Ephesians 6:6
New International Version
Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

New Living Translation
Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.

English Standard Version
not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

Berean Standard Bible
And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

Berean Literal Bible
not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

King James Bible
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

New King James Version
not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

New American Standard Bible
not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

NASB 1995
not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

NASB 1977
not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

Legacy Standard Bible
not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

Amplified Bible
not in the way of eye-service [working only when someone is watching you and only] to please men, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart;

Christian Standard Bible
Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart.

American Standard Version
not in the way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Not publicly, as if you please the children of men, but as Servants of The Messiah, doing the pleasure of God.

Contemporary English Version
Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. You are slaves of Christ, so with your whole heart you must do what God wants you to do.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Not serving to the eye, as it were pleasing men, but, as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart,

English Revised Version
not in the way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Don't obey them only while you're being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. But obey like slaves who belong to Christ, who have a deep desire to do what God wants them to do.

Good News Translation
Do this not only when they are watching you, because you want to gain their approval; but with all your heart do what God wants, as slaves of Christ.

International Standard Version
Do not do this only while you're being watched in order to please them, but be like slaves of the Messiah, who are determined to obey God's will.

Literal Standard Version
not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as servants of the Christ, doing the will of God out of [your] soul,

Majority Standard Bible
And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.

New American Bible
not only when being watched, as currying favor, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

NET Bible
not like those who do their work only when someone is watching--as people-pleasers--but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.

New Revised Standard Version
not only while being watched, and in order to please them, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

New Heart English Bible
not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as people-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

Webster's Bible Translation
Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

Weymouth New Testament
Let it not be in acts of eye-service as if you had but to please men, but as Christ's bondservants who are doing God's will from the heart.

World English Bible
not in the way of service only when eyes are on you, as men pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

Young's Literal Translation
not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as servants of the Christ, doing the will of God out of soul,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Slaves and Masters
5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6And do this not only to please them while they are watching, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,…

Cross References
Mark 3:35
For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother."

1 Corinthians 7:22
For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman. Conversely, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave.

Galatians 1:10
Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Colossians 3:22
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.


Treasury of Scripture

Not with eye-service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

eye-service.

Philippians 2:12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Colossians 3:22
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

1 Thessalonians 2:4
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

doing.

Ephesians 5:17
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Matthew 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 12:50
For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

from.

Jeremiah 3:10
And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 24:7
And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

Romans 6:17
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

Jump to Previous
Acts Bondmen Bondservants Christ Christ's Eye Eyes Eyeservice Eye-Service Favor God's Heart Menpleasers Men-Pleasers Obey Please Pleasers Pleasure Servants Service Slaves Soul Way Win
Jump to Next
Acts Bondmen Bondservants Christ Christ's Eye Eyes Eyeservice Eye-Service Favor God's Heart Menpleasers Men-Pleasers Obey Please Pleasers Pleasure Servants Service Slaves Soul Way Win
Ephesians 6
1. The duty of children toward their parents;
5. of servants toward their masters.
10. Our life is a warfare, not only against flesh and blood, but also spiritual enemies.
13. The complete armor of a Christian;
18. and how it ought to be used.
21. Tychicus is commended.














(6) Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers.--This verse is merely an expansion of the idea of singleness of heart. The word "eyeservice" (used here, and in Colossians 3:22) is peculiar to St. Paul, and to these passages; the word "menpleasers" is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, but is used in the LXX.; and the antithesis of "pleasing men" and "pleasing God "is not unfrequent with St. Paul. (See Galatians 1:10-11; 1Thessalonians 2:4.) To a slave, looking on his master's authority as mere power imposed by the cruel laws of man, this "eyeservice" is found to be an all but irresistible temptation. It is only when he looks on himself as "the slave of Christ"--who Himself "took on Him the form of a slave" (Philippians 2:7) in order to work out the will of God in a sinful world, and to redeem all men from bondage--that he can possibly serve from the heart.

Verse 6. - Not in the spirit of eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the bond-servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Exegetical of the last exhortation, with a negative and a positive clause, according to the apostle's frequent practice (comp. Ephesians 2:8, 19; Ephesians 3:5; Ephesians 4:14, 15, 25, 28, 29; Ephesians 5:18, 27, 29; Ephesians 6:4). Eye-service and men-pleasing have reference only to what will pass muster in the world; Christians must go deeper, as bound to Christ's service by the great claim of redemption (1 Corinthians 6:20), and remembering that "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). The will of God is our great standard, and our daily prayer is, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." In heaven it is done "from the heart."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[And do this] not only
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

to please them
ἀνθρωπάρεσκοι (anthrōpareskoi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 441: From anthropos and aresko; man-courting, i.e. Fawning.

while they are watching,
ὀφθαλμοδουλίαν (ophthalmodoulian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3787: From ophthalmos and douleia; sight-labor, i.e. That needs watching.

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

as
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

servants of
δοῦλοι (douloi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1401: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. From deo; a slave.

Christ,
Χριστοῦ (Christou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

doing
ποιοῦντες (poiountes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

will
θέλημα (thelēma)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2307: An act of will, will; plur: wishes, desires. From the prolonged form of ethelo; a determination, i.e. choice or inclination.

of God
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

from
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

[your] heart.
ψυχῆς (psychēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 5590: From psucho; breath, i.e. spirit, abstractly or concretely.


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NT Letters: Ephesians 6:6 Not in the way of service only (Ephes. Eph. Ep)
Ephesians 6:5
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