For, when a wife is submissive and obedient to her husband, in order to please him, she has her reward in this world, as Christ says of the ambitious, who looked to the praise of men, ( Matthew 6:16.) The same view is to be taken of other cases: When a son obeys his father in order to secure his favor and bounty, he will have his reward from his father, not from God. Such indignity might have driven them to despair the only thing left for them was to look to God.įor conscience towards God means this, that one performs his duty, not from a regard to men, but to God. To testify that it was acceptable to God, when any one from conscience towards God persevered in doing his duty, though unjustly and unworthily treated, was at that time very necessary for the condition of servants was very hard: they were counted no better than cattle. So the word חז in Hebrew means a favorable acceptance, or approbation. We may render the words, “This is acceptable:” with whom acceptable, is afterwards explained. To “find favor with God” is a similar phrase, Luke 1:30, which means to find acceptance with him. 32 32 Literally, “this is favor,” that is, with God, as at the end of the next verse. This passage, then, shews how boldly they trifle with the Word of God.ġ9 For this is thankworthy The word grace or favor, has the meaning of praise for he means that no grace or praise shall be found before God, if we bear the punishment which we have by our faults deserved but that they who patiently bear injuries and wrongs are worthy of praise and accepted by God. It is a wonder what could have induced an interpreter to change one Greek word for another, and render it “wayward.” I should say nothing of the gross ignorance of the Sorbons, who commonly understand by wayward, ( dyscolos,) the dissolute or dissipated, were it not that they seek by this absurd rendering to build up for us an article of faith, that we ought to obey the Pope and his horned wild beasts, however grievous and intolerable a tyranny they may exercise. 31 31 ”Good,” ἀγαθοῖς, the kind, benevolent “gentle,” ἐπιεικέσιν, the yielding, mild, patient “froward,” σκολιο̑ις the crooked, perverse, untoward, those of a cross disposition, self-willed, and hence cruel, being neither kind nor meek. For the froward he sets in opposition to the equitable or humane and by this word he refers to the cruel and the perverse, or those who have no humanity and kindness. For this law is laid on servants, that they are to serve their masters, though they may be unworthy. For when a superior abuses his power, he must indeed hereafter render an account to God, yet he does not for the present lose his right.
Whatever, then, masters may be, there is no excuse for servants for not faithfully obeying them. Not only to the good Though as to the duty of servants to obey their masters, it is wholly a matter of conscience if, however, they are unjustly treated, as to themselves, they ought not to resist authority.
#AFFECTUS IN DEUM FREE#
But as the word here is not δοῦλοι, slaves, but οἰκέται, domestics, we may understand the free as well as the bond servants to be meant, though it be a difference of little moment. Then servants are to be subject to their masters, only as far as God permits, or as far as the altars, as they say.
For subjection due to men is not to be so far extended as to lessen the authority of God. And though no exception is added in this place, yet, according to other places, it is to be understood. In short, fear arises from a right knowledge of duty. He then sets this fear in opposition to dissimulation as well as to forced subjection for an eye-service ( ὀφθαλμοδουλεία, Colossians 3:22,) as Paul calls it, is the opposite of this fear and further, if servants clamor against severe treatment, being ready to throw off the yoke if they could, they cannot be said properly to fear.
He first would have servants to be subject with all fear by which expression he means that sincere and willing reverence, which they acknowledge by their office to be due. They are mentioned as they came more in contact with their masters, and were more liable to be ill-treated. 30 30 The word for “servants,” οἰκέται properly means “domestics,” or household servants. 18 Servants, be subject Though this is a particular admonition, yet it is connected with what is gone before, as well as the other things which follow for the obedience of servants to masters, and of wives also to their husbands, forms a part of civil or social subjection.
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