A slave is someone whose person and service belong wholly to another.Pastor-Teacher A slave is someone whose person and service belong wholly to another.The second packed phrase here is Doulos = “slave” When introducing himself to these Roman Christians, the first and most important thing Paul wants them to know is that he is a slave of Christ Jesus. This notion of a slave is very important in the Christian way of life. Paul, the free Roman citizen, writing to a community of Christians in Rome that included slaves, describes himself as a slave to Christ. Are you a slave to anything or anyone? As much as we may be shocked by it, the fact is that our Bible refers to slavery to depict one aspect of your relationship to the Lord. Unbelievers are slaves to sin. Rom 6:17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” Are believers slaves, or not? A person is either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ! Rom 6:22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. Freedom from one means freedom for the other. Salvation therefore is an exchange of yokes. 1Th 1:9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve [douleuo = to be a slave to!] a living and true God, We considered many different things that people put themselves in bondage to: appetites, substances, objects, other people, institutions, money, ideals, and idols. Whatever it is, or whoever it is, this one has a total hold over you. It holds the power. You bow to it. The question is only - Whose slave are you? 2Co 5:15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. The most convincing evidence that you truly possess freedom is your willingness to surrender it to achieve a more worthy goal. The Greek word for “bond-servant” in Phi 2:7 is doulos - a slave. Our Lord became a slave to free us from slavery to sin so that we might freely live as slaves to righteousness and slaves to Christ Jesus. doulos = a slave, bondman, man of servile condition. Metaphorically, one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will or dominion. It is used of apostles, as in Rom 1:1, Gal 1:10, Phi 1:1, 2Ti 2:24, Tit 1:1, Jam 1:1, 2Pe 1:1. doulos is also used of other preachers and teachers of the gospel, Col 4:12; 2Ti 2:24; Jud 1:1. It is used of the true worshippers of Christ in Eph 6:6. The Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, by Walter Bauer (edited and revised by Danker, Arndt and Gingrich - “BDAG”). Referring to the adjectival form, doulos means pertaining to being under someone’s total control; slavish. The masculine substantive form means a male slave as an entity in a socioeconomic context, a slave. There are many verses in the New Testament that use doulos to mean slave in relationship to a master. Mat 8:9 “For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Joh 13:16 “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.” Doulos is also used several times in the New Testament in contrast to a free person. One who is solely committed to another, a slave. The ancient perspective leads to this extended usage. Slaves are duty-bound only to their owners or masters, or those to whom total allegiance is pledged. In a pejorative sense, we see doulos employed to mean slaves to humans. 1Co 7:23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. There are slaves to sin. Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; There are slaves to lust and desire. There are slaves to the elemental spirits (false gods and idols). |