“Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”
My Notes
What Does Ephesians 6:8 Mean?
"Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free." Paul guarantees divine RECIPROCITY: whatever GOOD you do, you'll receive the SAME from the Lord. The guarantee is UNIVERSAL (any man), COMPREHENSIVE (whatsoever good thing), RECIPROCAL (the same shall he receive), and STATUS-BLIND (whether bond or free). The Lord receives the good and returns it — regardless of who you are in human social structures.
The phrase "whatsoever good thing any man doeth" (hekastos ean ti poiēsē agathon — each one, if they do any good thing) makes the promise INDIVIDUAL and COMPREHENSIVE: each person (hekastos) who does ANY good thing (ti agathon — whatever good, any good at all). The promise covers EVERY good act. Nothing is too small. Nothing is overlooked. Every good thing done is registered and will be reciprocated.
The "whether he be bond or free" (eite doulos eite eleutheros — whether slave or free) is the STATUS-EQUALIZER: the promise applies to SLAVES AND FREE PERSONS equally. In the Roman world, slaves had no legal standing. Their good deeds earned no human recognition. Paul says: the LORD recognizes. The Master above the masters sees the slave's good work and repays it IDENTICALLY to the free person's good work. The divine reciprocity doesn't check social status.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What good deed have you done that nobody noticed — and do you believe the Lord registered it?
- 2.What does 'the same shall he receive' (exact reciprocity) teach about divine returns?
- 3.How does 'whether bond or free' destroy social-status-based assessment of worth?
- 4.What invisible good work are you doing that the Lord sees and will repay?
Devotional
Whatever GOOD you do — you'll receive the SAME from the Lord. Bond OR free. The divine reciprocity doesn't check your social status. The slave's good deed and the free person's good deed receive the SAME response from the Lord. The doing is registered. The repaying is guaranteed. The status is irrelevant.
The 'whatsoever good thing' makes the promise COMPREHENSIVE: every good deed. The small ones and the large ones. The noticed ones and the invisible ones. The praised ones and the unrecognized ones. WHATEVER good — the word covers the entire spectrum. Nothing is too minor to register. Nothing is too hidden to be seen. The Lord receives it ALL.
The 'the same shall he receive of the Lord' guarantees EXACT reciprocity: the SAME (touto — this same thing) — not a lesser version, not a diminished return, but the SAME. The good you did is the good you receive back. The Lord's reciprocity is EXACT. The return matches the investment. The receiving equals the doing.
The 'whether bond or free' is the most REVOLUTIONARY element: in the Roman world, a slave's work BELONGED to the master. The slave received nothing. The slave earned nothing. The slave owned nothing. And Paul says: the LORD sees the slave's good work and REPAYS IT — exactly as He repays the free person's. The divine economy ignores the human economy. The Lord's assessment doesn't check the social register. The slave and the free person receive identically from the Lord.
What good thing have you done that nobody noticed — and do you believe the Lord registered it?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth,.... According to the will of God, from right principles in his heart,…
Knowing that whatsoever good thing - Whatever a man does that is right, for that he shall be appropriately rewarded. No…
Whatsoever good thing any man doeth - Though your masters should fail to give you the due reward of your fidelity and…
Here we have further directions concerning relative duties, in which the apostle is very particular.
I. The duty of…
knowing as a certainty of the Gospel. For the Christian's prospect of "reward," cp. Mat 5:12; Mat 6:1; Mat 6:4; Mat…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture