Dealing with Authority (Ephesians 6: 5-9)

This Podcast is part of a 10-year project to complete an in-depth, daily study of the entire Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. 

Episode Notes:  Dealing with Authority (Ephesians 6: 5-9)

Do we work better when the boss is watching? What motivates us to work when the boss is not watching? I myself have been an employee and an employer.  I've been the boss, and I've been the one under someone else's authority. I've been an employed team manager, an owner of a company that employed others, and a Pastor of a church. 

So, what determines our actions and our attitudes at work?

When it comes to the secular workplace, in my experience, it seems to me that most people work for financial reasons. However, it is not just the desire for that money that determines what people do. Other factors can be things like how much they are appreciated by their bosses and their relationship with fellow workers.

I personally don’t believe that any of these motivations are wrong in themselves. Working for money or the approval of others or even to accept a higher-paying job if one comes along, all those motivations are perfectly legitimate. 

What I want to ask today is what our spiritual motivation should be?  

As believers in Jesus Christ, are there spiritual reasons for how we should approach work, or for how we behave if we are given authority over others?

As we've been going through the book of Ephesians, we have come to a passage that addresses these very issues. This passage is helpful as it speaks to those who are working under authority, and then it turns around and also speaks to those who are in positions of authority. 

These verses tell us what our actions and our attitudes at work should be like, whether we are in charge or under someone else’s authority.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Hi friends, welcome to the Bible Journey Daily Podcast. This is part of a huge project for you and I together to work, to read, to study through the whole Bible chapter by chapter, verse by verse, and in some depth. We're nearly 1500 episodes in now. So if you'd like to complete the whole journey from the very beginning, you can now do that for free on my Patreon page. Every single episode is in there. All the early seasons have now been put in there. Some of the early ones I've edited together into longer format episodes. And I finished that part of the project a couple of weeks ago. And then the more recent seasons, seasons sort of 10 to 20, have are appearing in exactly the same format as they originally appeared in approximately 25 to 30 minute episodes. So you are very welcome, and if you want to complete the whole project from season one, which was the overview season, and then through the further 20 seasons we've done together, you can do that now for free by simply signing up and following me on Patreon. So welcome, welcome to today's episode of the Bible Journey Daily Podcast So I'm going to begin today with reading the text. I sometimes do that all in one chunk at the beginning, or sometimes I work through verse by verse. We're effectively going to do both today. Now the text we're covering is Ephesians chapter 6, verses 5 to 9. I've given today study the overall title of dealing with authority. So we're going to look at that verse we looked at yesterday in great detail, verse 5, which talked about the responsibilities and the attitudes of bondservants, and then we're going to continue this time today and see what it tells us about those who are in authority and how they should behave. So I'm going to read Ephesians 6 verses 5 to 9, and I'm reading today from the New King James Version. It says this Bondservants, be obedienced, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling and in sincerity of heart as to Christ. Not with I service as men pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart, with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is slave or free. And you masters do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own master also is in heaven, and that there will be no partiality with him. I remember a few years ago there was a huge discussion in the UK media about the possibility of the government changing the standard working week in the UK to 35 hours instead of the then current 40 hours. Now, a guy I worked with at the time joked and said I would never agree to such a dramatic increase in my workload. Then he added, I'll stick to my tried and trusted method of only working when the boss is watching. But that rather silly but humorous remarks does raise an important question. Do we work better when we know the boss is watching? What motivates us to work? What motivates us to work harder if we know the boss is watching? Now I myself have been both an employee and an employer. I've been the boss and I've been the one who's been under the authority of someone else. I've also been employed and self-employed. I've been employed as an individual, a team manager, and I've also been the owner of a company that employed other people, as well as a pastor of a church in the second season of my life. So what determines our actions, what should determine our actions and our attitudes at work? Now, when it comes to the secular workplace, in my experience it seems that most people work, they think primarily for financial reasons. However, it's not just the desire for money that determines what people do and how they do it. Other factors can be things like how much they feel appreciated by their bosses or employers, or the relationships they have with their fellow workers, or the value they feel that the job gives them or benefits them or society. Now, I personally, of course, don't believe that any of these motivations are wrong in and of themselves. Even working for money or the approval of others is not necessarily a bad thing. Even accepting a higher paid job if one comes along, all those sorts of motivations are of course perfectly legitimate. But what I'm asking today is what our spiritual motivation should be. Now, as believers in Jesus Christ, you see there are spiritual reasons for how we should approach work, or for how we behave if we're given authority over others. And as we've been going through the book of Ephesians, we've come to a passage that now addresses this very issue for us. This passage is helpful as it speaks to anyone and everyone. It speaks to those who are working under authority, and then it turns around, and now we see it also speaks to those who are in positions of authority. And these verses tell us what our actions and our attitudes at work should be like, whether or not we're the one in charge, or whether we're under someone else's authority. But what does this passage have to do with us today? Well, in our circumstances, of course, we do not quite match the biblical times, so what is their relevance and is any of it not relevant for us today? I think the answer is simply that this still applies to our work situations or anywhere where you are under the authority of someone else. Any situation where you have a boss or any person with authority over you. The passage is still relevant for people working under someone else's authority and for those people who have authority over other people. So I think this still applies to us today, even in what we call the mundane world of everyday employee-employer relationships. So whether you, my friend, are employee or employer, we still should be motivated to look at what this passage wants to teach us. And let me remind you what the opening verse we looked at yesterday in some detail actually says. It first of all frames it by saying, Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters. That's verse 5. Now that's an interesting statement. If he's referring to bondservants as slaves, as many believe Paul was doing at this point, then they were the people who have limited or no choice, and yet he stills them to be obedient. The passage in a moment will modify what kind of obedience Paul is talking about. However, I think it's interesting that he says the first thing you need to do is if you're under the authority of someone else, is simply pretty much to do what that person tells you to do. Now if you're a Christian and work for something. Now if you're a Christian and you work for someone else, the scripture says that what you need to do, yes it's what they say, but it modifies that obedience by saying you should do it with fear and trembling. Now the word translated fear here is the same one that is translated respect in the last verse of the previous chapter. So don't get too struck on that word, fear. It's technically correct, of course, but I believe that this is simply talking about a sincere, genuine desire to be obedient to someone who has authority over you, in the same way that you should respect and revere for the Lord. Now the following phrases in the following verses just amplify and explain what that obedience should look like, which is why it says in the next verse, try not to be people pleasers, but be as bondservants of Christ. Most people, as I suggested, I think, in reality, probably work most diligently when they think the boss is watching. And it is that attitude, that wrong attitude, in fact, that Paul is addressing here, telling us not just to work out of obligation because we think the boss might be watching, but do it willingly because ultimately we know God is watching. Then the passage quotes the Old Testament to remind us of this, when it says God never slumbers nor sleeps. This means that by working diligently, we are being actual servants of Christ in the world and we're doing the will of God. So let me try and put this simply. What the passage is teaching is that if you have a job and you're working for someone else and you're a believer in Jesus Christ, then you are not just working for that person, the person that you happen to call boss or the person you're superior, you are in reality working for the Lord. And if you want to have a good Christian attitude at work, then you should be working as if Jesus Christ is ultimately a boss. If only people could get that attitude into their mind, well I can only imagine how much this would transform the interaction between employees, colleagues, and the public, and how much generally as a society we might benefit. Anyway, the text continues, verse seven and eight, doing service as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, they will receive the same from the Lord, whether they are slave or free. Now the Bible tells us that those who know the Lord have, of course, everlasting life. So if you're working unto the Lord, you will be rewarded by the Lord, and that reward will not just be in this life, but in the eternal. Even if you've trusted Christ, the Bible teaches that one day you will stand before what is called the judgment seat of Christ. Now not the judgment throne of God, the judgment seat of Christ. This is where we stand before Him, not to determine whether you go to heaven, because that has already been decided the very moment you trusted in Jesus Christ. And his promise of forgiveness of sin and eternal life is yours and has been earned and cannot be taken away. However, there are also rewards awaiting to be given to believers in heaven. The Bible clearly teaches this. Many Christians I speak to do not even understand this or know this. It's not really actually a debating point among Christian theologians of all backgrounds. The Bible clearly teaches that there are at some way, at some level, degrees of favor, rewards to be received by the faithful in heaven. Jesus referred to this specifically when he said in one of his parables that some people are going to rule over ten cities and some rule over five. Now that's a par a parable of teaching and rewards, but of course what it means is one of the ways you can gain your heavenly rubberly reward, whatever it is, is the way you live and work here today on earth. And when working, the call is always to do your job well and do it as unto the Lord. The Bible then teaches that when you stand before Him, He will simply be able to say, Well done, good and faithful servant. And that is the only promotion and reward ultimately you should really be looking for. Now at this point the passage begins to talk to those in authority. It seems they should have the same attitude towards their work, whether those people are on in command or whether they come under someone else's authority. One commentator I noted said it was really easy for an ancient slave owner to mistreat his slaves because he had absolute authority over them. What the text is saying here is don't misuse your power if you have any in a way that ever abuses other people. Now even Plato, the philosopher, taught that the treatment of slaves was a really good test of character, because a man can easily do wrong and choose to do wrong, and more likely will choose to do wrong if there's no risk of punishment. So this text is adding to this by saying anyone who is a believer and oversees other people should treat those under their authority with the same respect. In fact, we should treat them with good will, because we should be doing this as to the Lord. Now, sometimes, of course, it takes a government passing laws to help encourage, shall we say, to legislate good behaviour and of course good employer practice. But this for us means going way beyond the minimum standards that any random government chooses to set, because this and what we do should be based on what God expects. A Christian employer ought not only be doing what is legally required, but they should treat their staff with kindness, care for them, provide for them, and they ought to be doing this as on to the Lord. Now, of course, on occasion there needs to be discipline at work, and it is the job of an employer to discipline an employee sometimes, and on some occasions, I'm sure. I understand that, and I understand that that can be perfectly legitimate. But at the same time, friends, let me quickly add we ought to be doing this also as unto the Lord, which means doing it without abusing or threatening people. Do not threaten or intimidate. Just sit down and calmly set boundaries, set out the potential implications, find out if people have areas there where they need encouragement or development, and then enable them to do that and to improve. This is not in any way the same thing as simply threatening someone. It has to do with attitude, the attitude with which you approach even the issue of discipline. Knowing that your boss in heaven will always be fair in his dealing with you, keeping that in mind should be the thing that helps you keep right on track in how you do this sort of stuff in the world. In other words, we're going to be rewarded in the next life for how we treat people in this life. Now I believe a single Christian can change an entire company's culture if they behave the way they should. It's probably done more easily if the Christian is the boss or chief executive, but I know people in lowly positions, in what might be perceived as lowly positions in organizations and companies, have changed the culture of an entire department. If you are an employee, my friends, you can't necessarily change your boss, but you certainly can change your attitude in how you work for him or her and the company you're employed by. And if you do like the passage recommends here today, this is telling us you will be rewarded. Now, maybe in this life, but certainly in the life to come. Now, of course, as I always say, it's helpful, it's vital to place this teaching within the context of the whole book, on this case the book of Ephesians, because it's important we see the big picture here. Christians can on occasions sometimes tend to look at one verse or a couple of verses and agree with them, but as well as agreeing, you also need to remember to keep them and make sure they say and stay within the context of the impassage or the entire book in which they are written. Now, on this occasion, all of what we've been studying over the last days, well, I'm of the opinion that we need to actually consider it within the tone and context of the whole book. Most people agree that the main subject of the book of Ephesians is about our call to the Lord and our calling to be part of the body of Christ and how we walk that journey of life. We answer that original call when we trust Christ. So this passage is fundamentally about advice for Christian believers. Now, of course, non-believers would benefit for it, but we need to be aware that this book is a letter written to those who have experienced salvation, and some of the greatest salvation verses in all of the Bible are found in this book. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that was not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should vote. Chapter two in this book said that the call of God made us part of Christ and part of the community of other people who have trusted in Christ, and we now belong to this one community of faith, an organism that is called the body of Christ, which we today simply call the church, the worldwide church. But then beginning in chapter four, he writes that because of this new relationship and this new community we belong to, we should always walk in ways that determine that truth and how it is lived out in our life. And in the rest of chapter four, he laid out ways in which we should walk, which of course, walking is just a metaphor for the way we live our lives. Walking in unity with other believers, walking in a way that is worthy of our calling, walking in love, walking in light, walking in wisdom, and walking in righteousness. Now, if you've been tracking with me as he's worked together through this entire book for what, twenty-six episodes now, then through these last few chapters you will have seen and heard me explain each one of those categories each day. But we've now come to this passage and it says that based on everything you've heard before, based on the overall context of the entire book, behaving in this way is just the practical way in which you in reality walk in wisdom, the overarching goal. That was the last thing he said before just plunging into a discussion on how people should behave. And remember, he's just talked about husbands and wives and those relationships, parents and children and those relationships, and now masters and servants, people in authority and those under authority, and I think there is a sense in which all of this comes under that overarching category of learning to walk in wisdom. But why is this type of attitude to life not only wise but sensible? Why is living and working in this way wise? Why is it walking in wisdom? Now, if you think about it, by applying these principles in your work life and your work ethic, well for a start, I think you're much less likely to get fired. So you may indeed flourish in your employment. If you have a good employee and work for a good company, I s I would suggest you're more likely to get promotions, even pay rises. It's not a guarantee. But in the bigger scheme of things, I think it's more likely. However, the main benefit of living this way is the fact that you will be rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ. And that should remain your focus. Like perhaps for you, there is a tension in all of this. You don't see it working out this way. Perhaps a frustration and a dissatisfaction in your work life because you're working hard and you feel like you're working for Mammon and not the Lord. And if you're thinking this way, then you're expect And if you're thinking this way, then I would humbly suggest that you're actually expecting something from work and from your human boss that even if you get it will not be the thing that makes you happy and really satisfied. Simply put, when you go to work in the morning, remember whether you are over someone or under someone, so to speak, do it as unto the Lord. Don't look at the frustration of your work and don't let them get on top of you. Look beyond the situation and consider the eternal. Do it as for the Lord, knowing that He will reward you and He will promote you in the most greatest unimaginable way later. He will literally promote you to glory. So I wish you well, not only in your attitude, but your experience and your work life and your calling. I'd like to finish with a story about a missionary I heard from years past and how he and his wife were. Returning after years of sacrificial service in Africa, and they happened to be on the same ship as Edward VII and Queen Elizabeth, returning to the UK after game hunting in Africa of all things. Now, when the ship docked in Southampton, great crowds greeted the king and the queen, and the press were there to cover the story. But the old missionary and his wife walked off the ship unnoticed, and they made their way to a cheap hotel to spend the night before travelling north again. Turning to his wife, the missionary says, You know, in some ways it just doesn't seem right that we gave our lives in Africa for Christ. We've relieved suffering and brought hope to many, but when we arrived back here, there was no one to meet us. The king goes and shoots animals and returns to a royal welcome. We serve God and our fellow human beings for decades and we see and get nothing. But as they prayed together that night, the missionary later would say, It seemed that night the Lord said to me, Do you not know why you have not received any reward for your work on earth? Because you're not home yet. If you're struggling at work, if you're not feeling that work for you is working out in this way, please remember your real reward will come on a future day. A future day in heaven when you will hear him say, Well done, good and faithful servant. So try, my friends, take that attitude to work tomorrow or into your life tomorrow, in the knowledge that you might get some reward in this life, yes, but you may not. But the big reward will be when God calls you home to be with him and you hear those words again, this time spoken in the heavenly realms, straight to us when we will hear him say, Well done, good and faithful servant. Thanks for being with me today. Thank you for being with me. If you'd like to reach out and ask a question or just make a comment, you can do that through the send a text button, send a message button, which appears on pretty much every podcast platform on which this podcast is distributed. In fact, you can even now record an audio message, and if I like it, I may include it in a future episode. I really wouldn't be able to do this without the encouragement of knowing of all you people out there all around the world in over 200 countries, I believe, who choose to listen to this and work through the Bible with me every day. It's a real privilege to do that. And you know what? I really couldn't do it without any of you. So it's bye for now, and I'll see you tomorrow on the Bible Journey Daily Podcast. Bye bye now.