“Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1).
The modern-day chapter and verse divisions that appear in contemporary Bibles have become so synonymous with the texts they represent that it is almost impossible to separate the two. Because of this, it may be easy to forget that these divisions did not appear within the original Biblical texts. These reference points were later added to assist in identifying each individual portion of Scripture.
While these divisions are helpful and beneficial, they occasionally serve to divert a Biblical train of thought. Such is the case with Colossians 4:1. You see, we may overlook the connection between the closing verses of Colossians chapter three and the opening verse of Colossians chapter four if we fail to read this passage straight through.
If we incorporate the final verses of Colossians chapter three with Colossians 4:1, a comprehensive thought emerges…
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites. Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven” (Colossians 3:22-4:1 NLT).
Taken together, the idea behind these verses is one of reciprocal obligation. A Christian employee is responsible to honor God in his or her work while a God-honoring employer is responsible to treat his or her subordinates in a just and fair manner. The common denominator is “the Lord Christ” (NKJV) who will judge with complete impartiality for “…God does not respect one person more than another” (Colossians 3:25 NLV).
Finally, one commentator identifies a less obvious but highly significant aspect of this passage…
“Without making an overt protest against slavery, Paul seemed to understand that if he could establish the point that slaves were equals in the body of Christ, full human beings with both responsibilities and rights (that they should be treated in a manner both just and fair), then in time the whole structure of slavery in the Roman Empire would crumble – and it did” (1)
(1) David Guzik Colossians 3 – Put Off, Put On © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/colossians-3/