Image: Leaf raking at CRBC last Saturday (11.14.15)
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (Romans 1:1).
Ye are bought with a price; be not
ye the servants of men (1 Corinthians 7:23).
One of the frequent titles that the inspired NT authors use
to describe themselves is “servant” (so Paul in Rom 1:1; Gal 1:10; Titus 1:10;
James in James 1:1; Peter in 1 Peter 2:1; and Jude in Jude 1:1). The Greek word rendered “servant” in these
passages is doulos. It is perhaps better rendered as
“slave.” A Christian is a slave of
Christ. Related to this term designating
believers is the title of Lord (kurios)
or “master” to refer to Christ.
Slavery in the ancient world was a different institution than
that which existed in the American South.
In the ancient world, slaves could not only serve in menial tasks but
also in positions of authority as managers, physicians, and teachers. Many came into slavery as the result of
war. A person could also sell himself
into slavery to settle debts. Some
could actually improve their circumstances in life by becoming slaves, provided
they had a master who would be kind and generous. In the right circumstances, some slaves could
also save enough money to purchase their freedom.
In a book on the life and teaching of the apostle Paul,
Anthony C. Thiselton provides this helpful discussion:
What did being a slave imply in the
world of Paul’s day? At one extreme, a
slave was regarded as a ‘thing’ (Latin, res), or as a property. Many slave owners or ‘lords’ were harsh and
treated their slaves ruthlessly as their personal property, to do with as they
wished. At the other extreme, however,
many Stoics, ‘God-fearers,’ and other ‘good’ pagans could be humane, and employ
literate or numerate slaves to manage their estates or their businesses while
they indulged in city-politics, personal pleasures, or other interests. If a slave had a ‘good’ master, slavery could
be attractive. It was possible to rise
high, and to earn enough pocket money to begin life again as an honoured
freedman or freedwoman, perhaps in one’s thirties. For this reason some who fell on hard times
sold themselves into slavery, alongside prisoners captured in war, or people
who had committed crimes. Everything
depended on who the lord or master would be.
If they were fortunate, the master’s name and reputation would guarantee
them a better status or higher security
against thieves and kidnappers than ever they could have had as poor freemen,
left to rely on their own resources.
Paul sees Christ as the most
generous, loving, and kind of all masters or lords at whose disposal it was possible to be. With Christ as his Lord, a Christian no
longer worried about himself. Even if he
were to die, his wife and children would remain the responsibility of his Lord….
Coming to faith means being freed from unwanted bondage to evil powers
beyond one’s control, to enter into ‘belonging’ to Jesus Christ…. (The Living Paul, pp. 38-39).
May we understand that we now belong to Christ. He is our good and faithful master who is
able to provide for us beyond all that we can ask or imagine.
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
Nice post. Thanks for writing.
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