[Of Servants and Masters.]
XII. 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, 30 See Eph. vi. 5; 1 Pet. ii. 18. See Eph. vi. 5; 1 Pet. ii. 18. but yet not to yield any compliance as to his worship? And let the master love his servant, although he be his superior. Let him consider wherein they are equal, even as he is a man. And let him that has a believing master 31 Col. iv. 1. See 1 Tim. vi. 2. Col. iv. 1. See 1 Tim. vi. 2. love him both as his master, and as of the same faith, and as a father, but still with the preservation of his authority as his master: “not as an eye-servant, but as a lover of his master; as knowing that God will recompense to him for his subjection.” 32 Eph. vi. 6; Col. iii. 22, 24. Eph. vi. 6; Col. iii. 22, 24. In like manner, let a master who has a believing servant love him as a son or as a brother, on account of their communion in the faith, but still preserving the difference of a servant.
[12] Περὶ δὲ οἰκετῶν τί ἂν εἴποιμεν πλεῖον, ἢ ὅτι καὶ ὁ δοῦλος εὔνοιαν εἰσφερέτω πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην μετὰ φόβου Θεοῦ, κἂν ἀσεβὴς κἂν πονηρὸς ὑπάρχῃ, οὐκέτι μέντοι καὶ ὁμόνοιαν κατὰ τὴν θρησκείαν. Καὶ ὁ δεσπότης ἀγαπάτω τὸν οἰκέτην, κἂν διάφορος ᾖ, τὸ ἶσον κρινέτω, ᾗ ἄνθρωπος ὑπάρχει. Ὁ δὲ πιστὸν ἔχων δεσπότην, σῳζομένης αὐτῷ τῆς κυρίας, ἀγαπάτω καὶ ὡς δεσπότην καὶ ὡς ὁμόπιστον καὶ ὡς πατέρα, μὴ ὡς ὀφθαλμόδουλος, ἀλλ' ὡς φιλοδέσποτος, εἰδώς, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῷ τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν ἀποτίσει τῆς ὑπηρεσίας. Ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ κύριος ὁ πιστὸν ἔχων οἰκέτην, σῳζομένης αὐτῷ τῆς θεραπείας, ἀγαπάτω ὡς υἱὸν ἢ ὡς ἀδελφὸν διὰ τὴν τῆς πίστεως κοινωνίαν.