Col 3:22

“And see how always he sets down the names, "wives, children, servants," being at once a just claim upon their obedience. But that none might be pained, he added, "to your masters according to the flesh." Thy better part, the soul, is free, he saith; thy service is for a season. It therefore do thou subject, that thy service be no more of constraint. "Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers." Make, he saith, thy service which is by the law, to be from the fear of Christ. For if when thy master seeth thee not, thou doest thy duty and what is for his honor, it is manifest that thou doest it because of the sleepless Eye. "Not with eye-service," he saith, "as men-pleasers"; thus implying, "it is you who will have to sustain the damage." For hear the prophet saying, "God hath scattered the bones of the men-pleasers." (Ps. liii. 6, Sept.) See then how he spares them, and brings them to order. "But in singleness of heart," he saith, "fearing God." For that is not singleness, but hypocrisy, to hold one thing, and act another; to appear one when the master is present, another when he is absent. Therefore he said not simply, "in singleness of heart," but, "fearing God." For this is to fear God, when, though none be seeing, we do not aught that is evil; but if we do, we fear not God, but men. Seest thou how he bringeth them to order?”

“Differently to be admonished are servants and masters. Servants, to wit, that they ever keep in view the humility of their condition; but masters, that they lose not recollection of their nature, in which they are constituted on an equality with servants. Servants are to be admonished that they despise not their masters, lest they offend God, if by behaving themselves proudly they gainsay His ordinance: masters, too, are to be admonished, that they are proud against God with respect to His gift, if they acknowledge not those whom they hold in subjection by reason of their condition to be their equals by reason of their community of nature. The former are to be admonished to know themselves to be servants of masters; the latter are to be admonished to acknowledge themselves to be fellow-servants of servants. For to those it is said, Servants, obey your masters according to the flesh; and again, Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters worthy of all honour; but to these it is said, And ye, masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening, knowing that both their and your Master is in heaven.”

“He immediately brings forward the legal basis of obedience, namely the name of slave. But, so as not to grieve them, he adds: "your masters according to the flesh." For your better part, he says, the soul, is free; slavery is only temporary. Therefore it is better to submit your soul as well, so that the slavery may be voluntary. Make it, he says, so that slavery by the requirement of the law becomes slavery out of fear of Christ. For when you faithfully fulfill your duties without the oversight of your master, it is clear that you fulfill them before the eyes of God. But if you fulfill them only in the presence of your master, then you are a people-pleaser. And being such, you will harm yourself: "for God shall scatter the bones of those who please men" (Ps. 52:6). To fear God means to do nothing evil even when no one sees us. Simplicity of heart consists precisely in not looking to people. Consequently, the people-pleaser does not act in simplicity of heart.”

“Next, he considers the third relationship. First, he instructs the slaves; secondly, he gives the reason for what he says (v. 24); and thirdly, he clears up a question (v. 25). As to the first, he does two things: first, he tells them to obey; and secondly, how to obey. He says, slaves, according to your state in this world, obey in everything, that is, in everything that is not against God, those who are your earthly masters: "Not only to the kind and gentle but also to the overbearing" (1 Pet 2:18); "Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor" (1 Tim 6:1). Then when he says, not with eyeservice, he teaches them how they are to obey. He shows them two ways to obey: first, with simplicity and without trickery; secondly, willingly. So Paul says, not with eyeservice, that is, not merely to the extent that they can be seen by their master. This same idea is found in Ephesians (6:6). He says, not as men-pleasers, for such persons serve merely to please men. As Galatians says (1:10): "If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ." And therefore he adds, but in singleness of heart, that is, without trickery, fearing the Lord, as in Job (1:1): "That man was simple and upright, and feared God"; "The simplicity of the upright guides them" (Prov 11:3).”

“Let not earthly masters be arrogant, presuming authority, but rather temper and restrain their spirits, so that, with due consideration for the human race, they may recognize that God is the creator of all, not only of servants and free men, but of all freemen. But this has been made possible by the injustice of the world, so that while one invades the boundaries of another, then free men are led captive; hence they were called "captives" by the ancients, as they were seized by the hand. Here the condition and position even now appear, some are redeemed, others remain as slaves. But in the sight of God, this servant is held who has sinned (John VIII, 34). Finally, the servant of Cham heard the cause of sin: Cursed be the child of Canaan, he shall be the servant of servants to his brothers (Gen. IX, 25). To this sentiment the ancients agreed, so as to define that all wise men are free, but all foolish men are slaves; because the wise man abstains from sins, so that he may be free, who follows what is right; but the servant who submits himself to sin through the imprudence of foolishness. And so Cham, because of his foolishness, who foolishly burned his father's nakedness, was called a servant. He showed therefore to the lords, that they are not truly lords, but as if through an image; for they are lords of bodies, not of souls. For only the Lord, and the author of invisible things, God, rules over both bodies and souls; so that considering these things, they may demand just services from them: such as they themselves also desire to be demanded from the common Lord.”

“But as to servants, what can we say more than that the slave bring a good will to his master, with the fear of God, although he be impious and wicked, but yet not to yield any compliance as to his worship? And let the master love his servant, although he be his superior. Let him consider wherein they are equal, even as he is a man. And let him that has a believing master love him both as his master, and as of the same faith, and as a father, but still with the preservation of his authority as his master: "not as an eye-servant, but as a lover of his master; as knowing that God will recompense to him for his subjection." In like manner, let a master who has a believing servant love him as a son or as a brother, on account of their communion in the faith, but still preserving the difference of a servant.”