Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed.
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.