Service versus Subservience

1 Timothy 6:1-2   
1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. 2 And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

As we in Christ are now slaves to righteousness instead of slaves to sin, so actual slaves, whether willing or subjugated, were called to honor their masters.  This relates to us being subject to Christ and one another, so the parallel of obedience to honor God is seen here.  This is not to condone the type of cruel slavery in Egypt nor of the heinous form in the Americas, but simply a call in the past for serving as called until or unless freed.  The point here is not to give license to own and abuse others, but to honor and serve.  Paul goes on to say bondslaves are not to hate their masters who are fellow believers in Christ, but to serve that others are blessed in their service.  These things were not to be misused or glossed over, but strongly and actively taught in truth and love.  We are to submit to and serve each other, and this was a way to do this in that context of servants, not in other abhorrent forms of forced and abusive slavery we have seen throughout history.  The lesson is service, not subservience.