Summary:
Paul instructs about household relationships, now addressing masters. He tells masters to treat their slaves with justice and fairness, recognizing that they too have a Master in heaven.
The verse places authority under accountability. Those who have power over others are not free to act however they wish; they must act rightly and fairly because they themselves stand under the authority of the heavenly Master. The passage shows that earthly relationships are to be governed by the awareness that Christ is Lord over all.
Teaching:
In today’s passage, the “masters” refer to those who have money, power, and seniority. In today’s terms, we can think of them as workplace superiors and owners.
The word justice here refers to the righteousness of God. It is different from ordinary human justice. It means treating servants according to what God says is right -righteousness in the way one deals with people.
Even though believers in the church may live within a hierarchical society, they must remember that God is the Master and Lord of all people. They should understand that, on this earth, masters and servants are ultimately equal before God. Therefore, those who are in the position of masters are being told to share what they have and help those who do not have.
Those who serve God as their Master must do their best toward other people.
Excerpt from the sermon by Pastor Lee, June 23, 2026
Colossians 4:1