1 Timothy 6:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"Worthy," he says, "of every honor." Do not think that because you are faithful, you are also free. This freedom consists in being a slave still more. If an unbeliever sees that through faith people fall into self-conceit, he will often revile it as a teaching that disposes people to rebellion. But if he notices that they are obedient, he will submit all the sooner and will be more attentive to what is said. Thus, if the faithful are not obedient, both God and the preaching will be reviled. But what, you ask, if the masters are unbelievers? Even in that case one must submit for the sake of the name of God.

Teach and exhort them, he says, that although their masters are unbelievers, they should obey them, deeming them worthy of every honor in words and deeds. Do not think you are free because you are a believer. You are free in your spiritual nature and freely approach the Lord, but you are a slave in body. Freedom itself, I say, consists in serving in the name of Christ. If an unbeliever sees a proud slave, he will revile the teaching as disposing men to rebellion. But if he sees that a slave obeys with love, he will rather marvel at the teaching that corrects even servile habits, which are hard to correct.

Moreover, teach that all who are under the yoke of slavery should count their masters worthy of every honor, especially those who, together with them, are subject to the yoke of Christ.

The Apostle says this about slaves whose masters are unbelievers. For unbelievers, seeing self-willed servants, undoubtedly blasphemed the gospel teaching, as though it had caused this.

"As many as are slaves under the yoke, let them count their own masters worthy of every honor."

Piety suffers no harm from this. Do not think that you should consider yourself completely free as soon as you have believed in Christ. Your soul has been freed from the burden of sin, but in body you are the slave of your master.

"So that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed."

If an unbelieving master notices that his slave treats him with contempt because of his faith, he will blaspheme both Christ and the preaching about Him. He will think that it disposes people toward disorderly conduct. But if he sees that his slave both honors him and obeys him, he will be gentle and good-natured in his dealings with him. He will also regard him with trust.

What more shall we say about servants, except that a slave must show goodwill to his master in the fear of God, even if he is impious or evil (cf. 1 Pet 2:18; Eph 6:5)? Yet he must in no way agree in ministering to evil. Let the master love the servant, and though he differs from him in rank, let him count him equal to himself, since he is a man. Let the one who has a believing master preserve his master's authority, and love him as master, as a fellow believer, and as a father. He should do this not out of servile flattery, but as one who loves his master, knowing that God will give him a reward for his service. Likewise, let the master who has a believer as servant preserve his service, and love him as a son or brother, because of their communion in faith.

“Let slaves count their own masters worthy of all honor.” This is an instruction to Christians who are in slavery under pagans. The Apostle asks that they obey and serve their masters with full attention. Thus by their conduct they may shield the glorious name and teaching of Christ from accusations that Christianity supposedly teaches men disobedience and other vices.

On what rules should lasting earthly well-being be built for those under pastoral care? (1 Tim 6:1–21). 1 Tim 6:1–5. A good-hearted mutual subordination of people of different classes and positions must be preserved. For example, slaves must be subject to masters, and especially to faithful masters, that is, Christians. On the contrary, one must by no means suppose that Christianity frees a person from all earthly obligations. This is what men of corrupted mind and pride suppose, as though piety served for profit.

Concerning slaves, the Apostle says that they must treat their masters with respect, so as not to give occasion, by their disobedience, for people to think poorly of Christianity in general. If their masters are Christians, they are to serve them with undiminished goodwill, as beloved brethren who, both because of Christianity and because of their merits, can be especially merciful to their slaves. In antiquity there was a great multitude of slaves in the Greco-Roman world. Therefore establishing their relations, as Christians, to their masters was an essentially important matter. By their multitude, they could give pagans one or another idea of Christianity. On the other hand, they could help spread Christianity as something that beneficially influences even slaves.

After giving Timothy instructions about how to deal with believers according to the position they occupy in the Church, the Apostle now teaches him how to deal with different classes of believers as members of civil society. Touching first on slaves, the Apostle teaches them the same obedience that he preaches in other epistles, to the Ephesians and Colossians. Only for slaves who are in the service of their Christian brethren does he indicate a special motive for faithfully fulfilling their duties. By calling the masters those who receive benefit from the slave service of their fellow believers, the Apostle raises the dignity of the slave and gives him strength to endure his enslaved condition. For what Christian, after this, would refuse to be a brother and benefactor to his master?

"The Apostle says this about slaves who have unbelieving masters" (blessed Theodoret). "Teach them, he says, and exhort them that, although their masters are unbelievers, they should obey them, deeming them worthy of every honor in word and deed" (blessed Theophylact). Some slaves could have thought, and perhaps did think, that since they had received remission of sins, had been accepted into God's mercy, and had freedom to approach the Lord, they should no longer serve unbelieving masters because of these privileges. To prevent this, the Apostle commands St. Timothy to explain to each of them: "Do not think that because you are faithful, you are also free" (St. Chrysostom).