How the Bible uses metaphor to teach truth.

Pastor-Teacher
John Farley
Wednesday,
December 9, 2009

How the Bible uses metaphor to teach truth.

“a slave of Christ Jesus”

Doulos = “slave”

doulos = a slave, bondman, man of servile condition. Metaphorically, one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will or dominion.

There are many verses in the New Testament that use doulos to mean slave in relationship to a master.

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.

The New Testament often uses doulos in a figurative, metaphorical manner, and does so in both a pejorative (negative) sense and a positive sense.

(1) the old sin nature (slaves of sin, lusts and pleasures)
(2) the cosmic system (slaves of men, slaves of corruption)
(3) the kingdom of darkness (slaves to the elemental spirits)

In a positive sense, doulos is used in the New Testament to illustrate the relationship of humans to God.

doulos is used for the apostles having Christ as master.

Doulos designated one who was born as a slave, one who was bound to his master in cords so strong that only death could break them, one who served his master to the disregard of his own interests, one whose will was swallowed up in the will of his master.

Murray Harris - Slave of Christ: A New Testament Metaphor for Total Devotion to Christ -
There are at least six other New Testament Greek words that may appropriately be rendered “servant.”

A servant gives service to someone.
A slave belongs to someone.

A slave (literal or figurative) is someone whose person and service belong wholly to another.

Subject to absolute ownership and control.
Absence of freedom to choose action [operational] or movement [geographical].

Rom 6:18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

amartia

Kittel -
hamartia =
(1) individual acts of sin
(2) the old sin nature that is hostile to God
(3) personified sin

In Romans 6 hamartia, in the singular with the definite article, refers to sin as a principle and power that exercises dominion over men.

It refers to that nature, power, and principle which is hostile to God. It is that which challenges the reign or rule of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ came to restore the rightful rulership and Lordship of His Father over His creation.

To live as the slave of Christ Jesus is to submit to and honor the rightful authority in your life and in the universe!

Doulos appears 126 times in the New Testament. The most derogatory word that the Greeks had to denote a slave appears a lot in the pages of the New Testament.

The word is sometimes used in a literal sense, and other times in a figurative (metaphorical) sense.

There is a third sense in which it is used, and this is peculiar to the parables of Jesus.

On the surface, it can be taken literally, but to the spiritually empowered there is a figurative, spiritual meaning behind it.

Slaves figure in no fewer than thirteen of the parables of Jesus.

Our Lord had complete control over the images He used in His parables. He is intentionally comparing Himself to the owner of slaves, and comparing the believers to the slaves.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes one thing or experience in terms borrowed from another.

Psa 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

First, there is the topic, the item that is being described by the image to follow.

Second, then, there is the image, that is, the metaphorical part of the figure of speech.

First, there is the topic, the item that is being described by the image to follow.

Second, then, there is the image, that is, the metaphorical part of the figure of speech.

Third, there is the point of similarity, which explains in what particular aspect the image and the topic are similar.

Psa 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

What is the topic? The word of God is the topic.

What is the image? The image is light.

What is the point of similarity? Light makes it possible to see things that would otherwise be hidden.

What is the topic? The believer...you are the topic.

What is the image? The image is salt.

What is the point of similarity? Salt is a preservative. Salt makes you thirsty. Salt provides flavor.


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