Sunday, January 20, 2013

CHRISTian -- SLAVE of CHRIST JESUS (Essay 1)


This letter is from Paul, a slave of CHRIST JESUS, chosen by GOD to be an apostle, and sent out to preach His Good News.  (Romans 1:1, NLT)

This letter is from Paul and Timothyslaves of CHRIST JESUS. (Philippians 1:1, NLT)

This letter is from Paul, a slave of GOD and an apostle of JESUS CHRIST.  (Titus 1:1, NLT)

This letter is from James, a slave of GOD and of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  (James 1:1, NLT)

This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of JESUS CHRIST.  (2 Peter 1:1, NLT)

This letter is from Jude, a slave of JESUS CHRIST and a brother of James.  (Jude 1:1, NLT)

Epaphras, who is one of you, a slave of CHRIST JESUS, greets you.  (Colossians 4:12, HCSB)

For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or GOD? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of CHRIST. (Galatians 1:10, HCSB)

No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of GOD and of money. (Matthew 6:24, HCSB)

And remember, if you were a slave when the LORD called you, you are now free in the LORD. And if you were free when the LORD called you, you are now a slave of CHRIST.  (1 Corinthians 7:22, NLT)

As GOD’s slaves, live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.
(1 Peter 2:16, HCSB)

For he who is called by the LORD as a slave is the LORD’s freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is CHRIST’s slave.
(1 Corinthians 7:22, HCSB)

I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him.  (John 13:16, HCSB)

Though He (JESUS) was GOD, He did not think of equality with GOD as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled himself in obedience to GOD and died a criminal's death on a cross.   Therefore, GOD elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD, to the glory of GOD the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11, NLT)

The revelation of JESUS CHRIST that GOD gave Him to show His slaves what must quickly take place. He sent it and signified it through His angel to His slaveJohn... (Revelation 1:1, HCSB)

The apostles Paul, Peter, and John called themselves slaves of CHRIST JESUS; so did Timothy, Epaphras, and the half-brothers of JESUS, James and Jude. 

Even the virgin Mary, mother of JESUS, called herself a slave.  "I am the LORD's slave," said Mary. "May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38, HCSB)

JESUS Himself, who existing in the form of GOD, assumed the form of a slave(Philippians 2:7, HCSB)

The word "doulos" (Greek for "slave") occurs 124 times in the original Greek translation of the New Testament (Murray J. Harris, Slave of CHRIST). Only two English translations of the Bible consistently translates "doulos" as "slave" -- E.J. Goodspeed's The New Testament: An American Translation, and the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

If you were to cross out the word "servant", or "bond-servant" and write in "slave" wherever it occurred in your Bible (unless you were using the two translations noted above) -- and after reading through the whole New Testament, would you still call yourself CHRISTian?

To be a CHRISTian is to be a slave of CHRIST.  Radical CHRISTianity is living the normal life of slavery to JESUS CHRIST.  So --

Who do you think you are?  Who do i think i am?

i am a slave of CHRIST.  JESUS is my LORD.

2 comments:

  1. Today, i learned of another SLAVE OF CHRIST -- the virgin Mary, mother of our LORD JESUS. In the Holman CHRISTian Standard Bible translation, "doulos" is correctly translated as "slave," not "maidservant." (Luke 1:38)

    The metaphor of being a slave of CHRIST explains and defines a CHRISTians identity. i embrace this identity of being a slave of CHRIST as part of my IN CHRISTness.

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  2. TEN years later... a resounding, JOY-full AMEN!

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