Topical Bible: Bondservants

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In biblical times, the term "bondservant" referred to an individual who was bound to serve a master for a specific period, often as a result of debt or poverty. The concept of bondservants is deeply rooted in the socio-economic and cultural contexts of ancient Israel and the broader Greco-Roman world. The Bible provides various insights into the lives, rights, and spiritual significance of bondservants, reflecting both the historical realities and the theological principles that underpin the Christian faith.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "servant" or "slave" is "ebed." The Mosaic Law provided specific regulations concerning the treatment of bondservants. For instance, Exodus 21:2-6 outlines the conditions under which a Hebrew servant might serve for six years and be released in the seventh year. If the servant chose to remain with his master, he could become a bondservant for life, signified by the piercing of his ear: "But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life" (Exodus 21:5-6).

The Year of Jubilee, described in Leviticus 25, also provided a mechanism for the release of bondservants, emphasizing the importance of freedom and restoration. The law underscored the dignity of individuals, even within the servitude system, and reminded the Israelites that they were ultimately servants of God: "For the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God" (Leviticus 25:55).

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the Greek term "doulos" is commonly translated as "servant" or "slave," and it appears frequently in the writings of the Apostles. The early Christian community included both free individuals and bondservants, reflecting the diverse social fabric of the Roman Empire. The Apostle Paul addressed bondservants directly in his epistles, providing guidance on how they should conduct themselves as followers of Christ.

In Ephesians 6:5-8, Paul instructs bondservants to obey their earthly masters with respect and sincerity, as they would obey Christ: "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ" (Ephesians 6:5). This exhortation highlights the spiritual dimension of servitude, where the ultimate allegiance of the believer is to the Lord, transcending earthly hierarchies.

Paul also emphasizes the equality of all believers in Christ, regardless of social status. In Galatians 3:28, he declares, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" . This radical message of unity and equality challenged the prevailing social norms and laid the groundwork for the eventual transformation of societal structures.

Spiritual Implications

The concept of being a bondservant is also used metaphorically in the New Testament to describe the believer's relationship with Christ. The Apostles often referred to themselves as "bondservants of Christ," signifying their total devotion and submission to the Lord's will. For example, Paul introduces himself in Romans 1:1 as "a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God" .

This metaphorical use underscores the Christian understanding of freedom and servitude. While believers are set free from the bondage of sin, they willingly become servants of righteousness, dedicated to serving God and others. This paradoxical freedom through servitude is a central theme in the Christian life, reflecting the example of Christ Himself, who "made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7).

Conclusion

The biblical portrayal of bondservants provides a rich tapestry of historical, social, and spiritual insights. While the institution of servitude in ancient times was complex and multifaceted, the Scriptures consistently affirm the inherent dignity of every individual and the transformative power of the Gospel to transcend and redeem human relationships. Through the lens of faith, the role of a bondservant becomes a profound expression of devotion and service to God, exemplifying the call to live as servants of Christ in a world longing for redemption and reconciliation.

Library

Whether the Old Law Set Forth Suitable Precepts About the Members ...
... written (Lev.25:39, seqq.): "If thy brother, constrained by poverty, sell himself
to thee, thou shalt not oppress him with the service of bondservants: but he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the old law set.htm

The Intimacy of Human Hearts in Christ
... Ver.1. +Paul and Timotheus, bondservants of Christ Jesus, to all the holy ones+
in union with +Christ Jesus who are living at Philippi, Overseers, Workers, and ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/moule/philippian studies/chapter ii the intimacy of.htm

Third Sunday after Easter
... well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 as free, and
not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/third sunday after easter.htm

The Epistles to the Corinthians.
... Let each man abide in that calling wherein he was called (7:20). Ye were
bought with a price; become not bondservants of men (7:23). ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 90 the epistles to.htm

The Title of the Book.
... It is His Apocalupsis which God gave Him the right or authority to show, make known,
or represent to his bondservants what must shortly come to pass. ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the title of the book.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... being free, is Christ's bondservant. Ye were bought with a price; become
not bondservants of men. Brethren, let each man, wherein ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

Second Sunday in Lent
... your freedom for an occasion to the flesh"; and Peter (1 Pet 2, 16), "As free, and
not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/luther/epistle sermons vol ii/second sunday in lent.htm

The Husbandmen
... of His special relationship to the Supreme. Others are bondservants or
husbandmen, but He is the Son. He does not inherit as the ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 11 1-12 the husbandmen.htm

Preaching (ii. ).
... [John 12:48.] We are the bondservants of an absolute Master, who is at once our
Sender and our Message, and who overhears our every word in its delivery. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/moule/to my younger brethren/chapter xi preaching ii.htm

Saint Helena and the Time of Constantine
... therein taught were no longer unknown to the rulers and chief men of paganism; the
faith was no longer the possession almost solely of bondservants and the ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/iv saint helena and the.htm

Thesaurus

Bondservants (39 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Bondservants (39 Occurrences). Matthew ... other. You
cannot be the bondservants both of God and of gold. (WEY). ...
/b/bondservants.htm - 18k

Bond-servants (12 Occurrences)
Bond-servants. Bondservants, Bond-servants. Bondservice . Multi-Version
Concordance Bond-servants (12 Occurrences). Acts 4:29 Now ...
/b/bond-servants.htm - 9k

Bondmaids (6 Occurrences)
... with ships, by the way of which I said to you, You shall see it no more again: and
there you shall sell yourselves to your enemies for bondservants and for ...
/b/bondmaids.htm - 8k

Surrender (18 Occurrences)
... Romans 6:16 Do you not know that if you surrender yourselves as bondservants to
obey any one, you become the bondservants of him whom you obey, whether the ...
/s/surrender.htm - 13k

Result (73 Occurrences)
... Romans 6:16 Do you not know that if you surrender yourselves as bondservants to
obey any one, you become the bondservants of him whom you obey, whether the ...
/r/result.htm - 27k

Slaves (119 Occurrences)
... Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you
became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were ...
/s/slaves.htm - 34k

Tyranny (4 Occurrences)
... crushed, (WEY). Romans 6:18 You were set free from the tyranny of Sin, and
became the bondservants of Righteousness-- (WEY). Romans 6 ...
/t/tyranny.htm - 7k

Enslaved (18 Occurrences)
... 2 Peter 2:19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of
corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him. ...
/e/enslaved.htm - 12k

Excuse (13 Occurrences)
... Only do not turn your freedom into an excuse for giving way to your lower natures;
but become bondservants to one another in a spirit of love. (WEY). ...
/e/excuse.htm - 11k

Levy (19 Occurrences)
... who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able
utterly to destroy, of them did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants to this day ...
/l/levy.htm - 13k

Resources

What is a bondservant / bond-servant? | GotQuestions.org

What is a vice? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean to be a servant of Christ? | GotQuestions.org

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Concordance

Bondservants (39 Occurrences)

Matthew 6:24
"No man can be the bondservant of two masters; for either he will dislike one and like the other, or he will attach himself to one and think slightingly of the other. You cannot be the bondservants both of God and of gold.
(WEY)

Matthew 25:14
"Why, it is like a man who, when going on his travels, called his bondservants and entrusted his property to their care.
(WEY)

Luke 16:13
"No servant can be in bondage to two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will cling fast to one and scorn the other. You cannot be bondservants both of God and of gold."
(WEY)

Acts 2:18
and even upon My bondservants, both men and women, at that time, I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
(WEY)

Acts 16:17
She kept following close behind Paul and the rest of us, crying aloud, "These men are the bondservants of the Most High God, and are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."
(WEY)

Romans 6:16
Do you not know that if you surrender yourselves as bondservants to obey any one, you become the bondservants of him whom you obey, whether the bondservants of Sin (with death as the result)
(WEY)

Romans 6:17
But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered.
(WEB)

Romans 6:18
Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.
(WEB WEY)

Romans 6:20
For when you were the bondservants of sin, you were under no sort of subjection to Righteousness.
(WEY)

Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from the tyranny of Sin, and have become the bondservants of God, you have your reward in being made holy, and you have the Life of the Ages as the final result.
(WEY)

Romans 16:18
For men of that stamp are not bondservants of Christ our Lord, but are slaves to their own appetites; and by their plausible words and their flattery they utterly deceive the minds of the simple.
(WEY)

1 Corinthians 7:23
You were bought with a price. Don't become bondservants of men.
(WEB ASV)

Galatians 5:13
You however, brethren, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an excuse for giving way to your lower natures; but become bondservants to one another in a spirit of love.
(WEY)

Ephesians 6:6
Let it not be in acts of eye-service as if you had but to please men, but as Christ's bondservants who are doing God's will from the heart.
(WEY)

Philippians 1:1
Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus: To all God's people in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the ministers of the Church and their assistants.
(WEY)

Colossians 3:24
For you know that it is from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. Christ is the Master whose bondservants you are.
(WEY)

1 Timothy 6:1
Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed.
(WEB)

1 Peter 2:16
as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.
(WEB WEY ASV)

2 Peter 2:19
promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.
(WEB ASV)

Revelation 6:11
And there was given to each of them a long white robe, and they were bidden to wait patiently for a short time longer, until the full number of their fellow bondservants should also complete--namely of their brethren who were soon to be killed just as they had been.
(WEY)

Revelation 7:3
saying, "Don't harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!"
(WEB WEY)

Revelation 11:18
The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
(WEB)

Revelation 19:2
True and just are His judgments, because He has judged the great Harlot who was corrupting the whole earth with her fornication, and He has taken vengeance for the blood of His bondservants which her hands have shed."
(WEY)

Revelation 19:5
And from the throne there came a voice which said, "Praise our God, all you His bondservants--you who fear Him, both the small and the great."
(WEY)

Revelation 22:6
He said to me, "These words are faithful and true. The Lord God of the spirits of the prophets sent his angel to show to his bondservants the things which must happen soon."
(WEB)

Genesis 44:9
With whoever of your servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondservants."
(WEB)

Genesis 44:16
Judah said, "What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord's bondservants, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found."
(WEB)

Deuteronomy 6:21
then you shall tell your son, "We were Pharaoh's bondservants in Egypt: and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;
(WEB)

Deuteronomy 28:68
Yahweh will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I said to you, You shall see it no more again: and there you shall sell yourselves to your enemies for bondservants and for bondmaids, and no man shall buy you.
(WEB)

Joshua 9:23
Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be bondservants, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God."
(WEB)

1 Kings 9:21
their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, of them did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants to this day.
(WEB JPS ASV)

1 Kings 9:22
But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondservants; but they were the men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.
(WEB JPS ASV)

2 Chronicles 8:8
of their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, of them did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants unto this day.
(ASV JPS)

2 Chronicles 28:10
Now you purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondservants and bondmaids for yourselves: but aren't there even with you trespasses of your own against Yahweh your God?
(WEB)

Ezra 9:9
For we are bondservants; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
(WEB)

Esther 7:4
For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondservants and bondmaids, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king's loss."
(WEB)

Jeremiah 25:14
For many nations and great kings shall make bondservants of them, even of them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.
(WEB)

Jeremiah 34:9
that every man should let his male servant, and every man his female servant, who is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that none should make bondservants of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.
(WEB)

Jeremiah 34:10
All the princes and all the people obeyed, who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his male servant, and everyone his female servant, go free, that none should make bondservants of them any more; they obeyed, and let them go:
(WEB)

Subtopics

Bondservants

Related Terms

Bond-servants (12 Occurrences)

Bondmaids (6 Occurrences)

Surrender (18 Occurrences)

Result (73 Occurrences)

Slaves (119 Occurrences)

Tyranny (4 Occurrences)

Enslaved (18 Occurrences)

Excuse (13 Occurrences)

Levy (19 Occurrences)