Bible Strands
Ephesians 6:7
Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The apostle Paul addresses enslaved workers in Ephesus, instructing them on their daily labor obligations within the broader household code.
The words — The text commands δουλεύοντες (douleuontes), meaning "rendering service," to be performed μετ᾽ εὐνοίας (met' eunoias), literally "with good will."
The thread — This directive echoes Colossians 3:23 and 1 Corinthians 10:31, which similarly frame all labor as an offering directed toward God rather than human approval.
Why it lands — The verse requires workers to align their daily tasks with divine accountability rather than human observation, removing the excuse of performing only when supervised.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Cross-references
- Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men,
- 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
- Ephesians 6:5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
- 2 Kings 5:13 Naaman’s servants, however, approached him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’?”
- Genesis 31:38 I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.
- 2 Kings 5:2 At this time the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken a young girl from the land of Israel, and she was serving Naaman’s wife.
- Genesis 31:6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength.