Masters, Treat Your Slaves Justly

Paul does not let the Masters of the slaves off the hook.

"Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that 

you also have a Master in heaven." (Colossians 3:25)

I have been thinking about the makeup of the early church.

Slaves and their Masters, all of whom were hungry to know

more of God, would meet nightly to worship, share, pray and

listen to Paul teach. Paul never taught more than four months

before he was persecuted and cast out of the city. After that he

did not visit these churches without coming in by night. Years went

by between visits. So, who was in charge after he left the area? 

I can’t find that he named a master to be over the slaves in the 

congregation. They came into the presence of God as brothers 

and sisters, equal in the sight of God. Paul did write letters to the 

Holy Ones, to reinforce what he had taught to them and to answer 

their many questions. It would seem that questions came up as to 

relationships in the home and at work which is why Paul addresses 

these things to the Colossians. The churches were birthed out of a 

pagan world and there were lots of questions. Surely if they lived 

out what Paul was teaching, it would draw many into the kingdom. 

I have been in small groups where the focus was body life in Jesus. 

These were wonderful times! We saw God answer prayer in so many

lives. We would leave these meetings full, not empty. It was a little

taste of heaven!  I sense that the pressures of persecution and mis-

understanding toward the early church provided the strong desire for 

the Believers to meet with each other in the evenings.