This passage brings up a subject that has been a very difficult one for me: slavery. It is not difficult because I do not understand it, but because of the seemingly strange way the Bible discusses this subject. Throughout the Bible we see God’s people (and many others) trapped in slavery, yet the emphasis of the Bible is NOT on the cruelty of slavery, but instead much of the discussion is on the relationship of the slave to the master, and of the slave being good more than the masters releasing the slaves. Yes, Moses was God’s instrument to free the Israelites from slavery, and, yes, there are many passages on masters treating their slaves properly, but it seems there is little, if any, focus on the abolishment of slavery. In this passage we see the emphasis on the believer being a slave-owner and the slave working even harder for their masters.While much has been written and much can be discussed in this area, (and trust me, I am way in the camp, as I feel God is, for abolishment of slavery) I think the discussion centers around the relationship between master and slave because the reality is that as believers we have “sold” ourselves to Christ. Just like many of the slaves in the New Testament, we have made a willing choice to enter into slavery, and we need to use the master/slave relationship to help us focus on our relationship with God Almighty. We are His slaves to do His will. There is definitely a whole lot more to our lives as Christians, but this is an important point to remember.