Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.
Timothy was to communicate this instruction to the church. Perhaps Paul wrote no instructions for Christian masters of slaves because there were none in the Ephesian church or because they were behaving properly. Perhaps Paul wrote Timothy (and Titus [1 Timothy 2:9-10]) about the conduct of slaves but not masters because many slaves had become Christians and most of them undoubtedly had non-Christian masters. [Note: Knight, The Pastoral . . ., p. 243.] Elsewhere in the New Testament other instructions for slaves and masters appear (1 Corinthians 7:20-24; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-25; Phile.; 1 Peter 2:13-25). Paul probably did not discuss other family relationships (e.g., husband, wife, children, masters) because he was addressing a specific Ephesian situation and not teaching on family relationships in general. [Note: Mounce, p. 325.] What Paul said to slaves here is applicable to employees today.