given punishment for doing right, and take it quietly, this is pleasing to God.
The Lord has given my master every blessing, and he has become great: he has given him flocks and herds and silver and gold, and men-servants and women-servants and camels and asses. And when Sarah, my master's wife, was old, she gave birth to a son, to whom he has given all he has. And my master made me take an oath, saying, Do not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living; But go to my father's house and to my relations for a wife for my son. And I said to my master, What if the woman will not come with me? And he said, The Lord, whom I have ever kept before me, will send his angel with you, who will make it possible for you to get a wife for my son from my relations and my father's house; And you will be free from your oath to me when you come to my people; and if they will not give her to you, you will be free from your oath. And I came today to the water-spring, and I said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if it is your purpose to give a good outcome to my journey, Let it come about that, while I am waiting here by the water-spring, if a girl comes to get water and I say to her, Give me a little water from your vessel, and she says, Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels; let her be the woman marked out by the Lord for my master's son. And even while I was saying this to myself, Rebekah came out with her vessel on her arm; and she went down to the spring to get water; and I said to her, Give me a drink. And straight away she took down her vessel from her arm, and said, Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels. And questioning her, I said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, and Milcah his wife. Then I put the ring on her nose and the ornaments on her hands. And with bent head I gave worship and praise to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, by whom I had been guided in the right way, to get the daughter of my master's brother for his son. And now, say if you will do what is good and right for my master or not, in order that it may be clear to me what I have to do. Then Laban and Bethuel said in answer, This is the Lord's doing: it is not for us to say Yes or No to you. See, here is Rebekah: take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has said. And at these words, Abraham's servant went down on his face and gave praise to the Lord. Then he took jewels of silver and jewels of gold and fair robes and gave them to Rebekah: and he gave things of value to her mother and her brother. Then he and the men who were with him had food and drink, and took their rest there that night; and in the morning he got up, and said, Let me now go back to my master. But her brother and her mother said, Let the girl be with us a week or ten days, and then she may go. And he said, Do not keep me; the Lord has given a good outcome to my journey; let me now go back to my master. And they said, We will send for the girl, and let her make the decision. And they sent for Rebekah and said to her, Are you ready to go with this man? And she said, I am ready. So they sent their sister Rebekah and her servant with Abraham's servant and his men. And they gave Rebekah their blessing, saying, O sister, may you be the mother of thousands and ten thousands; and may your seed overcome all those who make war against them. So Rebekah and her servant-women went with the man, seated on the camels; and so the servant took Rebekah and went on his way. Now Isaac had come through the waste land to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the South. And when the evening was near, he went wandering out into the fields, and lifting up his eyes he saw camels coming. And when Rebekah, looking up, saw Isaac, she got down from her camel, And said to the servant, Who is that man coming to us through the field? And the servant said, It is my master: then she took her veil, covering her face with it. Then the servant gave Isaac the story of all he had done. And Isaac took Rebekah into his tent and she became his wife; and in his love for her, Isaac was comforted after his father's death.
Now the Aramaeans had gone out in bands, and taken prisoner from Israel a little girl, who became servant to Naaman's wife. And she said to her master's wife, If only my lord would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would make him well.
And there was an argument between the keepers of Abram's cattle and the keepers of Lot's cattle: at that time the Canaanites and Perizzites were still living in the land. Then Abram said to Lot, Let there be no argument between me and you, and between my herdmen and your herdmen, for we are brothers.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Timothy 6
Commentary on 1 Timothy 6 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 6
1Ti 6:1-5
1Ti 6:6-12
From the mention of the abuse which some put upon religion, making it to serve their secular advantages, the apostle,
1Ti 6:13-21
The apostle here charges Timothy to keep this commandment (that is, the whole work of his ministry, all the trust reposed in him, all the service expected from him) without spot, unrebukable; he must conduct himself so in his ministry that he might not lay himself open to any blame nor incur any blemish. What are the motives to move him to this?