Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,
Parallel translations
- WEB with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men;
- KJV With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
- NKJV with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
- NASB With goodwill render service, as to the Lord, and not to people,
- NLT Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Work should be done with goodwill, as serving the Lord rather than men. A willing, cheerful spirit marks Christian service.
Overview
Paul continues that service is to be rendered 'with good will,' a ready and willing attitude, 'as to the Lord, and not to men.' This reorients ordinary labor toward Christ, lifting it to an act of devotion. The believer's true audience and master is the Lord himself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Col 3:23Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,
- 1 Cor 10:31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
- Eph 6:5–6Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
- 2 Kgs 5:13Naaman’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’?”
- Gen 31:38–40I 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 Kgs 5:2–3At 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.
- Gen 31:6You know that I have served your father with all my strength.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
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Original language
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