Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: Bondservant (34 Occurrences)

In Mark, the life of the disciple is presented as being essentially continuous with that of Jesus.

A disciple is one who is able to become a diakonos and a doulos, which come with following Jesus.

However, the disciples of Jesus in general and James and John in particular demonstrated a misunderstanding of discipleship when they made a request for seats of honor in Mk 10.35–42.

This article demonstrates through a social scientific reading of Mk 10.43–44 that Jesus’ teaching on diakonos and doulos is a call to true discipleship.

This shall be achieved by studying the literature review on Mk 10.35–45 as a point of departure.

The meaning of the words diakonos and doulos in Mk 10.43–44 shall be explained as part of exegesis on the text.

The purpose is to demonstrate that Jesus’ response to discipleship misconceptions is a call to true discipleship.

What does it mean to be a servant of Christ?

In many places in the New Testament, the apostle Paul refers to himself as “a servant of Jesus Christ” (e.g., Romans 1:1; Colossians 4:12; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 4:6).

The Lord’s half-brother Jude refers to himself in the same way (Jude 1:1).

Rather than capitalize on his close relationship to Jesus, Jude relegated himself to the status of a servant.

Jesus’ family, friends, and chosen apostles refer to themselves as His servants, the plain implication being that Jesus is Lord.

“Servant” is a translation of the Greek word doulos, which means more literally “a slave or bondservant, someone who sets aside all rights of his own to serve another.”

Because the word slave carries such a negative connotation to our modern sensitivities, we often choose the word servant instead.

However, servant does not quite capture the real meaning of doulos.

Paul said he was a “slave” to Christ.

In ancient times, slaves were purchased or born into a slave family and served the master until they died or until the master decided to free them.

Some slaves had developed such a close and loving relationship with the master’s family that they wanted to continue serving, even when they could go free.

That’s the idea Paul and others were conveying when they referred to themselves as servants of Christ.

The Lord has bought us with a high price (1 Corinthians 6:20), and those who come to know Him desire to abandon all rights to Him and choose to serve Him faithfully.

A servant of Christ knows who is the King.

A servant of Christ is one who has voluntarily set aside his or her personal rights in order to love, serve, and obey the will of God in Christ Jesus.

Servants of Christ die daily to sin and fleshly desires, allowing Christ’s life to flow through them (Galatians 2:20).

To be a servant of Christ is to seek His will in all things.

Our primary desire every day, as servants of Christ, is to honor and glorify the One who bought our freedom from sin (1 Corinthians 10:31).

This means we must die to ourselves (Luke 9:23), renounce our right to direct our own lives (Luke 6:46), and seek ways to bring our Master pleasure (Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 11:20).

Just as a master in ancient times took on the responsibility of caring for his bondservants, so our Lord says that He will provide all we need when we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19).

Our Master, Jesus, has given us instructions in His Word and expects those who profess His name to know them.

As we learn more, we do better.

Servants of Christ put into practice all they learn about pleasing their Lord.

While He has specific jobs for each of us according to the gifts and opportunities He provides, some requirements are universal for anyone called to be a servant of Christ:

All Born Slaves

Galatians 5:19 (NKJV)

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

Servants of Jesus

What is the difference between Slave and Servant?

• Many servants lived a life similar to that of slaves, but they were hopeful of freedom after the end of their contract.

• Obedience is the essence of slavery whereas service is the essence of servitude.

• Anyone offering his services is a servant whereas anyone offering obedience is a slave.

• A servant is free to work for the chosen master, whereas a slave is forced to work against his will.

Before the civil war broke out in America, it was common for people who were rich and for those who belonged to the upper classes of the society to keep slaves and servants.

The terms were used almost interchangeably, and this class of people could be bought or sold like personal property.

A man could inherit slaves like his other ancestral property.

However, despite similarities in servants and slaves, there were also differences that will be highlighted in this article.

Servant

The word servant in this article refers to domestic servants and the indentured servants that were very common in American colonies in the early years.

Poor people in African countries were provided free travel to the American colonies, and they had to work for 4-7 years for the masters who bought them before they could get freedom.

Such servants had to work hard for their masters for the duration of their contracts but were eventually free.

This class of people consisted of the poor, the homeless, kidnapped, and orphaned children.

They agreed to work for the master they were sold to for the duration of their contract and agreed to food, clothing, and shelter in return.

They could be sold by their masters to another person.

They received poor housing and food and many perished during servitude as they were given harsh penalties on transgression.

is that servant is one who is hired to perform regular household or other duties, and receives compensation as opposed to a slave while bondservant is an indentured servant.Indentured Servants

Leviticus 25:39 And if thy brother be waxed poor with thee, and sell himself unto thee; thou shalt not make him to serve as a bond-servant.

... 1 Corinthians 7:22 For he that was called in the Lord being a bondservant, is the

Lord's freedman: likewise he that was called being free, is Christ's ...

1401.

doulos -- a slave

... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition a slave NASB Word Usage bond-servant

(11), bond-servants (12), bondslave (3), bondslaves (8), both men and women ...

Strong's Hebrew 5650.

ebed -- slave, servant

... bondage, bondman, bondservant, manservant.

From abad; a servant -- X bondage, bondman,

(bond-)servant, (man-)servant.

see HEBREW abad.

<< 5649, 5650.

ebed.

5651 ...

/hebrew/5650.htm

- 6k

Bond Servants

A bondservant is a slave.

In some Bibles the word bondservant is the translation of the Greek word doulos, which means “one who is subservient to, and entirely at the disposal of, his master; a slave.”

Other translations use the word slave or servant.

In Roman times, the term bondservant or slave could refer to someone who voluntarily served others.

But it usually referred to one who was held in a permanent position of servitude.

Under Roman law, a bondservant was considered the owner’s personal property.

Slaves essentially had no rights and could even be killed with impunity by their owners.

The Hebrew word for “bondservant,” ‘ebed, had a similar connotation.

However, the Mosaic Law allowed an indentured servant to become a bondservant voluntarily: “If the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges.

He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl.

Then he will be his servant for life” (Exodus 21:5-6).

Many prominent men of the Old Testament were referred to as servants.

God spoke of Abraham as His servant (Genesis 26:24; Numbers 12:7).

Joshua is called the servant of the Lord (Joshua 24:29), as are David (2 Samuel 7:5) and Isaiah (Isaiah 20:3).

Even the Messiah is called God’s Servant (Isaiah 53:11).

In all of these instances, the term servant carries the idea of humble nobility.

Being God’s servant is an honorable position.

During the time of Jesus and the first-century church, as much as one third of the Roman population were slaves, and another third had been slaves earlier in life.

It was common for freeborn men and women to work side-by-side with slaves as street sweepers, dockworkers, doctors, teachers, and business managers.

Convicted criminals became bondservants of the state and usually died working in the mines or on galleys.

Historical records reveal that it was not unusual for Jews to own slaves during the New Testament period.

Because slavery was a familiar part of the culture, Jesus sometimes referred to slaves and owners in His parables (e.g., Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 12:41-48).

Also, Jesus taught that the greatest in God’s kingdom would have to become “the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

Such a concept was unthinkable to a Roman citizen, who prided himself in his freedom and would never identify himself as a bondservant.

But Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), and the selfish values of earth are of no consequence in heaven.

Throughout the New Testament, the word bondservant, slave, or servant is applied metaphorically to someone absolutely devoted to Jesus.

Paul, Timothy, James, Peter, and Jude all describe themselves as “bondservants of Christ” (Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1, NKJV).

Believers today should still consider themselves bondservants or slaves of Christ (1 Corinthians 7:22; Ephesians 6:6; 2 Timothy 2:24).

He is our Lord, and our allegiance is due to Him alone.

As bondservants, we renounce other masters (Matthew 6:24) and give ourselves totally to Him (Matthew 16:24).