One Rule for Christian Slaves
1All believers who are slaves should treat their masters with nothing but honor. The slaves should do that so no one says bad things about God or our teaching. 2And if the slave master is a believer, don’t hate him. The slave and slave master are brothers. So, the slave should work all the more because the kindness they show is helping a cherished believer. Teach this to the people. Encourage them to do this.A Word about Religion for Profit
3You might meet someone whose teachings clash with what our leader, Jesus the Messiah, taught. Jesus is the one who got it right. His words point us to God. 4Anyone who says otherwise has a swelled head with nothing much inside it. That person has a twisted attraction to oddball theories. This gets people all worked up. They start arguing over the meaning of words. Then they get mad at each other. They get jealous, suspicious, and then they start the bad-mouthing. 5They end up constantly irritated with each other—a wall of tension between them. By this time, their minds are full of poison, not truth. These folks have convinced themselves that getting their brand of religion is the way to get rich.6I’ll grant you this. Religion can make you rich, in a manner of speaking. But only if you’re content with what you already have. 7We brought nothing into this world. We’re taking nothing out.
8In the meantime, let’s be content with the food and clothes we have. 9As for those folks who want to get rich, bad news. Temptation will lure them into dangerous traps that will capture them and decimate their lives. 10Money love leads to trouble, and plenty of it. It has led a good many people away from their faith. And it has caused heartbreak and regret like you wouldn’t believe.
Don’t Give Up the Fight
11But you are a man of God. So, run away from those things I listed. Chase goodness, devotion to God, faith, love, patience, and gentleheartedness. 12Fight for the faith. It’s worth the trouble. Win that battle and take your prize: eternal life. God invited you in. You accepted that good invitation in front of witnesses. 13I’m going to ask you to do something. God, the giver of all life, is watching. So is Jesus, who spoke honorably in front of Pontius Pilate. [1] 14You know the command [2] I’m giving you. Obey the teachings of our leader, Jesus the Messiah, until he comes back. Don’t do anything that would give people reason to doubt your goodness. 15Jesus will come at the right time. Meanwhile, know this.To the only king, blessed indeed, [3]
To the King of kings,
And the Lord of lords,
The only one bathed in unapproachable light,
The one no human is able to see,
To him belongs all the honor and power.
And that’s the truth. [4]
