Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Peter 1:1 NASB Bond-servant – “Greeks have a strong sense of freedom. Personal dignity consists of freedom. There is thus a violent…
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. 1 Corinthians 9:19 NASB A slave to all – This verse is probably the bulwark of religious relevance. We are taught that if we want to get the message out to the masses,…
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greetings. James 1:1 ESV James – If we’re going to study the work of someone, it might be useful to know the author’s name. It might be useful to know the author’s heritage and past influences and…
“But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:11 NASB Servant – Are you a servant? Have you adopted the Christian virtue of being an enabler for others? You might think you have. After all, servant language is very popular these days. From “servant-leadership” to foot-washing ceremonies, many of us attempt to instill…
But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:17-18 Freed – Sha’ul echoes Yeshua. How is a man set free? By becoming a…
“No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other.” Matthew 6:24 Serve – Yeshua is pretty clear about divided loyalty. No one, man or woman, can serve two masters. The Greek word used here is douleuo, a…
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh; but through love serve one another. Galatians 5:13 Serve – “How may I serve you?” When someone in a retail store asks that question, what do you think? You probably anticipate a sales pitch. You might…
“therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them.” Matthew 23:3 All – David called YHWH Lord. King David put himself under the rule of his God, proclaiming that he was the slave of his Master. Because…
You have said to YHWH, “You are my Lord, I have no goodness except in You.” Psalm 16:2 Said – The Hebrew verb amar is fairly common. It is used in all kinds of situations where the next phrase is a quotation. Since Hebrew has no punctuation, it’s a useful little verb, showing us…
“They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.” Nehemiah 1:10 Rush Hour Servants – Life can be terribly frantic, can’t it? There are days when it just seems that you will never catch up. In fact, one of the systems of this world (those…
