A BONDSLAVE OF JESUS CHRIST
July 2022
On three occasions the apostle Paul shockingly describes himself as a SLAVE of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, and Titus 1:1).
The word he used was doulos which although it is often translated as ‘servant’ has only one true historical option for accurate translation into English, which is slave.
There was no such thing as servants in the Roman Empire in New Testament times. Why pay a servant when you can buy a slave? – who will be available 24 hours a day - for LIFE!
The word for servant in Greek is diákonos – deacon. Paul never used that word to describe himself but he did use the word doulos - SLAVE.
He lived in a day and age when slavery was a way of life for millions of people. Many slaves had become Christians and many Christians were slave owners at the time.
When we think of slavery, we possibly remember movies we have seen with thousands of slaves chained together on a ship having to row together even though they were exhausted – many died in the process.
Or we think of men, women, and children working in the blazing heat of the cotton fields in the Southern states of America being abused and ill-treated by their masters.
Or we think of the Children of Israel working in terrible heat making bricks for Pharaoh’s great building projects, being whipped for not working hard enough.
Or we think of the slave market where people were lined up waiting for someone to buy them, not knowing where they would end up and what sort of master they would have.
All these things are correct – they really happened. How could human beings do such things to each other? - and yet the same things are happening in different ways today.
In Rome itself, one in three people were slaves in Paul’s day. How did people become slaves?
Millions were slaves because they were born into slavery - their parents were slaves. Others had been kidnapped by slave traders, or they were prisoners of war. Others sold themselves into slavery just to survive because they were so poor, or because they were in terrible debt.
Some slaves were well educated – better in some cases than their masters! Doctors, lawyers, administrators, and craftsmen could end up being slaves because of debt. When a rich man wanted a teacher for his children, he would buy a slave who could do the job, and that way the teacher was available at all times and for many years.
Once you were a slave you were a slave for life – there was no way out. In theory, it was possible to be set free or bought out of slavery, but that was very rare. The only other way to be free was to run away but that was very dangerous because if a runaway slave was found they could be put to death.
So when Paul said “I’m a slave of Jesus Christ,” he knew what he meant and those who read his letters knew what he meant too!
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• Your life was not your own – it belonged to someone else
• You were not free to do what you wanted to do
• You were not free to go where you wanted to go
• You HAD to do what your master wanted
• You had no choice but to obey
Being a slave was not always negative - there were some good things - being a slave meant:
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• Someone wanted you
• Someone had PAID A PRICE for you - They paid what they thought you were worth!
• Because you were their property:
o They looked after you
o They protected you – no one else could have you
o They gave you a home – you were not living on the street
o They fed and clothed you In the end, a slave could become part of the family.
So being a slave was not necessarily a bad thing.
It all depended on WHO was your master. If your owner was bad, it could be a terrible life but if they were decent human beings, it could be a happy and secure way of life.
We see this possibility in the Old Testament. It was against the law for a Hebrew to be sold into slavery for life to another Jew but if someone was poor or in debt they could be bought by another Jew and serve for six years.
Then in the 7th year, he and his wife and children had to be set free with enough provisions to set up a home and live freely for the rest of their lives. However, if a man had been given a wife by his master the woman and any children were the property of the master and only the man could be set free. If the man was happy to stay, he could choose to be a willing bondslave for the rest of his life (Exodus 21:2-6).
When the apostle Paul said ‘I am a slave of Jesus Christ’ he meant he was a willing bondslave for life.
He knew the price that Jesus had paid. A master only pays what he thinks a slave is worth – We are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20) - Jesus paid for us with his own precious blood – his perfect, sinless, spotless life. THAT’S WHAT WE ARE WORTH TO HIM!
Like the apostle Paul, I can gladly be a slave to someone like that!!!
To be a bondslave of Jesus Christ means we are not our own, it means we belong to Him – but what a privilege is that?!
It means I am NOT FREE to do what I WANT – unless it’s what He wants – but what He wants is ALWAYS BEST!
The Church of England (Anglican) Prayer book has this very true statement:
“WHOM TO SERVE IS PERFECT FREEDOM”
Actually, we are all slaves of someone - either the devil or the Lord.
Bob Dylan who is of Jewish descent, was ‘converted to evangelical Christianity’ in the late 1970s and did a three-month discipleship course with the Vineyard fellowship.
He then wrote a number of outstanding songs and recorded three Christian albums.
One of those songs was “Gotta serve somebody” for which he won a Grammy award.
The lyrics include these lines: “You're gonna have to serve somebody Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve somebody...”
John Lennon was very cross about these words and said, “I serve myself” and wrote a song with terrible lyrics in response called “Serve yourself.” A few months later Lennon was dead…
To serve the Lord means working hard for Him.
Some years ago when I was leading a church, I was working hard doing many things and I was tired. I came to a point where there were things, I had to do that I would rather not have to do - but that is what the ministry is all about! I got so frustrated that at one point I said to my wife “I’m just a slave for this church.”
Then I stopped and remembered – yes, I am a slave – not to the church - I could resign at any time (but didn’t) - I’m a slave of Jesus Christ and I had to repent.
In his letter to the Philippians where Paul says “I am a slave of Jesus Christ,” he says: “Let your attitude be identical to that of Christ Jesus. Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself… taking the form of a SLAVE (doulos)… Jesus became a slave for us.
How shocking is that?
Jesus was a slave of God first and then us.
He did not come “to be served but to serve and give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
He does not ask us to do anything that he has not done Himself. That is the sign of a good leader by the way!
Furthermore, Jesus does not treat me like a slave – but like a son.
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He doesn’t force us to do things. He doesn’t USE us – He INCLUDES us in His wonderful plan!
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That is His attitude towards us... Surely in response to that, our attitude should be…
“My life does not belong to me anymore,
I am a willing bondslave of Jesus Christ."
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