Bonded

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God ~ Romans 1:1

My personal Bible,  the one that I have for,  (ahem) everyday use,  is an NKJV.  It's not through a particular preference for that translation but rather because out of my half a dozen bibles,  it is the only one with print big enough for me to read without my glasses.

And my Bible has some study notes.

It has two notes on this verse.  One about apostleship and one about Paul's  description of himself as a bondservant.

On looking at other translations it seems that this word is also translated as 'Slave' or simply 'servant'.

I have no idea about the Greek,  and were I to have,  I would be reliant on someone else's explanation anyway,  but I like the word Bondservant.

Slave

I am pretty sure,  elsewhere,  that Paul describes Christians as slaves to Christ.

And I think this is true.

He says,  'you are not your own,  you were bought with a price'.

And what a price.

Ransomed from the slavery of sin,  and enslaved only by love and gratitude to freely serve our new master.

But the connotations of slavery can't help but be tainted with this notion of the loss of freedom.

Slavery to Christ is freedom.

But here,  Paul does not choose thats word.

Servant

We are to serve Jesus.  This is obvious.

But yet Jesus tells us. I do not call you servants but friends.

And this relationship is more than that of an employee and employer.

This is not simply some sort of trade off,  whereby we serve Jesus for what he gives us. We have relationship.  We are more than servants.

Bondservant

My notes say,

Bondservant: The word also translates "servant" or "slave" and refers to an employee who was paid wages, often had considerable skills and responsibilities,  and was usually well treated and protected by law
But a Bond servant could not resign and work for another employer. Highly skilled and educated people,  as well as ordinary labourers, were bondservants.

So then,  a special relationship.  One in which loyalty and respect were legally instilled and ensured by both parties.

It's a great picture,  but it doesn't really do the relationship justice.

When I was a kid we used to sing a song which contained the lines,

Pierce my ear,  oh Lord my God,
Take me to your dwelling place,
I will serve no other God,
A free man I'll never be.

Apparently there was a custom whereby a slave,  on their release, could choose to stay and serve their master of their own free will.

This was symbolised by having one's ear pierced against the gatepost of the house.

Symbolically the point of entrance and exit.

We have all kind of notions of slavery.  It is an anathema to this modern world.

To belong to someone is an almost alien concept.

I have heard many times, in TV and Radio dramas, women saying to husbands,  you don't own me,  I'm not your property!

But the truth of marriage is that it is a bond.

We belong to each other.

We are each others property.

And we came here by choice,  enticed by love,  of our own free will.

That concept of covenant has gone from modern society.

But why is marriage a picture of Christ and the church?

Because Christ is covenanted to her,  and her to him,  through his shed blood,  which he shed because he loved.

So when Paul asserts thats he is a bondservant,  I think this is what he alludes to.

He is secure and protected by his master, he is valued and rewarded,  and yet he does it through choice and for love.

Because God had first loved him,  a murderer,  the 'chief of sinners '.

And those who have been forgiven much,  love much.

But in reality,  if we understood it,  all sin being sin,  we have all been forgiven much. We have been forgiven everything,  so you couldn't be more forgiven.

So then we too are bondservants. Committed to him,  bonded through love,  faith and forgiveness for life, which include...

This day,
And all days,

Amen.