The term “eye-service” appears in Ephesians 6:6, which says: “not by the way of eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.”
In this verse, Paul instructs servants to obey their earthly masters sincerely and wholeheartedly, not merely when being watched. The Greek word for “eye-service” here is ophthalmodoulia, which refers to working only when one’s master is watching, and slacking off when unobserved. It describes insincere service given solely to curry favor with the master.
The opposite of eye-service would be working faithfully at all times, even when no one is watching, out of a genuine commitment to serve Christ. As believers, our motivation should not be to impress other people, but to please God from the heart.
Some key points about the meaning of eye-service:
- It refers to insincere, pretentious service given only when being watched.
- It describes doing work primarily to impress others rather than out of devotion to God.
- It is contrasted with sincere service rendered with right motivations before God.
- Paul instructs servants and all believers not to serve as eye-servants who work only when observed.
- As Christians, we are to work diligently at all times as faithful bondservants of Christ.
The warning against eye-service has applications beyond masters and servants. Even today, it challenges us not to serve God and others superficially, but with genuine devotion. Our motivation should be love for God and others, not earning human praise.
1. The Original Meaning of Eye-Service in Ephesians 6:6
The term “eye-service” (ophthalmodoulia in Greek) appears only here in the New Testament. However, the concept of eye-service was common in the ancient world. The Greek philosopher Aristotle used the term over 300 years before Paul’s letter to refer to insincere service given only under supervision.
First-century people would have immediately recognized Paul’s warning against “eye-service.” In their society, many servants resented their bondage and only worked when watched. Their true attitudes were rebellion and indolence.
By instructing servants to avoid eye-service, Paul exhorts them to render sincere service as free men and women in Christ. Even though earthly masters might not deserve honor, service is to be rendered as “to the Lord and not to men” (Col. 3:23).
The original context thus indicates that “eye-service” refers to hypocritical service given only for outward show. Such insincerity fails to understand that Christians serve a heavenly Master who sees all, even when earthly masters do not.
2. Eye-Service as Spiritual Hypocrisy
Eye-service is spiritually dangerous because it is fundamentally hypocritical. Outwardly, eye-servants look diligent and loyal. But inwardly, their true motivation is self-interest rather than love of God or others.
Jesus strongly condemned religious hypocrisy and warned, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them” (Matt 6:1). Eye-service is spiritual hypocrisy masked by superficial piety when people are watching.
Paul understood that mere outward conformity to religious rules breeds hypocrisy. Only through God’s grace can believers display consistent inner virtue that fulfills the spirit, not just the letter, of God’s commands.
True faith transforms both inner motivations and outward actions. Eye-service features external performance without internal transformation. It is precisely this tendency toward hypocrisy that Paul warns against.
3. Motivations: For God or Men?
At the heart of eye-service are wrong motivations. Eye-servants seek to please other people rather than God. Their goal is human praise, not faithful obedience.
The antidote is to make pleasing God our primary goal. As 1 Thessalonians 2:4 says, “But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God.”
Doing right things for wrong reasons can nullify even virtuous actions. But when our motivations align with God’s will, our actions gain significance beyond mere outward conformity.
Sincerity requires asking why we do what we do. Do we pray, serve, give and attend worship to impress others or out of heartfelt devotion? Eye-service makes Christian living about superficial performance rather than wholehearted love.
4. Faithfulness in All Circumstances
True service and obedience keep going even when no one is looking. As Christians, we know God sees everything, even if people do not.
Eye-servants change their behavior based on who is watching. But sincere believers aim for consistency whether being observed or alone. As Paul says in Romans 12:11, we should be “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”
This requires cultivating personal integrity. The spiritual life is more complex than just keeping rules when watched. Abiding virtues like honesty, purity, faithfulness and diligence should characterize Christians at all times.
Eye-service is situational and conditional. But righteous character endures, even when human accountability fades. Our highest aim is to please our faithful Master, not merely look obedient before others.
5. Serving God Without Human Inspection
Earthly masters inspect eye-servants’ work to ensure diligence. But God sees all without such oversight. His omniscience renders eye-service futile.
As Psalm 139:1-2 declares, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” We cannot hide slipshod service from God.
Knowing God sees everything liberates us from bondage to human inspection. We serve based on His evaluation alone, not external criteria.
Divine omniscience is not oppressive but freeing for sincere believers. It spurs us to serve God wholeheartedly in all settings, public and private. Our reward comes from heaven, not human recognition.
6. Serving Others Out of Reverence for Christ
Mere performance for other people breeds frustration and resentment. But serving others “as to the Lord” brings joy and significance.
Paul goes beyond condemning eye-service to providing the solution – reverence for Christ. When we serve in Christ’s name, even mundane tasks gain eternal importance.
Seeing service as worship transforms attitudes. Eye-servants labor begrudgingly to enrich masters. But serving Christ becomes a privilege that impacts people for eternity.
Reverence for Christ infuses daily work with spiritual power and purpose. The antidote to eye-service is serving wholeheartedly as if directly unto Christ.
7. Applications Beyond Workplace Service
While Paul addressed servants and masters, his warning against eye-service applies broadly. We must examine whether we serve God sincerely when not observed by others.
It is easy to portray spiritual vitality while at church or engaged in public ministry. But private disciplines often reveal where we lack true devotion. Does our dedication to God persist when alone?
Eye-service can surface in prayer, giving, evangelism, studying God’s Word, fasting and other disciplines. Do we engage diligently in these practices even without public notice or accountability?
Paul’s teaching transcends workplace dynamics to address hypocrisy in the Christian life. Simply put, is our devotion to God genuine when no one sees but Him?
8. Cultivating Genuine Devotion to God
Identifying eye-service is just the first step. Remedying ingrained patterns of superficial spirituality requires God’s grace and strength.
As Paul says after warning against eye-service, true obedience is only possible by “the strength that God supplies” (1 Peter 4:11). We cannot manufacture holiness from human effort alone.
Thankfully, Scripture offers many practical strategies for nurturing sincere faith. Daily prayer, meditating on God’s Word, fasting, fellowship and participating in the sacraments all help renew motivations.
We cooperates by engaging these spiritual disciplines. But only the Holy Spirit can ultimately produce enduring righteousness that withstands life’s varied circumstances.
9. The Bible Condemns Eye-Service
While Ephesians 6:6 contains the only New Testament mention of “eye-service,” this concept appears repeatedly across Scripture.
The Bible consistently condemns superficial righteousness pursued to impress others rather than please God. Eye-service reflects skewed priorities that seek human praise over divine approval.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). Eye-service falsely assumes human recognition provides the ultimate reward.
The prophet Samuel warned ancient Israel against eye-service in sacrificial worship, saying God desires heartfelt obedience over empty ritual (1 Samuel 15:22). Right external actions cannot replace inner devotion.
Paul elsewhere exposed eye-service motives in the early church (Galatians 6:12-13). Contending for outward displays like circumcision to avoid persecution, some believers hypocritically abandoned inward faith.
10. Examples of Eye-Service in the Bible
Several biblical passages illustrate the concept of eye-service Paul addressed in Ephesians 6:6:
- Cain’s sacrifice – Genesis 4 shows Cain offering a sacrifice merely for outward show, provoking God’s displeasure for his lack of sincere heart.
- The Pharisees – Jesus repeatedly confronts the Pharisees for pretentious public piety masking inward sin like greed and pride.
- Ananias and Sapphira – This couple in Acts 5 pretends to give generously to the church while holding back portion for themselves, prompting God’s judgment.
- Israel’s deception – God decries Israel’s deception and pretense of devotion in Isaiah 29:13, saying: “their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”
These and other examples showcase the spiritual danger of eye-service type hypocrisy. Though outwardly impressive, such false devotion lacks sincere love for God.
Conclusion
Ephesians 6:6 contains a vital exhortation against eye-service. Though just a brief mention, this concept contains substantial instruction for Christian living.
At its core, eye-service is pretending to serve God well when outwardly observed, while inwardly harboring selfish motivations and lazy indifference. It is spiritual hypocrisy.
The Bible strongly warns believers against such false piety that relies on human effort. True righteousness comes from God’s grace renewing us from the inside out. Only the Holy Spirit can produce enduring devotion unaffected by human recognition.
While eye-service had particular meaning for ancient servants, Paul’s warning remains relevant today. All believers must examine whether their obedience stems from wholehearted love for God or merely outward actions to impress other people.
May we all heed the caution against eye-service. And may God renew in us undivided hearts willing to serve him with sincerity whether seen or unseen by others.