A Call to Discipleship: Reflections from Colossians

December 27th

Third Day of Christmas

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only while being watched and in order to please them, but wholeheartedly fearing the Lord. Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3: 22-24

The birth of Jesus reorients all relationships. In the Roman world, slavery was an unquestioned, essential element of the culture. Slavery was just a fact of life. Roman men held all the power over women, children, and slaves. So how did Christmas Day reorient all relationships?

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28

Christian house churches were made up of Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female. And they were all one in Jesus. They were equally valued and equally shared power. The radical truth of this staggers the mind. But why does Paul exhort slaves to obey their masters?

The last line gives us a hint: you serve the Lord Christ. Within the church context, relationships equalized; but within the Roman culture, slaves were still slaves. So, does a slave rebel or serve? Paul exhorts the slave to serve, but with a caveat. The slave’s true master is the Lord Christ, not the earthly master. Just as Jesus did not prioritize taking down the Roman Empire, Paul did not prioritize dismantling this injustice. Instead, Paul encouraged slaves to live their faith within their context, to be a light in the homes they served.

But make no mistake, Paul’s letters do push back on the injustice of slavery. Paul pushes back through equalized relationships within the church. And Paul pushes back in his letter to Philemon.

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.

Philemon 1:1-2

This greeting turns all power structures upside-down. First, Paul identifies himself as a prisoner, essentially equating himself to a slave. Throughout his letters, Paul identifies himself as a slave to Christ. Second, Paul includes a woman as an equal to the men and an equal to the Roman elite.

The lowly birth of Christ turns power upside-down. Tomorrow we will further address Philemon. Until then, let us contemplate this upside-down understanding of power. What does this mean to our faith?