Roman law gave the slave owner absolute power and control.Pastor-Teacher Roman law gave the slave owner absolute power and control.“a slave of Christ Jesus” The Greek word doulos means “slave”. Point 1 was our Introduction: Whose slave are you? A person is either “sin” To live as Salvation, therefore, is an exchange of yokes. 1 Thess 1:9 2 Cor 5:15 The most convincing evidence that you truly possess freedom is your willingness to surrender it to achieve a more worthy goal. Our Lord became a slave Point 2 was the etymology of the Greek word doulos. doulos = a slave, bondman, man of servile condition. Metaphorically, one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will or dominion. The word is sometimes used in a literal sense, and other times in a figurative (metaphorical) sense. The New Testament often uses doulos the old sin nature (slaves of sin, lusts and pleasures) In a positive sense, doulos is used in the New Testament to illustrate the relationship of humans to God. doulos is used doulos is the The word designated one who was born as a slave, one who was bound to his master in chords 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 points out in his excellent book, Slave of Christ: A New Testament Metaphor for total devotion to Christ, that there are at least six other New Testament Greek words that may appropriately be rendered “servant”. A servant gives service to someone. A slave (literal or figurative) is someone whose person and service belong wholly to another. Subject to absolute ownership and control. Point 3 was on the subject of metaphor in the Bible. A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes one thing or experience in terms borrowed from another. Ps 119:105 1. The topic, the item that is being described by the image to follow. 2. The image, that is, the metaphorical part of the figure of speech. 3. The point of similarity, which explains in what particular aspect the image and the topic are similar. Ps 119:105 The word of God is the topic. It is best to limit the discussion to the one or two things that are clearly implied by the writer - especially when dealing with metaphor in the Bible. A good metaphor gives you an “Aha” moment when all of a sudden the full impact of the comparison hits you. You “get it”. God the Holy Spirit uses the metaphor of slavery as the image with points of similarity to believers in their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Points of similarity: Points of difference: Point 4 will be the Isagogics, examining Roman and also Greek slavery in the ancient world. We are going to learn about slavery in the Roman Empire of the First Century A.D. We look primarily to Roman Law to gain our understanding of what physical slavery was all about in the first century when Paul wrote his letter to the Christians at Rome. Greeks really loved freedom, and in fact saw having freedom as the very essence of being a citizen. A human being who by nature belongs not to himself but to another person. A human being belongs to another if he is an article of property as well as being a human being. An article of property is a tool used to assist some function and is separable from its owner. The slave must be represented by his master (or someone appointed by him). The slave, particularly the fugitive slave, is subject to seizure and arrest. The slave must do what his master orders. The slave cannot go or live where he wishes. The slave must be represented by his master (or someone appointed by him). The slave, particularly the fugitive slave, is subject to seizure and arrest. The slave must do what his master orders. The slave cannot go or live where he wishes. In the spiritual realm, we cannot be our own representative in legal matters, before the Supreme Court of Heaven. No, we have an advocate, and He is our Lord Jesus Christ. In the natural realm, the one who must do what his master orders is the slave. The gentle and kind Master, our Lord Jesus Christ, says that if we do what He commands us He no longer calls us slaves, but He calls us friends! Even though we are His slaves and He is our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ never compels us to act under orders or unwillingly. |