Friday 18 September 2009

Background

Today's verses from this letter to Timothy begin withinstructions for slaves. Slaves are to be obedient and responsiveto their Christian masters. What is our reaction? The cries ofthose bound in slavery were ignored for many hundreds of years, butwhen they were finally heard, those who led the campaign in Britainin the 18th century to end slavery were inspired by their Christianfaith.

They responded in obedience to God to act justly and to love oneanother. We still need to hear this call today and work out theissues that God is calling us to speak out about. Tragically,slavery is still one of them. Thousands of vulnerable women, forexample, are trafficked into the sex trade and work as slaves boundto their masters. We still need to be appalled.

The writer of 1 Timothy continues with instructions about personalconduct and conduct within the life of the Church. Christians areurged to have the highest standards, to be austere in conduct andconcerned only for spiritual riches. The writer's words warningabout the love of money - "For the love of money is a root of allkinds of evil" - are still much quoted today, and are as relevantas they were 2000 years ago.

We are reminded in these verses that faith without action ismeaningless. Christian faith challenges every area of our life: ourconduct, behaviour, actions, speaking out for the voiceless,challenging injustice. The particular issues that require actionmay change and the call to obedience in the conduct of our personallives may mean something different today from 100 or 200 ago. Whatdoes not change is "the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ andthe teaching that is in accordance with godliness." We have to workout our response for ourselves in our own generation.

To Ponder

How do you feel about the fact that theinstitution of slavery seems to be accepted and go unchallenged inthe Bible?

What standards of personal conduct and actiondoes Christ require of Christians today?