Paul used one word to introduce himself that most English Bibles mistranslate. And what it actually means changes everything about what it means to follow Jesus.
The word is doulos. Most translations soften it to servant. But doulos does not mean servant.
In the ancient world a servant had rights. A servant could quit. A doulos was owned. Everything he had. Every hour of every day belonged entirely to the one who owned him.
Romans 1:1 — Paul a doulos of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:1 — Paul and Timothy doulos of Christ Jesus. Titus 1:1 — Paul a doulos of God.
Not a working relationship. A total transfer of ownership.
Romans 6:16. Two kinds of doulos. A doulos of sin or a doulos of righteousness. No third option. The only question is who owns you.
The doulos of God is the only truly free person alive. Because the one who owns him is the only master whose will is better than your own.
Paul did not call himself a servant. He called himself owned. The question is not whether you serve God. It is whether you belong to him.
📖 Romans 1:1
📖 Romans 6:16
📖 Romans 6:22
📖 Galatians 1:10
No comments:
Post a Comment