Early Christian Views on Slaves and Masters
Early Christian writings teach that slaves should obey their masters, and masters should treat slaves fairly and without threats. Ignatius, Clement of Alexandria, Peter of Alexandria, and the Apostolic Constitutions all repeat this. Bible passages like Ephesians 6, Colossians 3–4, 1 Timothy 6, and 1 Peter 2 are key texts behind this teaching.
110 early-church witnesses · 163 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about slaves and masters?
Early Christian writings teach that slaves should obey their masters in the Lord, and masters should act with kindness, justice, and no threats. Ignatius, Clement of Alexandria, the Didache, Peter of Alexandria, and the Apostolic Constitutions all repeat this pattern, often alongside Ephesians 6, Colossians 3–4, 1 Timothy 6, and 1 Peter 2. The evidence is broad and consistent across the 1st to 3rd centuries, and it also treats masters and slaves as equal before God, with no respect of persons.
Some texts are only indirect or use slavery language in parables, but the main teaching is clear and well attested. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Early Christians told slaves to obey their masters, but also told masters to be kind, fair, and not threatening.
- The strongest teaching comes from Ephesians 6, Colossians 3–4, 1 Timothy 6, and 1 Peter 2, repeated by early church writers.
- Several writers also say masters and slaves stand equal before God, with no partiality.
Questions Answered by the Sources
Did early Christians teach slaves to obey their masters?
The sources consistently say servants should obey or be subject to their masters according to the flesh, with fear, sincerity, and good will. Several writers repeat the same apostolic instruction in different forms.
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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 Instructor (Paedagogus) Direct teaching
...r, 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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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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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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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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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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Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Direct teaching
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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Unknown, Unknown Work Supporting witness
For as it is enjoined on them, to be subject to their masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward, 1 Peter 2:18 as Peter says;
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Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas Direct teaching
Thou shalt be subject to the Lord, and to [other] masters as the image of God, with modesty and fear.
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1 Timothy 6:2 Supporting witness
And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.
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Ephesians 6:5 Direct teaching
Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ;
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Colossians 3:22 Direct teaching
Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.
More related quotations from this section 2 shown
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Titus 2:9 Supporting witness
Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
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1 Peter 2:18 Supporting witness
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
Did early Christians tell masters to treat slaves fairly?
The sources say masters should stop threatening, show justice and equity, and treat servants kindly or with tenderness. The teaching is tied to the fact that masters themselves have a Master in heaven.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Direct teaching
with good-will from the soul doing service. You masters, treat your servants well, forbearing threatening: knowing that both their and your Lord is in heaven;
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Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Supporting witness
Ye masters, do not treat your servants with haughtiness, but imitate patient Job, who declares, “I did not despise the cause of my man-servant, or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness
Take away, then, directly the ornaments from women, and domestics from masters, and you will find masters in no respect different from bought slaves in step, or look, or voice, so like are they to their slaves.
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Supporting witness
Zonaras: But on the free people, that is, the masters of the servants who were forced to sacrifice, he places a penalty of three years. This is both because they only pretended to sacrifice and still clearly seemed to give in completely, and because they forced their fellow-servants to offer sacrifice. They did not obey the apostle's command to stop threatening their servants, since the masters themselves are also servants of God and fellow-servants with their own household servants. They were quick to save their own lives, and they drove their fellow-servants, who might have escaped, into idolatry.
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Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Epistle Supporting witness
...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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Unknown, Unknown Work Supporting witness
so fairness, and forbearance, and kindness, are what well becomes the masters.
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Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Supporting witness
Ye masters, issue orders to your servants with tenderness.
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Ephesians 6:9 Direct teaching
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.
More related quotations from this section 1 shown
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Lactantius, The Epitome of the Divine Institutes Supporting witness
He must not be harsh towards a son, nor towards a slave: he must remember that he himself has a Father and a Master.
Did early Christians say slaves and masters had the same Lord?
Several sources emphasize that both slave and master belong to the same heavenly Lord and that God shows no partiality. Some writers explicitly call Christian masters and slaves fellow servants or brothers in spirit.
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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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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness
...ur 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, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peac
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
...cept our people. Someone may say, "Are there not some among you who are poor, and others rich; some servants, and others masters? Is there not some difference between individuals?" There is none. Nor is there any other reason why we give one another the name of brothers, except that we believe ourselves to be equal. For since we measure all human things not by the body, but by the spirit, although the condition of bodies is different, we have no servants. Instead, we regard them and speak of them as brothers in spirit, and in religion as fellow servants. Riches also do not make men distinguished, except that they can make them more noticeable by good works. For men are rich not because they possess riches, but because they use them for works of justice. And those who seem to be poor are, for this reason, rich, because they are not in need and desire nothing.
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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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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness
and there is no respect of persons. Masters, render to your servants justice and equity;
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Colossians 4:1 Supporting witness
Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
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1 Timothy 6:1 Supporting witness
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
What did early Christians teach slaves to do?
They taught slaves to obey their masters, work sincerely, and serve as to Christ.
What did early Christians teach masters to do?
They taught masters to stop threatening, act kindly, and treat slaves justly and fairly.
Did early Christians think slaves and masters were equal before God?
Yes. Several writers say God shows no partiality and that both stand under the same Lord.
Source Index for Slaves and masters
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 133 ranked source links from 163 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 133 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 110
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
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Didache, Connection to Colossians 3:22
Bible Passages 53 included
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.
Related Resources
Course Lesson
Chapter 2: From Master to Slave
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