Matthew Poole and continuators on Colossians 3:22

22 Servants , obey in all things your masters according to the flesh : not with eye-service , as men pleasers , but in singleness of heart , fearing God.

The Apostle knowing how hard the condition of servitude was both under the Iews and Gentiles, lest any Believers in that mean condition should disgust so strict a subjection, especially to unbelieving Masters, and cast off the yoke by breaking their Covenants to the disturbance of humane Society, and the disparagement of the Christian institution, he takes a special care to sweeten the harshness of it to all those indefinitely whose lot it was, by recommending the duties of it to them from the consideration of the acceptableness of them to God, who of his unconstrained grace would vouchsafe to them the noblest reward.

Wherefore Christianity requires that Servants of all sorts should readily receive, and chearfully execute all the commands, see v. 20▪ in things lawfull and honest, of those of both Sexes whom God in his wise Providence hath given a just authority over them according to the flesh, see also Eph. 6.5. which expression is not onely for distinction from the Father and Master of Spirits, Heb. 12.9. but for mitigation of their servitude, in that their Earthly Master's power reacheth onely things corporeal and temporal, not the conscience and things that are eternal, which might be some comfort that the servitude would not last long, and in the mean time they were God's Free-men, 1 Cor. 7.22. whom they might serve with the Spirit in the Gospel of his Son, Rom. 1.9.

Yet their Masters a[illegible: 1 letter]ter the fle[illegible: 1 letter]h in those civil things wherein they had power to command, were not lightly to be respected or served to the eye, or onely to be observed whiles their eye was upon them, Eph. 6.6.

As if regard were to be had to the pleasing of Men, and not to the pleasing of God who searcheth the heart, and by his Gospel (which they should adorn) expects they should remember his eye is ever upon them, Tit. 2.9. 1. Pet. 2.18.

And expects that in an holy awe of him, they should do all that is incumbent on them, in the sincerity of their Souls, see Eph. 6.5, 6. with more regard to God than Man.

Marginal references: 1 Tim. 6.1.