1st Timothy 6:1-2
1 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.
One of the great things about the Sacred Scriptures is that, it does not talk about God alone but also talks about His creatures behaviour, particularly human being, more specificallly those who are His people. 1st Timothy 6 gave us an idea of how both one who are UNDER authority and one who are IN authority should behave as bearers of the name of God.
The Bible clearly values authority and how important one should submit to an authority over him. The Bible itself claims authority for Truth, thus, no wonder that the Word of God also gave same due honour to an authority. As what Paul has said in Romans 13:1 - "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."
And so Paul, in his apostolic instruction to Timothy, wants to convey the same message to how a servant in any forms should regards those whom they serve. Christians, in particular, must conform to the rules and policies as long as that does not disobey the moral laws of God.
We are to do our jobs, our tasks, our roles and our responsibilities given to us as obedient servant and to God who established those authority above us. This principle is universal in nature, in all kinds of settings where authority is put in place such as Family, Workplace, Community, Organized Groups, Policies, Laws, and the likes that full respect is given to them.
Christians, who are not doing they part well regardless of any reasons even in the point of sufferings at times, is being disobedient to their masters which will slander the God whom we serve. I am not saying that we must follow those which are violating the authority and authoritative laws of God. As Servants of God, we serve with full obedience and respect to the one whom we submit to one who is in authority.
Likewise, any Christians who were called to authority, needs to serve their subordinates well, especially if those who are of the same faith. Paul reiterates that they should serve them even better. For not only it is necessary, it complies to the new command of Christ given to his disciples (followers of Jesus) which is to love one another.
John 13:34
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
It of great opportunity for Christians in authority to showcase how authority is properly exercised and displayed towards the people under us, that we too are to show respect to them. This is the same command given to us by Paul in Ephesians 5:21 saying "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Learning to exercise such reverence for Christ will not only authenticates our standing as God's elect but also shows the abounding grace that is overflowing in our lives as God's chosen people. We are no longer slaves of this world, we are freed from its bondage by Christ's own submission to authority and becoming obedient to the One who sent Him even to the point of death, that we may walk freely in this world. And this freedom is not for our flesh but for God's glory, just as Paul has warned us in Galatians 5:13-14:
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
The next time you do things subject to either under authority or over with authority, remember that we have to show full respect in either directions. This is how we should know that we truly abide in the love of God towards one another.
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