Colossians 3:22

Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord.

Some commentators have supposed that, as Onesimus, a runaway slave, was bearer of this letter, Paul made the slavemaster relationship the more elaborate part of these reciprocal institutions in this epistle.

There are a number of exceedingly important deductions to be made from Paul's handling of the slave problem in the New Testament. Two of these are:

(1) True Christianity does not consist of any kind of attack upon social institutions, even so vicious and deplorable a system as that of slavery. Christ and the apostles were not revolutionaries in the modern sense of that word. See article, "Christ and the State" in my Commentary on Romans. There were practical reasons for Paul's words here, as noted by McGarvey (see my Commentary on 1 Corinthians 7:20-21); but over and beyond the practical need of refraining from an assault upon society, it was inherently unchristian to do so. It is as leaven and not as dynamite that the religion of Christ works. See more on this in my Commentary on 1Corinthians.

(2) Ancient slavery no longer exists in the civilized part of the world, but there still exists the relationship between employers and employees; and Nielson was correct in suggesting that these words of Paul are applicable to that relationship, no less than to ancient slavery. "The master must give a fair and just wage, and the laborer must give a fair and full day's labor."[45] If an ancient slave was commanded to work vigorously and enthusiastically, how much more is it mandatory for every employee to give his best to the job?

Eye-service ... men-pleasers ... This is a reference to working only when the master is observing. The employee who is careful to appear busy when the boss is looking is guilty of the same attitude here condemned.