Early Christian Beliefs About Servants and Masters
Early Christian writings teach that servants should obey their masters with respect, and masters should rule with fairness, kindness, and no threats. Ignatius, Clement of Alexandria, Peter of Alexandria, and the Apostolic Constitutions all repeat this pattern, along with Ephesians, Colossians, Titus, 1 Peter, and 1 Timothy. The teaching is strong and consistent, though some texts focus more on servant duty and others more on master responsibility. Peter of Alexandria also warns against masters who force Christian slaves into idolatry.
102 early-church witnesses · 150 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about servants and Masters?
Early Christian writings teach that servants should obey their masters with respect, honesty, and sincerity, while masters must act with fairness, kindness, and no threats. Ignatius, Clement of Alexandria, the Apostolic Constitutions, Peter of Alexandria, and the Didache all repeat this basic pattern, and the Bible passages in Ephesians, Colossians, Titus, 1 Peter, and 1 Timothy give the main scriptural basis.
The evidence is broad and consistent across the second and third centuries, though some texts stress duty more on the servant side and others stress restraint and justice on the master side. Peter of Alexandria also applies this teaching to Christian masters who forced slaves to sacrifice, showing that abuse of power was condemned, not blessed. A few cards are only weakly related or use the word “master” in another sense, so they are left out of the main view.
Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Servants were told to obey earthly masters with fear, sincerity, and a good conscience.
- Masters were told to stop threatening and to treat servants with justice and kindness.
- Early Christian writers tied this teaching to Ephesians 6, Colossians 3–4, Titus 2, 1 Peter 2, and 1 Timothy 6.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did early Christians teach servants to obey their masters?
The sources repeatedly instruct servants or bondmen to obey, submit, and serve their masters with fear, sincerity, and goodwill. Several early writers quote or echo the New Testament household codes very closely.
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Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Direct teaching
...he priestesses of Christ; and the widows who maintain seriousness in behavior, as the altar of God. Servants, serve your masters with respectful fear. Masters, give orders to your servants with kindness. Let no one among you be idle; for idleness leads to need. I do not command these things as a person of any importance, though I am in bonds for Christ; but as a brother, I remind you of them. The Lord be with you!
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching
...pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, lest they become discouraged. Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh. Do not serve only when watched, like people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. And whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly, as serving the Lord and not men. For you know that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will receive the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, give your servants justice and fairness, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is all, and in all.” And the earthly Church is the image of the heavenly, just as we also pray that the will of God may be done on earth as in heaven. Matthew 6:10. “Therefore, put on compassion, gentleness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering. Bear with one another, and forgive one another, if one has a complaint against any man. Just as Christ has forgiven us, so also let us do. And above all these things, put on charity, wh
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching
Servants, be obedient in all things to those who are your masters according to the flesh;
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Ignatius, Epistle to the Philadelphians (Long Version) Direct teaching
Servants, be subject to your masters in God, that ye may be the freed-men of Christ.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Direct teaching
Servants, be obedient to those that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the singleness of your hearts, as unto Christ;
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching
And, you servants, be subject to your masters, Ephesians 6:5 as to the representatives of God, with attention and fear, as to the Lord, and not to men. Ephesians 6:7
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Didache, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles Direct teaching
And you bondmen shall be subject to your masters as to a type of God, in modesty and fear.
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Ephesians 6:5 Background
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
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1 Peter 2:18 Background
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
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1 Timothy 6:2 Supporting witness
Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.
More related quotations from this section 5 shown
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Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Supporting witness
Ye servants, do not provoke your masters to anger in anything, lest ye become the authors of incurable mischiefs to yourselves.
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Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Supporting witness
Ye servants, wait upon your masters with [respectful] fear.
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Didache, Connection to Ephesians 6:5 Supporting witness
But as to servants, what can we say more than that the slave bring a good will to his master, with the fear of God, although he be impious and wicked,
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Didache, Connection to Colossians 3:22 Supporting witness
And ye bondmen shall be subject to your masters as to a type of God, in modesty and fear.
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Unknown, Unknown Work Supporting witness
Servants, be obedient to those that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the singleness of your hearts, as unto Christ;
How were masters supposed to treat their servants?
The strongest sources say masters should treat servants well, stop threatening them, and render justice and equity. Ignatius, Clement, and Peter of Alexandria all present masters as responsible before the same heavenly Master as their servants.
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Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Direct teaching
You masters, do not treat your servants arrogantly, but imitate patient Job, who says, “I did not disregard the cause of my male servant or my female servant when they argued with me. For what will I do in that case when the Lord examines me?” And you know what follows. You servants, do not provoke your masters to anger in anything, lest you become the authors of incurable troubles for yourselves.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching
and there is no respect of persons. Masters, render to your servants justice and equity;
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Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Supporting witness
Ye masters, issue orders to your servants with tenderness.
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Supporting witness
Zonaras: Some people have sent their own Christian servants, even against their will, to offer sacrifice in their place. Therefore, although these servants did not act by their own free choice, but were forced by their masters, this father orders that they must spend a year in penance. He also instructs them to remember that, since they are among the faithful, they are servants of Christ, and that they ought to fear Him instead. For whatever a person does, says the great apostle, that same he will receive back, whether he is slave or free.
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Supporting witness
and also because they compelled their fellow-servants to offer sacrifice, and did not obey the apostle, who ordered them to forbear threatening their servants, inasmuch as they themselves, the masters, are the servants of God, and fellow-servants with their own domestics And then they have made haste to preserve their own lives, and have driven their fellow-servants to idolatry who might have escaped.
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Background
How masters ought to behave toward their servants, and how servants ought to be subject.
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Background
How Masters Ought to Behave Themselves to Their Servants, and How Servants Ought to Be Subject.
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Titus 2:9 Background
Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
Did early Christians say servants and masters had the same Lord?
Several sources connect the household code to the fact that both servants and masters have one Lord in heaven and that God shows no partiality. Peter of Alexandria makes this point especially explicitly, and the biblical texts in Ephesians, Colossians, and Titus support it directly.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Direct teaching
... not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Servants, obey those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, with sincere hearts, as to Christ, serving with good will from the soul. And you masters, treat your servants well, and stop threatening them, knowing that both their Lord and your Lord is in heaven, and with Him there is no partiality.
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Direct teaching
...d by penance for three years, both because of their pretending and because they forced their fellow servants to offer sacrifice, since they did not obey the apostle. He wants masters to do the same things to the servant, and to stop threatening them, in Ephesians 6:9, knowing, he says, that both our Master and theirs is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with Him, in Romans 2:11. Now if we all have one Master, with whom there is no partiality, since Christ is all and in all, among barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, in Colossians 3:11, they ought to consider what they have done in wanting to preserve their own lives. They have led their fellow servants into idolatry, though those servants would have been able to escape if they had given them what is just and equal, as the apostle says again.
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Supporting witness
since they also, the masters, are the servants of God, and the fellow-servants of their own domestics.
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Supporting witness
In the case of those whose Christian slaves were sent to offer sacrifice for them, the slaves were in their masters' power. In a sense, they were also under their masters' control and were threatened by them. Because of fear, they came to this and fell away. They must, during the year, show the works of repentance. In this way they may learn for the future, as slaves of Christ, to do the will of Christ and to fear Him. They should listen especially to this: "Whatever good thing anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is slave or free." Ephesians 6:8
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Supporting witness
In the case of those who have sent Christian slaves to offer sacrifice for them, the slaves indeed as being in their master's hands, and in a manner themselves also in the custody of their masters, and being threatened by them, and from their fear having come to this pass and having lapsed, shall during the year show forth the works of penitence, learning for the future, as the slaves of Christ, to do the will of Christ and to fear Him, listening to this especially, that whatsoever good thing any man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. Ephesians 6:8
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Supporting witness
and that there is no respect of persons with Him.Romans 2:11 Now, if we all have one Master, with whom is no respect of persons, since Christ is all and in all, in barbarian, Scythian, bond or free,Colossians 3:11 they ought to consider what they have done, wishing to preserve their own lives.
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Colossians 4:1 Background
Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
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Ephesians 6:9 Background
And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
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Colossians 3:22 Background
Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
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1 Timothy 6:1 Background
Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed.
Common Questions
Did early Christians tell servants to obey their masters?
Yes. Ignatius, Clement of Alexandria, the Didache, and the Bible passages in Ephesians, Colossians, Titus, and 1 Peter all tell servants to obey with respect and sincerity.
Did early Christians also give rules for masters?
Yes. They told masters not to threaten or act harshly, but to treat servants with justice, kindness, and fairness.
Did early Christians think masters and servants were equal before God?
Yes, in the sense that both answer to the same Lord in heaven. Peter of Alexandria and Paul’s letters both say God shows no partiality.
Source Index for Servants and Masters
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 128 ranked source links from 150 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 128 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 102
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
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Didache, Connection to Colossians 3:22
Bible Passages 48 included
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.