Category Archives: Things Paul Wrote On

Things Paul Wrote About – Slaves

Posted on by
5

Slaves

Writers Note – even though I will try to focus on Paul’s writings and ideas this topic will go beyond just Paul and his words.  In studying “slaves” I remembered that I will not have all the answers and that I am working through this as I write these posts.  To get a better picture of the topic of slaves I will go into the Gospels, Acts, the other New Testament writers and the Old Testament references.

There is a notable difference in terminology depending on the translation of the Bible you use. KJV uses the word “servant” while NIV uses the word “slave” when you compare most passages. The KJV also uses the term bond______ man, maid, servant, etc. which for the most part is rendered slave in the NIV.

To start this study, I think it is important to begin with 1 Timothy 1:10. This “paragraph” should start in verse eight.  Paul is talking about the Law and how it is for lawbreakers and in this list is slave traders.  The word is “andrapodistes” it is used once as slave trader in the New Testament and its explanation, in my concordance, gives the idea that these people use/treat animals and humans the same.  Paul condemns them!  The other references to slaves by Paul, generally, fall into two groups- (1.) slaves to sin or righteousness and (2.) how slaves and masters are to act toward each other.

These references are from The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible for King James.  These are notes to myself and are not the complete explanation.

NT –     1401, 1402 –doulos: slave; #2 to enslave, stresses relationship; they are subject to the will of another

 5257- huperetes – minister- a subordinate that acts under another’s supervision

 341 – anakainoo renewal of spiritual power 2 Corinthians 4:16, Colossians 3:10 (Mark    1:20). I have to wonder if this is not a mistake in the concordance as the definition does not fit the verse!

3407 – misthios – hired servant Luke 15:17

3816 – pais – child/son/maid; manservant

1249 – diakonnos – waiter, teacher or pastor, deacon, focus is on activity and not on the relationship

3610 – oiketes – one of the family, household servant

1248 – diakonia – aid,

2324 – therapon – higher dignity than a doulos, menial attendant, Moses Hebrews 3:5

1398 – douleuo– to be a slave, serve, be in bondage, do service (not necessary associated with slavery)

1397 – douleia– any kind of bondage – creation (Rom 8:15,21)

1396 – doulagogeo– a slave driver, to enslave 1 Cor 9:27 (mastery of your own body)

Slave- 4983- soma – Only time slave is used in KJV; Revelations 18: 13. It usually deals with the body.

405– menstealers/slave traders; 1 Timothy 1:10 – a brutal word that only differs animals and men because of the number of feet they have

pic from: Christian clipart.com

Passover to Pentecost to Persecution – Greeks

Posted on by
Reply

The trains of thought, Passover to Pentecost to Persecution and Things Paul Taught, are coming together in this post.  In Acts 21:21 Paul was in trouble in Jerusalem and was talking to an angry crowd when he mentions that he was sent to the Greeks.  Jesus had told him that he was to go to them and preach the Word.  The crowd went crazy and Paul would be sent off to Rome.

Paul’s part in the Great Commission was the non-Jewish world.  The Twelve eventually went but they were not going very fast “to all the world” and they seem to think that only people who believed in the Law were worthy of God.  The death of Stephen had started moving disciples out of Jerusalem but the Twelve did not seem like they were going to leave their comfort zone.

Antioch was the church that really started bringing in non-Jews.  It would be Paul’s base church for his missionary journeys.  It would have the appearance of being the second most important church in Christianity for many years.  There are several stories in Acts/ New Testament that take place in Antioch.

I have often wondered why Jesus would call Paul when He had trained the Apostles to do the job?  I have come to think that it is because Paul could/would do the Great Commission with Grace in mind!  I have to wonder if Paul’s extensive schooling in the Law and his life as a Pharisee opened his eyes to the fact that the Law could not be kept.  He understood his sin against Jesus very well so he knew the true mercy that the Messiah had.  Matthew and Peter should have had that revelation: Matthew was a hated tax collector and Peter denied Jesus and got to talk to Cornelius and his family. It seems that Paul alone had the strength and understanding to see beyond the Law into Grace and what actually was finished at the cross.

I am not trying to discount what the Apostles did, but as a group, they had several “red flag” moments: Mark 8:14-21 when they forgot bread, Mark 9:34 they argued about who was greatest, and other times when they just did not get it.  Their reluctance to go to non-Jews is possible another example of them not see clearly.  It might seem that their closeness to Jesus clouded their eyes to what was really needed, maybe they felt they “had all the truth”.

Paul, on the other hand, understood the traditions of his religion but saw clearly the freedom the cross brought to mankind.  For him, teaching Greeks and pagans about Jesus was done with the knowledge that Jesus had completed the Law.  But many times, in Acts his teaching with his freedom in Jesus upset both Jews and pagans.  It is a shame to see we have slipped back to wrong thinking!  We will uphold our religious thoughts and favorite doctrines before fellowshipping in Jesus.

Things Paul Wrote About

Posted on by
4

Paul, as the Apostle to the Gentiles, is responsible for many of the Books of the New Testament. Because of all of the different Churches, his circumstances, and the various needs of the people, he addresses many topics.  He likes to list things in his writings, and we love to form our beliefs around those lists.  But he does vary those lists according to the Churches/people he is writing too.  In this post I want to explore two topics he lists and how they are related.  The topics are: 1. “Armor” 2. “Faith, Hope, Love”.  I have previously written post on these topics, so if you want to see them they are: Faith, Hope, and Love; Putting On.

I think it would be safe to say that Paul’s habit of listing things has its foundations in the Old Testament.  One that he expounds on for this study is Isaiah 59: 17.  Isaiah is stating that the Lord was displeased because no one intervened for the sake of justice, so He clothed Himself with righteousness, salvation, vengeance, and zeal.  We love to use Ephesians 6: 14 as the Armor of God that we are to put on, but Paul uses the idea of armor and “putting on” in other Letters.  I think we focus on this one because it is a more complete list, and who does not want to be dressed up in armor!

1 Corinthians 13: 13 is our favorite verse for faith, hope, and love.  This in part is due to the beautiful explanation of love, and maybe because he uses the word “greatest.”

In 1 Thessalonians 5: 8 Paul brings these two themes together; faith and love are the breastplate with hope of salvation as the helmet.  In 1 Thessalonians 1:3 faith is paired with works; love prompts labor; and endurance is from hope in Jesus.

He weaves faith, hope, and love together in Colossians 1:4+5 with what is stored for us in heaven.  Changing ideas slightly, Colossians 3:12 uses the idea of “clothe yourself” with a list that sounds like the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5: 22.

To keep this mix going, in Romans 13:11 – 14 Paul tells us to “put on the armor of light” and “clothe yourself” with Jesus in order to “put off” deeds of darkness, which are listed.

Trying to “split hairs” over these lists is not in the spirit of Paul’s writings, and it would be better to combine all of these various thoughts to get the big picture/message.  One “big picture” I saw in doing this post is from 1 Thessalonians 5: 8 faith and love covers your heart, and hope covers your mind.