What is a Bondservant and why does it Matter?
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body-1st Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV
The Bible is our go-to for understanding God, our faith and how to live out our faith in a way that glorifies God in this world.
However.
Understanding the Bible is often complicated by the reality that the New Testament writers frequently referenced cultural practices completely foreign to the average Joe and Jane Christian. Our ignorance of those everyday cultural practices can leave some gaps in our understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
There is possibly no better example of this than the term bondservant.
The Greek word for bondservant (doulos) is used twenty-eight times in the New Testament (NASB translation). In all but one of those references (Philippians 2:7) the word bondservant is either used to describe followers of Jesus, or it is the word a follower of Jesus used to identify and describe themselves (Luke 1:38-48, Romans 1:1, Jude 1:1, James 1:1, 2nd Peter 1:1). All the Testament writers, without exception, taught that all Christians, are by their very nature, bondservants of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:17, 1st Peter 2:16, 1st Corinthians 6:19-20, Revelation 1:1, Revelation 11:18).
Okay, so, here’s the thing:
Our understanding of this one little concept is critical to grasping what it really means to be a Christian—no matter the era or culture. A lack of knowledge in this one little area will leave some big gaps in our understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Some of those gaps could prove fatal. Seriously. It’s that big a deal.
A bondservant and a servant were not the same thing. The Greek word for servant is diakonos. A dikonos was simply someone who served. A diakonos could be slave but it was more common for them to be a free person. In the New Testament diakonos described a man or woman who worked in the church, usually in an official capacity such as a deacon or a deaconess (Acts 6:1-6, Romans 16:1, Philippians 1:1, 1st Timothy 3:10).
On the other hand:
A bondservant was a slave by choice. The sold themselves for a price and in exchange for that price the bondservant forfeited all of their rights.
All of them.
A bondservant could not purchase property, get married or even do something as basic as leave for the evening, without the explicit consent of their master. A bondservant placed every aspect of their lives in the hands of the person they sold themselves to. The master had all the power in the relationship and they were legally bound by their choice for the rest of their lives.
So:
Why on earth would anyone choose to become a bondservant?
Ultimately, bondservants chose to become bondservants because they believed, after weighing all their options, living life as a bondservant would better for them in every way than running their own life and living as a freeperson. The bond-servant trusted their master to do right by them, usually because the master displayed stellar character and had an outstanding reputation.
Nonetheless
The life of a bondservant was far from easy. A bondservant was a still a slave. By definition their choices were not their own. Bond-servants didn’t debate the rightness or wrongness of the orders given by their master. They were bought at a price, therefore they did what they were told.
So, what does this mean for Christians?
Well.
First and foremost, it means we have the best Master ever (Psalm 84:11, John 3:16, 1st John 4:10-12, Ephesians 2:4-8). We have a Master who literally died for the sake of every single one of His servants (Romans 5:5-8, 1stCorinthians 15:33). We have a Master who loves all of His servants as individuals. It means we have a Master who not only wants what’s best for those who serve Him. He also knows exactly what’s best for His people.
It also means your life is not your own.
You forfeited your rights in exchange for your salvation. As a bond-servant of the Lord Jesus Christ you do what God’s word instructs you do (Luke 11:28). When you realize you’ve sinned. You stop. Because your Master calls you to be holy just as He is holy (Romans 1:7, Ephesians 5:3, 1st Peter 1:15-16). If He wants you to love someone. You love them. Because you are called by your Master to love as He loves 1st Corinthians 13, John 13:34-35, Ephesians 4:2). If your Master wants you to forgive a jerk who hurt you. You forgive. Because you are commanded by your Master to forgive as He forgave you (Matthew 18:21-35). If He wants you to lay down your pride at the altar and ask someone for forgiveness. You do it. Because you are called to a life of humble service to Him (Romans 12:3, James 4:10, Luke 14:11)
Being a bond-servant of Jesus Christ means you are obligated to do what your Master wants to do and if your desires are in conflict with His commands, He wins. Every. Single. Time.
That being said:
Being a bond-servant also means, that if we are faithful to our Master, if we carry out His orders. If we allow ourselves to be molded into the image of Jesus, our reward will be beyond anything we can even imagine (Hebrews 10:35, Matthew 25:21, 2nd Corinthians 3:18).
