What Word Was Wuest Working With? bondslave doúlos δοῦλος

8. A Pauline Paradox and Its Solution

50 THE Greek inscriptions show that many technical terms in pagan religions and in governmental circles of the first century A.D., are also found in the terminology of Christianity. For instance, the expression, "slave of the emperor," was in current use. There were imperial slaves all over the Roman world. This throws light upon Paul's claim to be a "bondslave of Jesus Christ" (Rom. 1:1), the word "servant" coming from a Greek word literally meaning "bondslave," the same Greek word being used in the inscriptions. Paul knew of this custom. The lord emperor was not only revered as a human ruler but also worshipped as a god. When Paul wrote these words to the Christians in the imperial city, he must have been conscious of the imperialistic challenge of Christianity proclaiming a Saviour whose bondslave he was, and who some day would come to displace the imperialism of Rome. Paul was some day to stand before Nero, not as a bondslave of the lord emperor, but as a bondslave of the King of kings, the One who came from the royal line of David.
Another such technical expression is found in 1 Corinthians 7:22, "the Lord's freeman." The title, "freedman of the emperor," is found frequently in the Greek inscriptions of the first century.
To be a bondslave of the emperor, was a position of servitude with a certain degree of honor attached to it, but to be51 the emperor's freeman, meant that the bondslave was liberated from that servitude and promoted to a position of a free man, which was a higher station. Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:22 says that the Christian is both the bondslave and the freeman of the Lord. How can he be both at the same time? The beautiful story can be told in three Greek words translated "bought" and "redeemed."
The first word means "to buy in the market place." It was used of the purchase of slaves. Sinners are bondslaves of Satan and sin (Rom. 6:17, 18; Eph. 2:2) We were purchased in the slave market, the price paid, the precious blood of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 6:20 uses this word. We were bondslaves of Satan, and we became bondslaves of Jesus Christ. A slave cannot say that he belongs to himself, but to his master. We belong to Christ. The word is also used in 2 Peter 2:1, where false teachers who deny the Lord who purchased them in the slave market, refuse to avail themselves of the high privilege of becoming His bondslaves. In Revelation 5:9, the saints in heaven are singing a song which speaks of the Lamb who bought them in the slave market to become His own bondslaves. Thus, Paul tells his readers that those who have put their trust in Jesus as Saviour, were purchased in the slave market, and are bondslaves of the coming King of kings (1 Cor. 7:22, 23).
We are told in the same passage (1 Cor. 7:22) that we are also the Lord's freemen. This brings us to the other words translated "redeemed." One means "to buy out of the market place." Galatians 3:13, which uses this word, tells us that we were purchased in the slave-market, but in such a way that while we are bondslaves of the purchaser, the Lord Jesus, we are never again to be put up for sale in any slave market. We have been bought out of the slave market. This means that we are bondslaves of the Lord Jesus forever. He will never sell us or permit us to be sold52 as slaves to anyone else. A bondslave of Jesus Christ never becomes a bondslave of Satan again.
The other word translated "redeemed" means "to release or liberate by payment of a ransom," and is used in 1 Peter 1:18; Titus 2:14. The noun having the same root means "ransom money used to liberate a slave." After our blessed Lord buys us in the slave market, the ransom money being His own precious blood, we become His private property. We are His bondslaves. Then He so arranges the details of the purchase that we will never be put up for sale in any slave market. He buys us out of the slave market. Then He sets us free. We are freemen, freed from the guilt, penalty, and power of sin, some day to be freed from the presence of sin. We are liberated from all that, so that we might realize in our lives that for which we were created, namely, to glorify God. It is the old story of the caged eagle, liberated to fly again in the pure air of the mountain tops. But how can we be His bondslaves and His freemen at the same time? After we have been purchased as His bondslaves, and have been liberated from our old master Satan, out of pure gratefulness of heart we say to our Lord, "Lord Jesus, we want to serve Thee as Thy bondslaves forever." Our position as His bondslaves is not one of compulsion, but of free will energized by an imparted divine nature and a supernaturally imparted love. Therefore, we are His bondslaves and His freemen at the same time, a thing impossible in the case of earthly slaves. Thus is solved one of the delightful paradoxes of Holy Scripture.

• Wuest, Kenneth S. Volume 3. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1973. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 

Complete Word Study Dictionary, The

δοῦλος

δοῦλος [See Stg: <G1401>]

doúlos; gen. doúlou, masc. noun. A slave, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other (Matt. 8:9; 20:27; 24:45, 46). Generally one serving, bound to serve, in bondage (Rom. 6:16, 17).

(I) A slave, servant, spoken of involuntary service, e.g., a slave as  opposed to a free man (eleútheros <G1658>; 1 Cor. 7:21; Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11; Rev. 6:15). Also generally a servant (Matt. 13:27,  28; John 4:51; Acts 2:18; Eph. 6:5; 1 Tim. 6:1; Sept.: Lev. 25:44; Josh. 9:23; Judg. 6:27). In Phil. 2:7, having taken "the form of a servant," means appearing in a humble and despised condition.

(II) Metaphorically spoken of voluntary service, a servant, implying obedience, devotion (John 15:15; Rom. 6:16). Implying modesty (2 Cor. 4:5); in praise of modesty (Matt. 20:27; Mark 10:44). Spoken of the true followers and worshipers of God, e.g., a servant of God, either of agents sent from God, as Moses (Rev. 15:3; see Josh. 1:1) or prophets (Rev. 10:7; 11:18; Sept.: Josh. 24:29; Jer. 7:25), or simply of the worshipers of God (Rev. 2:20; 7:3; 19:5; Sept.: Ps. 34:22; 134:1); the followers and ministers of484 Christ (Eph. 6:6; 2 Tim. 2:24); especially applied to the Apostles (Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10; 2 Pet. 1:1; Jude 1:1). Used instead of the personal pron. in the oriental style of addressing a superior (Luke 2:29; Acts 4:29; Sept.: 1 Sam. 3:9, 10; Ps. 19:12). In respect of things, one such as the servant of sin who indulges in or is addicted to something (John 8:34; Rom. 6:16, 17; 2 Pet. 2:19).

(III) In the sense of minister, attendant, spoken of the officers of an oriental court (Matt. 18:23, 26-28, 32; 22:3, 4, 6, 8, 10).

Deriv.: doulagōgéō <G1396>, to be a slave driver; douleúō <G1398>, to be a slave to, to serve; doulóō <G1402>, to make a slave or bring someone into slavery; súndoulos <G4889>, fellow slave.

Syn.: diákonos <G1249>, a deacon, servant, minister; país <G3816>, literally "a child," but also an attendant, servant; oikétēs <G3610>, a house servant; hupērétēs <G5257>, a servant; therápōn <G2324>, a healer who also cares, an attendant servant; místhios <G3407> and misthōtós <G3411>, a hired servant.

Ant.: hodēgós <G3595>, a leader on the way, a guide; kúrios <G2962>, lord, master; despótēs <G1203>, despot, an absolute ruler; proístámenos (the mid. part. of proístēmi <G4291>), to stand before or in rank above, person ranking ahead or above; oikodespótēs <G3617>, householder, head of a family or master of the house; eleútheros <G1658>, a free man; dunástēs <G1413>, ruler, potentate.

1

• Zodhiates, Spiros. New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1993. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon

δουλος, 1399



δουλος <G1399>, δουλη, δουλον (derived by most from δεω, to tie, bind; 158by some from ΔΕΛΩ, to ensnare, capture ((?) others besides; cf. Vanicek, p. 322)); “serving, subject to”: παρεστησατε τα μελη ὑμωνδουλα τη ακαθαρσια, Romans 6:19. Then substantively, ἡδουλη, “a female slave, bondmaid, handmaid”: του Θεου, του κυριου, one who worships God and submits to him, Acts 2:18 (from Joel 2:29 (Joel 3:2)); Luke 1:38,48. ὁδουλος, the Septuagint for ‏עֶבֶד‎;





1. “a slave, bondman, man of servile condition”;





a. properly: opposed to ελευθερος, 1 Corinthians 7:21; 12:13; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 6:8; Colossians 3:11; Revelation 6:15; 13:16; 19:18; opposed to κυριος, δεσποτης, οικοδεσποτης, Matthew 10:24; 13:27f; Luke 12:46; John 15:15 Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22; 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:9, and very often.

b. metaphorically,





[α.] “one who gives himself up wholly to another's will,” 1 Corinthians 7:23; or dominion, της ἁμαρτιας, John 8:34; Romans 6:17,20; της φθορας, 2 Peter 2:19, (των ἡδονων, Athen. 12, p. 531 c.; των χρηματων, Plutarch, Pelop. c. 3; του πινειν, Aelian v. h. 2, 41).





[β.] the δουλοι Χριστου, του Χριστου, Ιησου Χριστου, are those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men: used of apostles, Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1; 2 Timothy 2:24; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; of other preachers and teachers of the gospel, Colossians 4:12; 2 Timothy 2:24; Jude 1:1; of the true worshippers of Christ (who is κυριος παντων, Acts 10:36), Ephesians 6:6. The δουλοι του Θεου, ‏יְהָֹוהעַבְדֵי‎, are those whose agency God employs in executing his purposes: used of apostles, Acts 4:29; 16:17; of Moses (Joshua 1:1), Revelation 15:3; of prophets (Jeremiah 7:25; 25:4), Revelation 1:1; 10:7; 11:18; of all who obey God's commands, his true worshippers, Luke 2:29; Revelation 2:20; 7:3; 19:2,5; 22:3,6; (Psalm 33:23  (Psalm 34:23); Psalm 68:37 (Psalm 69:37); Psalm 88:4,21 (Psalm 89:4,21)).



[γ.] δουλος τινος, devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests: Matthew 20:27; Mark 10:44; strenuously laboring for another's salvation, 2 Corinthians 4:5.





2. “a servant, attendant,” (of a king): Matthew 18:23,26ff. (Synonym: see διακονος.)



pan class="gloss" id="aor">aor. inf. of διέρχομαι



διέλιπον

διέλιπον aor. of διαλείπω



διενέγκω

διενέγκω aor. subj. of διαφέρω



διενθυμέομαι

διενθυμέομαι think over, try to understand



διέξοδος, ου

διέξοδος, ου f (doubtful mng.) δ. τῶν ὁδῶν perhaps where the roads leave the city or along the main streets



διερμηνευτής, οῦ

διερμηνευτής, οῦ m interpreter



διερμηνεύω

διερμηνεύω interpret, explain; translate (Acts 9:36)



διέρχομαι

διέρχομαι (fut. διελεύσομαι;46 aor. διῆλθον, inf. διελθεῖν; pf. διελήλυθα, ptc. διεληλυθώς) go or pass through; cross over; go or pass by; go about; come, go; spread (Luke 5:15)



διερωτάω

διερωτάω learn by inquiry



διεσπάρην

διεσπάρην aor. pass. of διασπείρω



διεστειλάμην

διεστειλάμην aor. of διαστέλλομαι



διέστην

διέστην aor. of διΐστηρι



διέστραμμαι

διέστραμμαι pf. pass. of διαστρέφω



διεταράχθην

διεταράχθην aor. of διαταράσσομαι



διετής, ές

διετής, ές two years old



διετία, ας

διετία, ας f two-year period



διεφθάρην

διεφθάρην aor. pass. of διαφθείρω



διέφθαρμαι


διέφθαρμαι pf. pass. of διαφθείρ2�

• Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament• Author: Joseph Henry Thayer• Text of 1889 version

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Theological Dictionary of the New Testament - Abridged Edition

δοῦλος doúlos [slave] <G1401> <G1400>,

σύνδουλος sýndoulos [fellow slave] <G4889>,

δούλη doúlē [female slave] <G1399>,

δουλεύω douleúō [to be a slave] <G1398>,

δουλεία douleía [slavery] <G1397>,

δουλόω doulóō [to enslave] <G1402>,

καταδουλόω katadoulóō [to enslave] <G2615>,

δουλαγωγέω doulagōgéō [to enslave] <G1396>,

ὀφθαλμοδουλία ophthalmodoulía [eye-service] <G3787>

doúlos, sýndoulos, doúlē, douleúō, douleía.

All these words have to do with slavery. In distinction from parallel groups, they denote compulsory service, oikétēs comes closest, but it stresses the social position of the slave, while doúlos stresses dependence on the lord.183

A. The Word Group among the Greeks.

1. Greeks have a strong sense of freedom. Personal dignity consists of freedom. There is thus a violent aversion to bondage. Service may be rendered to the state, but by free choice. Slavery is scorned and rejected. This explains the fierceness with which the Greeks fought for political independence. The only slavery Plato will allow is to the laws. The laws, however, represent the goal of humanity, so that slavery to law is in no way derogatory. Aristotle shows a similar scorn for slavery; for him slaves have no part in the state or true service to it. The Stoics have a broader view of service. Zeus himself summons us to it, so that, while free in relation to all people, we are unconditionally bound to all. Yet the Stoic would never call himself the doúlos theoú; he moves through the world as basileús and despótēs, the very opposite of the doúlos. This is the characteristic of the wise. Those who are not wise are slaves, no matter what the form of their bondage (cf. Epictetus, Plutarch, and Philo).
2. This survey shows that the group has no religious significance for the Greeks. It acquires this as Near Eastern religions win new adherents and in so doing change the Greek view of God and our relationship to him. The only apparent exceptions are in Euripides, but these are special instances, e.g., the need to yield to Dionysus, or Orestes’ evasion of responsibility by claiming that he is enslaved to the gods. In Greek religion the relationship to the gods is in general a family relationship in which Zeus is father of both gods and humans. Kneeling is no part of religious ceremonial for the Greeks except before chthonic deities, and here only for the sake of proximity. The worshipper is phílos rather than doúlos, so that it makes no sense to describe service of the gods, or life under the eyes of the gods, as douleía.

B. The Word Group on Jewish Soil.

In the Greek Bible, however, the group very largely crowds out the various parallels. The reason lies in its use for the root ʿbd.

1. The relation to this root shows that doúlos emphatically denotes the slave and the status of slavery. Thus país is used for this root when the normal relationship of a slave is at issue, but doúlos when the thought is that of the illegality and unreason of the service. The group then denotes Israel’s bondage in Egypt (Ex. 13:3; 14:5; Lev. 26:45, etc.). Jacob accepts the state of a doúlos with Laban (Gen. 29:18). When one people falls subject to another, douleúein is the proper word to describe it (Judg. 3:8; 1 Sam. 17:9). In contrast, país is the proper word in Isa. 53 (The Servant of the Lord), since this service is rendered on the basis of an essential relation in the household.

2. Since the group denotes restrictive service, it is the proper term for the relation of ruler and subjects, for it expresses both the power demanded on the one side and the subjection and bondage experienced on the other. Saul’s courtiers are his doúloi in 1 Sam. 18:5, Joab is David’s doúlos in 2 Sam. 14:9-10, and the whole people douleúei the king in 1 Kgs. 12:7 (where Rehoboam himself is advised to be a doúlos to the people in order the more surely to win their douleía). An interesting point is that while subordinates use the terms about themselves, rulers do not describe the relationship by the group. An element of decision, whether voluntary or compulsory, is thus assumed.

3. The climax of development is reached when the group comes to be used for the relationship to God. This also involves the sharpest antithesis to Greek and Hellenistic thought. douleúein in the LXX is the most common term for the service of God, not just in isolated acts, but in total commitment. The group may also be used for service of Baalim or other gods (Judg. 10:6, 13), but the only right thing for the elect people is exclusive service of the Lord (Judg. 10:16; Ps. 2:11, etc.). For this reason doúloi184 is a title of honor when conferred on such outstanding figures as Moses (Josh. 14:7), Joshua (Judg, 2:8), Abraham (Ps. 105:42), David (Ps. 89:3), and Jacob (representing Israel, Isa. 48:20). The opposite of douleúein is disobedience.

4. The Jewish world shares this view of divine service with other Near Eastern peoples, among all of whom the concept of God is one of absolute majesty and supremacy. The uniqueness of Israel is that its whole history is a revelation of God’s total claim on the people and on each of its members in virtue of a special status. If the mystery religions also have a concept of slavery to the gods, this is entered into only by the appropriate rituals. Philo adopts the OT view except that for him the use is figurative, the self-sufficiency of God is stressed, and exaltation through the service of God becomes an important factor; the opposite of this service is dependence on creation and a corresponding lack of any spiritual relationship.

C. The Word Group in the NT.

1. Secular Usage.

a. Apart from some instances in the parables, in which the use is hardly a strict one, the word occurs in the ordinary sense only when the position of slaves is at issue, e.g., in Col. 3:22ff.; Eph. 6:8-9. The usage here falls wholly within the contemporary social framework. In the parables this is also true, but the total commitment of doúloi and the total claim of the kýrios serve here to illustrate the unconditional lordship of God and the unconditional responsibility of believers to him. Thus if slaves have two masters, as might happen, they cannot show the same commitment to both. Similarly, one cannot be a true doúlos of God without throwing off mammon (Matt. 6:24).

b. While the NT offers the typical picture of the doúlos, it does not hint at scorn or disparagement. It differs in this regard not only from the Greek world but also from Judaism, which tends to accept the lower social, cultic, and ethical status of slaves, to put slaves wholly under the control of their masters, and to regard the term “slave” as a deadly insult.

c. Slaves, then, are fully integrated into the community. If they have the chance of freedom, they are to take it (1 Cor. 7:21). But in any case they come with all believers under the common law of love which in the long run, if applied, necessarily means the end of slavery among Christians. If there is no campaign to abolish slavery, this is not due to otherworldiness, of a situation of eschatological tension, but rather to the fact that redemption, like sin, takes place within existing social structures, so that the first priority is not to change the structures but to achieve a life which is conformable to that of Jesus. Such a life will in due time break down the structures, because the fellowship of a common participation in Christ relativizes social distinctions. Thus Paul points out that Philemon and Onesimus are now brothers (v. 16). He also stresses that the relation to God takes precedence over the mutual relations of slaves and masters (Eph. 6:5ff.; Col. 3:22ff.; 1 Tim. 6:1; Tit. 2:9). Christians lie under this obligation even when their masters (or slaves) are not believers. The overriding freedom of faith that this expresses bears a superficial resemblance to the Stoic’s independence of external circumstances, but differs from it in three ways: a. there is no sense of superiority; b. it rests on an act which makes slave and master brothers; and c. this act is the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ for both.

2. Christians as doúloi of God and Christ.

a. The formula doúlos theoú is rare in the NT; Christians are mostly called the doúloi of Christ. Where used, as in Luke 1:38 (doúlē); Acts 2:18; Revelation (cf. 10:7; 15:3), it usually has an OT basis. This applies in Acts 16:17 and probably also in185 1 Pet. 2:16, since Christians are thought of here as the Israel of God. Jms. 1:1 and Tit. 1:1 are perhaps adopting a prophetic designation rather than describing absolute commitment to God, since in the usage of Judaism the phrase normally covers only outstanding figures (apart from the whole people), doúlos theoú becomes more popular in the early church with the development of the idea that the church is the true Israel and a desire to distinguish between Christ as Son and believers as servants, but ideas of merit tend to arise as the phrase comes to denote specially dedicated people.

b. More common is the belief that Christians are the doúloi of Christ; Paul in particular represents this conviction. They are already doúloi of a sort prior to conversion, i.e., doúloi to sin etc. (Rom. 6:6ff., 19; Gal. 4:3, 8, 9), and even to the law (Rom. 7:1ff.). The meaning is that they have totally lost their freedom and are dominated by these forces. Jesus by his saving work rescues them from this douleía in a work of liberation (Gal. 3:13; 4:4-5). They thus achieve the freedom of sonship (Gal. 4:5ff.; Rom. 8:15, 23). But sonship does not mean autonomy; it means a new relationship with God. The result is a new service. With his work of redemption Christ has made believers his own possession and now gives them the goals that shape their lives. This new commitment, which is a commitment to righteousness (Rom. 6:19), holiness (1 Th. 3:13), and newness of life (Rom. 6:4), finds expression in the description of Christians as Christ’s doúloi (1 Cor. 7:22; Eph. 6:6). This entails confession of what Christ has done and acceptance of its practical consequences. It is also a recognition of the freedom which can come only with commitment to Christ, so that there is no contradiction when John speaks of the freedom which the Son brings (Jn. 8:34ff.), or when he has Jesus say that he calls his disciples, not doúloi, but friends, for these are friends who do what he commands them (Jn. 15:14-15).

c. The phrase doúlos Christoú has a special position when used as a designation, e.g., in the salutations of Paul, James, Jude, and Peter, and also in relation to Epaphras in Col. 4:12. The basis, of course, is the common commitment to Christ, so that the writers, being integrated into the community in subordination to the claim of Christ, cannot seek to dominate it. Yet in this context the term also suggests a specific office (cf. Jms. 1:1; Gal. 1:10) which carries with it the authority of the master himself. In Paul’s case (and cf. 2 Pet. 1:1), doúlos Iēsoú Christoú runs parallel to apóstolos Iēsoú Christoú; the latter describes the outward relation, the former the inner relation which underlies it.

3. Jesus Christ as doúlos.

a. When Jesus washes his disciples’ feet, he shows that it is his office, too, to serve, not to seek power or glory, for washing the feet is a servile duty (Jn. 13:1ff.). He also shows, of course, what will be the point of the disciples’ own lives as his apostles, for a doúlos is not greater than his kýrios, nor an apóstolos than the one who sends him (Jn. 13:16). Paul gives this lesson a more general application when he tells the Galatians that, just because they are called to freedom, they are to serve (douleúein) one another in love (Gal. 5:13).

b. In Phil. 2:7 Jesus is said to take the form of a doúlos. The phrase stands in contrast to the form of God in v. 6 and the title kýrios in v. 11. It thus shows what the incarnation means for Christ in relation to his inherent glory. It represents the low point on his way of kénōsis (cf. Jn. 13:1ff.). There is no necessary allusion to Isa. 53 (where país theoú would be the accepted rendering of the Hebrew). Nor do the terms humility (v. 3) and obedience (v. 8) fully encompass what is involved, for being a doúlos involves a new situation (not just an attitude) which is inconceivably different from the prior situation and which carries with it subjection to the death of the cross186 (v. 8). Paul’s exhortation in vv. 1-5 is thus given a kerygmatic basis in vv. 6ff. This servant form is, of course, the scandal of the gospel, but in God’s wisdom it is also its glory (vv. 9-11).

doulóō, katadoulóō.

These terms are common from Herodotus and occur in the LXX in the sense “to enslave” both literally and figuratively. Except in Acts 7:6 (quoting Gen. 15:13), the NT use is always figurative. Not “bound” in marriage is the point in 1 Cor. 7:15. A definition of slavery is offered in 2 Pet. 2:19: What overcomes us, enslaves us. Though free, Paul has voluntarily forgone his rights for his work’s sake in 1 Cor. 9:9. Commitment to God (or his opponents) is at issue in Rom. 6:18 and Gal. 4:3. Judaizers are trying to enslave believers to their legalistic code in 2 Cor. 11:20. In contrast to being enslaved, Christians are freed by Christ to be responsible doúloi of God.

doulagōgéō.

This rare word means “to cause to live the life of a slave.” Paul uses it in 1 Cor. 9:27 to show that he subordinates his sṓma to his office and will not allow it to be a hindrance to him in discharging this office.

ophthalmodoulía.

Not found outside the NT, this term refers in Eph. 6:6 to a douleía of slaves which is outwardly satisfactory but does not express an inner obligation for the sake of God and Christ, so that the eyes of the master are deceived. It also occurs in the plural in Col. 3:22 for the actions that make up this deceitful service.

[K. H. RENGSTORF, II, 261-80]

f=Ac+17%3A34">Acts 17:34)

Δαμασκηνός, ή, όν

Δαμασκηνός, ή, όν of Damascus

Δαμασκός, οῦ

Δαμασκός, οῦ f Damascus

δανείζω

δανείζω (aor. subj. δανίσω) lend; midd. borrow

δάνειον, ου

δάνειον, ου n debt

δανειστής, οῦ

δανειστής, οῦ m moneylender

Δανιήλ

Δανιήλ m Daniel

δαπανάω

δαπανάω spend (δ. ἐπ ᾿ αὐτοῖς pay their expenses Acts 21:24)

δαπάνη, ης

δαπάνη, ης f cost, expense

δαρήσομαι

δαρήσομαι fut. pass. of δέρω

Δαυίδ

Δαυίδ m David

δέ

δέ but, to the contrary, rather; and; now, then, so; δὲ καί but also, but even; μὲν ... δέ on the one hand ... on the other hand

δέδεκται

δέδεκται pf. 3 sg. of δέχομαι

δεδεκώς

δεδεκώς pf. ptc. of δέω

δέδεμαι

δέδεμαι pf. pass. of δέω

δέδομαι

δέδομαι

• Bromiley, Geoffrey W., trans., Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich, ed. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2003. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 

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Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon

δοῦλος

δοῦλος, ὁ, properly, a born bondman or slave, opposed to one made a slave (ἀνδράποδον), Thucydides; then, generally, a bondman, slave, Herodotus: Homer has only the fem. δούλη, ἡ, a bondwoman:—χρημάτων δ. slave to money, Euripides.

II. as Adj., δοῦλος, η, ον, slavish, servile, subject, Sophocles, etc.

III. τὸ δοῦλον = οἱ δοῦλοι, Euripides: also = δουλεία, Id. (Deriv. uncertain.) Hence the word δουλοσύνη

• Liddell, H. G. and R. Scott. An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon: Founded Upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1889. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 

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Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old Testament

§ 8. Service

248

With regard to the word serve or service, the LXX often keeps up a distinction which is not to be found in the Hebrew. It has both δουλεία, which is bond service, and which may be used in a religious sense or not; and λάτρεια, sacred service, a word only used in a religious sense, but not confined to the priesthood. For these two renderings the Hebrew has only one word, ʾavad (‏עָבַד‎, <H5647>[1] The Assyrian replaces ebed (slave) by ardu.), which is used of every kind of service, good and bad, whether exercised towards man, idols, or God. The distinction which is sometimes drawn between the words douleia and latreia, in connection with the worship of God and of created beings, cannot be substantiated by reference to the O. T.
The verb δουλεύω, as well as the noun δοῦλος, is frequently used in the N. T. of the service due from every Christian to God and to Christ (see, for example, Col. 3:24; 1 Thess. 1:9), whether that service take the form of ministry or not.

Λατρεία is used of that religious service of the Christians which consists in self-dedication to God, in Rom. 12:1; Phil. 3:3; Heb. 9:14, 12:2S. St. Paul uses it of his own life of service in Acts 24:14, 26:7, 27:23; Rom. 1:9; 2 Tim. 1:3. It is also used to indicate the ceaseless employment of God's servants in heaven (Rev. 7:15, 22:3).

Λιάκονος (whence the word deacon) and kindred forms are used in the N. T. in a general and non-technical sense of all kinds of ministry or service for the good of others. See Matt. 20:18; John 12:2, 25. It is not applied to the seven so-called deacons, and only gradually grew up into a technical sense. See Phil. 1:1, and 1 Tim. 3:8, 12.

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• Girdlestone, R. B. Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1897. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 

Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of OT/NT Words: Expository Dictionary

Slave

New Testament

Noun: δοῦλος (doulos), GK 1528 (S <G1400>, 1401), 124x. doulos refers to a “servant, slave.” See servant.

Servant

Old Testament

Noun: ‏אָמָה‎ (ʾāmâ), GK 563 (S <H519>), 56x. ʾāma frequently translates as “maidservant” or “slave girl,” but may also be translated simply as “servant.” See maidservant.

Noun: ‏נַעַר‎ (naʿar), GK 5853 (S <H5288>), 240x. The meaning of naʿar falls into two main categories. It may refer to a male child of almost any age or to a servant. See boy.

Noun: ‏עֶבֶד‎ (ʿebed), GK 6269 (S <H5650>), 803x. ʿebed means “servant” and is used in theologically significant ways in the OT. It can refer to the position of a human being before God, emphasizing the Creator/creature distinction. For example, Israel is a servant of God (Lev. 25:55), as are the prophets (Jer. 7:25); they do what God bids. ʿebed is also used as a descriptor of significant figures in the OT who have distinctive roles and offices in the economy of God—e.g., Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Exod. 32:13; Deut. 9:27), Caleb (Num. 14:29), Moses (the servant par excellence, Deut. 34:5), Joshua (Jos. 24:29), Isaiah (Isa. 20:3), David (1 Sam. 23:10), Israel as a nation (Isa. 41:8), and surprisingly, even Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar (Isa. 44:28; Jer. 25:9).

The most significant use of ʿebed is found in Isa. 40-55. The “servant of the Lord” is the means of God’s restoration of both Israel and the nations (49:1-6). In a surprisingly new and unprecedented fashion, God promises to redeem both the nations and Zion by means of the servant who suffers in the place of and on behalf of others (Isa. 53). When referring to “the servant of the Lord,” ʿebed is always in the sing. up to Isa. 53, but after this key chapter the term is found only in the pl. and may refer to the righteous offspring promised to Isaiah’s servant in 53:10. These righteous servants have recognized, in retrospect, the significance of the servant’s suffering. They follow the servant in obedience though they suffer as well while awaiting the coming day of vindication (54:17; 57:1; 65:1-25).

Noun: ‏שִׁפְחָה‎ (šipḥâ), GK 9148 (S <H8198>), 63x. This feminine noun is generally translated “servant” or “maidservant.” See maidservant.

New Testament

Noun: διάκονος (diakonos), GK 1356 (S <G1249>), 29x. diakonos means “servant, minister.” The idea of one who waits on tables is a part of the conceptual sphere of diakonos, but the word includes much more. Paul’s description of himself as one who serves often carries the idea of giving himself at great personal cost for the gospel (2 Cor. 6:1-4). Paul, a servant of God, carries out his task of spreading the gospel through enormous sacrifice. This concept of diakonos is found also in Paul’s claim to be a servant of the new covenant (2 Cor. 3:6), of righteousness (11:15), of Christ (Col. 1:7), of God (2 Cor. 6:4), of the gospel (Eph. 3:7), and of the church (Col. 1:25).

diakonos is also used to describe a particular office in the church (“deacon” in Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8, 12). However, it can be used of people serving in some capacity, such as Phoebe (Rom. 16:1; some argue Phoebe has an official title as deaconess), often official capacity, such as Apollos and Paul (1 Cor. 3:5; cf. 3:6; 6:4; Eph. 3:7; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:23), Tychicus (Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7), Epaphras (Col. 1:7), and Timothy (1 Tim. 4:6). It is a matter of interpretation as to which category a specific verse belongs.

Secular rulers can also be termed, “God’s servant” (Rom. 13:4), and demons can conceal themselves as “servants of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:15).

Noun: δοῦλος (doulos), GK 1528 (S <G1400>, 1401), 124x. doulos refers to a “servant, slave,” usually a male slave such as Onesimus (Phlm. 16). Many of Jesus’ parables are stories of how “servants” related to their masters (e.g., Mt. 18:23-35; 25:14-30). The ancient world had an economy driven by slavery (people became slaves either as prisoners of war or because of economic debt). Paul calls on slaves to be obedient to their masters, even unmerciful ones (Eph. 6:5; Col. 3:22). Although Paul does not discourage a slave from seeking his freedom (1 Cor. 7:20-24), true freedom is to be found in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 7:22-24).

doulos is often used metaphorically to describe the sole commitment of one person to another. Prior to faith in Christ, human beings are “slaves to sin” (Jn. 8:34; Rom. 6:16-17, 20), but Jesus Christ sets us free (Jn. 8:35-36). Paul then defines himself as a doulos of the gospel (Phil. 2:22) and especially of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10; Phil. 1:1). Part of his responsibility in serving Christ is to be a “servant” of the people to whom he ministers (2 Cor. 4:5; cf. 2 Tim. 2:24).

The foundation of our service is the example Jesus Christ has set before us, since he took on himself “the very nature of a servant” (Phil. 2:7). The servant image of Isaiah 40-55 is an important backdrop to the role of Christ as a servant. As the servant of Isaiah lived in obedient and selfless devotion to the will of God, which led to his innocent suffering and death on behalf of others and in the place of others (especially Isa. 49-53), so too does Jesus model a life of selfless devotion to the will of the Father, which lead to death, even the death of the cross. See NIDNTT-A, 151-53.

essm" id="es2723">

δεδώκειν

δεδώκειν plpf. of δίδωμι

δέῃ

δέῃ subj. of δεῖ

δεήθητι

δεήθητι aor. pass. impv. of δέομαι

δέησις, εως

δέησις, εως f prayer, petition

δεθῆναι

δεθῆναι aor. pass. inf. of δέω

40

δεῖ

δεῖ (subj. δέῃ, inf. δεῖν, ptc. δέον; impf. ἔδει) impers. be necessary, must; should, ought; be proper; impf. had to, should have

• Mounce, William D., ed. Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words: Expository Dictionary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 

This concludes my sermon - post

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