In the original Greek language, the book of Philippians begins this way:  Παῦλος καὶ Τιμόθεος δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Translated literally into English, that means, “Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.” Isn’t it interesting that Apostle Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would use that word “slave’ (δοῦλος in the Greek) to describe himself and his associate? The word slave is so offensive to our modern sensibilities. It’s fraught with stigma from our history.

For that reason, Bible translators often try to soften that word by translating δοῦλος as “servant” or “bond-servant,” but there are other words for “servant” and there’s no Greek equivalent for “bond-servant.” No, out of the 150 times or so that δοῦλος is used in the Testament, it only means slave and always means slave. Beloved, we must to be faithful to the intent of the revealed biblical text and let God say what God said.

So, Paul, without remorse or apology, declares that as Christians, he and Timothy are slaves of Christ Jesus. That means that I am a slave of Jesus Christ. And if you are a Christian, so are you. Although there are many metaphors for our relationship with Christ, the metaphor of slave and master is an appropriate one. Jesus bought us with a high price, His own blood. We are His possession. He has total rights over us. And we are to work for Him.

You might be thinking, “But I thought slavery was bad?” It certainly can be, and it was in America, but it’s not bad when your master is Jesus. You see, slavery to Christ is where real freedom and real joy is found. When you are a slave to Christ, you have a master who is not just good, but perfectly good, loving, and just. It is a blessing to under Him. And as slaves of Christ, the purpose of our lives is maximized as we live for the good and glory of God. There is no great pursuit to give your life to.

So, Christians are joyfully slaves to Christ Jesus. May our lives reflect that reality as we live for our Master.

Change begins in you!