Master in Heaven

Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. 
Colossians 4:1

In this day and age, it is hard to imagine that there were slave owners that were true Christians. During the Roman Empire, when 75% of the population were slaves, it would have been difficult to imagine that society could function without the practice. Christianity changes people and from there, the civilization changes.

The Apostle Paul advocated for slaves, because many of the early believers were considered the property of others. He revealed to their Masters that they were Christ's slaves (1 Corinthians 7:22) and had a Master in heaven. They needed to show mercy and respect to the men and women that served them, if they believed that Christ would give them mercy and forgiveness.

The application of these verses are still valid today even though the socio-economic structure of our culture is different. In the modern church there are business owners and administrators that still boss people around and can make or break those who work for them. They too need to be reminded that they have a Boss in Heaven who is also watching them to see how they handle their own human resources.

In the first century, sometimes slaves would be elders in the church and teach their owners spiritual truths. God wanted everyone treated with love and without partiality. The Christian boss in the last century church needs to realize that God is more interested that his treatment of his employees is just and fair, than He is about the business' bottom line. That employer needs to remember that he also has a Master in heaven.