Employees and Employers

1. Employees (Servants)
   Employees who honour and obey their employer gladly will receive a reward in the life to come.
   
   
   • Proverbs 27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
     
     
   • Colossians 3:22-25
     22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
     23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
     24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for
     ye serve the Lord Christ.
     25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
     
     
   • I Timothy 6:1-8
     1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.
     2 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.
     3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
     4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
     5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
     6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
     7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
     8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
     
     
   • Ephesians 6:5-8
     5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
     6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
     7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
     8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
     
     
2. Employers (Masters)
   All Employers must be fair and just with their employees.
   
   
   • Ephesians 6:9
     9 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.
   • Leviticus 19:13
     13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
     
     
   • Deuteronomy 24: 14-15
     14 Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:
     15 At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.
     
     
   • Job 31:13-14
     13 If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;
     14 What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
     
     
   • Malachi 3:5
     5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
     
     
   • Colossians 4:1
     1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
     
     
   • James 5:1-4
     1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
     2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
     3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
     4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
     
     
3. Wage agreement
   If an employer has agreed to a certain wage the employee should not expect any more or less than agreed upon. The words of our Lord Jesus explain this clearly in the following parable.
   
   
   • Matthew 20:1-15
     1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
     2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
     3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
     4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
     5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
     6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
     7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
     8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
     9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
     10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
     11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
     12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
     13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
     14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
     15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
     
     
4. A warning and a promise
   A warning to those who reject God's ways, and a promise to those who obey God's will.
   
   
   • James 4:17
     17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
     
     
   • Romans 6:23
     23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.