The verse in Greek continues without a break from verse 7 as follows: “knowing that each one, if he has done anything good, will receive this from the Lord.” See the parallel statement in Colossians 3.24-25.

The verb Remember does not imply in this context that people have necessarily forgotten anything. The emphasis is upon the fact that people should fully recognize something. Therefore Remember may often be translated as “You may be sure that.”

In some languages it may be useful to restructure the order of elements in verse 8 by placing the phrase whether slave or free as an introductory clause. This also assists in the transition from verse 7, for example, “Whether or not you are a slave, you may be sure that the Lord will reward you for the good work you do.” It is also possible to use a third person reference, for example, “Whether a person is a slave or not a slave, he can be sure that the Lord will reward him for the good work he does” or “… for working well.”

The writer speaks of reciprocity: the good that one does is returned in kind, or in the same manner, by the Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul says in Colossians 3.24-25, there is no discrimination; God is not guilty of favoritism. In the Colossians passage Paul writes of both good and evil actions; here the writer speaks only of good actions.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .