Servants or Slaves

[Invicta]

Well, the King James Bible says "servant" here, not "slave".
Exodus 21:5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:

Why in the world would a "slave" even think of saying "I love my master"?
Anyone who works at a job or even owns a business, is a servant. The employee's 'master' is his boss and the entrepreneur's is his customers. I'm an entrepreneur myself. When a customer comes into my establishment and hires me to perform work for them. I am now bound by agreement and economics to serve that individual for my pay..
Even 'slaves' are paid. I mean, even if you "own" someone, you still must provide food, clothing and shelter to that person, or you wouldn't own them for very long.. So then all servants, including those we would call 'slaves', are actually paid servants.

The difference is in the master. A cruel master oppresses his servants. Even in employee/employer arrangements, some employers will hold back as much pay as they can possibly get away with. That's the reason Government had to step in years ago and inact things like minimum wage and child labor laws. What I'm trying to say is, our concept of a "slave" is someone who is owned by another, oppressed, and treated like dirt. Well, my God is not a slave master. He is a benevolent master. And the pay is far more than generous. So why would the man in Exodus 21:5 say "I love my Master?" It was because his master had first showed love and kindness to him and had treated him very well. God wants willing servants...not slaves.

2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

The above refers to a bondservant who was a Hebrew. His servitude was limited. The word servant refers to servitude. A similar word in the middle ages was serf, a bondsman who served but was allowed the use of part of his lord's land.

Slavery as practised in the West Indies and America where a people were just taken from the homes an country to be slaves, was unknown in the ancient world, as far as I can trace. Even in Rome, where slaves had the same rights as plantation slaves, ie none, they were only taken as prisoners of war and those who had rebelled against Rome, as the Jews in AD 70, when so many prisoners were taken that the price of slaves plummeted.

[heartstrings]

2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.

The above refers to a bondservant who was a Hebrew. His servitude was limited. The word servant refers to servitude. A similar word in the middle ages was serf, a bondsman who served but was allowed the use of part of his lord's land.

Slavery as practised in the West Indies and America where a people were just taken from the homes an country to be slaves, was unknown in the ancient world, as far as I can trace. Even in Rome, where slaves had the same rights as plantation slaves, ie none, they were only taken as prisoners of war and those who had rebelled against Rome, as the Jews in AD 70, when so many prisoners were taken that the price of slaves plummeted.

What about when the Israelites were taken captive into Babylon and Assyria?

Anyway, my point was; God wants willing servants, not slaves. And the man I mentioned above was a willing servant.

[brosmith]

I have read a commentary by John MacArthur ... Here is the commentary:

John MacArthur is setting up a straw man argument. He believes that you can better understand the scriptures if "you read the New Testament in its original text." Who can read the "original text" other than "a scholar" such as John MacArthur? He also claims that the English language of the King James Bible finds a way to mask "an absolutely critical element of truth" that can only be seen through the eyes of "a scholar" (such as him) reading the "original text." Well, here are some verses that describe John MacArthur and all others like him:

2 Timothy 3:2 - "For men shall be lovers of their own selves,"

2 Timothy 3:5-7 - "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Edited March 10, 2011 by brosmith

[Guest]

I have read a commentary by John MacArthur that brings new light to how the word "servant" is used in many translations of the bible. After reading it, we should ask ourselves this question: Are we servants of the Lord Jesus, or slaves? Here is the commentary:

This is not salvation by works, but rather how a true child of God should live his/her life. If you are serving self or sin then you are a servant of sin, and the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. I hope this read will increase your walk with the Lord and to be the slave He has called you to be.

God Bless!

Still saved and still a servant to Christ. I serve my Master and I'm not held there by a chain but, by a heart change.

[John81]

Still saved and still a servant to Christ. I serve my Master and I'm not held there by a chain but, by a heart change.

:amen: