Eph 6:5-8, Col 3:22-25, 1Ti 6:1-2, 1Pe 2:18-25 | ESV | STEP | Bondservants , obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling , with a sincere heart , as you would Christ ,

5 ^aBondservants, ^{▼▼Or slaves; also verse 6 (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)} obey your earthly masters ^{▼▼Or your masters according to the flesh} with fear and trembling, ^dwith a sincere heart, ^eas you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as ^fpeople-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 ^gknowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, ^hwhether he is a bondservant ^{▼▼Or slave (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)} or is free.

Colossians 3:22-25

22 Bondservants, ^{▼▼Or Slaves; also 4:1 (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)} obey ^kin everything those who are your earthly masters, ^{▼▼Or your masters according to the flesh} not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 ^mWhatever you do, work heartily, ⁿas for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord ^oyou will receive the inheritance as your reward. ^pYou are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

1 Timothy 6:1-2

1 ^qLet all who are under a yoke as bondservants ^{▼▼Or slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)} regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, ^sso that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are ^tbrothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.

False Teachers and True Contentment

^uTeach and urge these things.

1 Peter 2:18-25

18 ^vServants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, ^wmindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But ^xif when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For ^yto this you have been called, ^zbecause Christ also suffered for you, ^aaleaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 ^abHe committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 ^acWhen he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, ^adbut continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 ^aeHe himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we ^afmight die to sin and ^aglive to righteousness. ^ahBy his wounds you have been healed. 25 For ^aiyou were straying like sheep, but have now returned to ^ajthe Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.