Bound To God In Christ Jesus: From Slavery To Sin To Slavery To Christ In Romans 6
Introduction - 1.1
Contemporary American citizens depict slavery as evil because of forced oppression and the captivity of people groups through the ages. Slavery in the context of current American culture always seems bad and even evil. Yet, for Christians of all generations, slavery is Paul’s language for the Baptized into Christ laid out in Romans 6. Through careful examination of slavery in Romans 6, the contemporary reader should be able to adopt a more productive understanding of biblical and spiritual slavery. Slavery language is important because our understanding of slavery is explicably shaped by the United States' fraught and unsettling history. Therefore, how can a loving God ask us to be slaves? This thesis helps answer those concerns by putting slavery in its correct context and discussing the implications of being a slave of righteousness.
U.S. history reveals the Civil War was fought, in part, over slavery and included the freeing of all slaves in the Union.1 Injustice took the form of slavery through involuntary and obligatory capture, trading, and forced labor of African people living under extreme, poor, and harsh conditions without moral care, rights, freedom, and protection as citizens.2 This slavery was not an isolated incident, but rather a policy incorporated within the U.S. It is estimated that approximately fifteen million people were transported to the Americas from Africa as slaves during the slave trade.3 This image of slavery has dominated conversations about even the use of the word “slavery,” making its use, even in positive contexts, unpalatable. However, the image of slavery can shape one’s understanding of the slavery depicted in the Scriptures, which then shapes the present.4
A contemporary reader of the Scriptures would benefit from understanding the context of biblical slavery. The modern perception and misconceptions of “slavery” language are unreflective of biblical reality.5 Today, slavery remains a real problem and an oversight. John Nordling writes, “Modern slavery, often hidden from the mainstream of societies that otherwise value egalitarian democracy, takes many diverse forms.”6 Current human trafficking (contemporary slavery) is primarily hidden from mainstream society, yet is no secret and grossly overlooked among Americans and Christians today. Human lives from all over the world are currently trafficked and worked as forced slaves.
This is starkly different from the Bible’s discussion of slavery. Slavery in the Greco-Roman period was more publicly common and strangely customary for people groups and ethnicities. Rather than today’s misapplication of slavery of the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries slave trade, one can see that slavery terminology is used in the Old and New Testaments to speak of varied concepts like salvation, freedom, sinfulness, death, spiritual death, suffering, righteousness, and obedience. Slavery has a multifaceted context; thus, whether worldly or theologically, slavery has existed in every age as both evil and vocational.
Slavery to sin exists as a consequence of sin entering the world. Spiritual slavery to sin and death was introduced in humanity’s rebellion toward God. Man’s failure to properly respond to God began with rebelling against Yahweh in the garden and resulted in all people being cursed and enslaved to sin and death by Adam and Eve’s sin. Since then, mankind has failed in acts and thoughts of rebellion against Yahweh God throughout the ages. However, Yahweh’s good and perfect will and Word of Law expose and condemn sin, evil, and oppressive slavery. Sin itself is the true rebellion against Yahweh’s holiness and righteousness.
It is helpful to distinguish spiritual slavery from worldly slavery. Worldly slavery involves temporal slavery by mankind and of mankind. Spiritual slavery and physical slavery are true biblical realities. Spiritual slavery and the language of slavery are often used as a metaphor to show the bound and enslaved condition of all mankind to sin as sinful, mortal, and condemned before God Almighty.
Furthermore, both spiritual slavery to sin and, antithetically, a positive slavery to righteousness also have important biblical distinctions. It is, therefore, helpful to distinguish between righteous slavery and slavery to sin. Slavery to sin can only be mankind bound to sin and death. On the other hand, righteous slavery can only be realized when one is bound to God in faith and Baptism into Christ. It expresses how we can be redeemed and freed from sin, and enslaved to Christ and righteousness before God Almighty. These are all true inescapable realities that extend beyond metaphor and applicable allegorical teachings.
The metaphor of spiritual slavery may sound inappropriate to the American Christian. Yet spiritual slavery displays and captures the bound condition of all mankind before God Almighty, whether of sin and death or of Christ and righteousness. Therefore, what Paul describes as a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness is the Truth as God’s Word is Truth (cf. Psalm 119:160; John 17:17), and, ultimately, for the sake of Christ, the Word of God who became flesh (cf. John 1:1, 14; Rev. 19:13). The spiritual slavery to God and righteousness Paul describes in Romans is a biblical Truth. The slave to God in Christ through faith and Baptism conveys a spiritual Truth by God’s promise of freedom and His declaration of freedom from slavery to sin (cf. Rom 6:7, 18, 22). Spiritual slavery, then, is truly evil for the slave to sin, but good for the slave to Christ.
Although spiritual slavery sounds bad, as if one was not actually free, Christians are thankful slaves of righteousness and God, freed from slavery to sin and bound to Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ took the form of a “δοῦλος7–slave”8 (Phil 2:7) in the flesh to die for sinful humanity––slaves to sin. Christ died so that “ἄνθρωπος–mankind”9 could be freed and declared righteous from slavery to sin (Rom 6:7) and death to life and righteousness. Paul makes this clear in Romans 6 how Baptism is unity with Christ, “Knowing this, that our old self [ἄνθρωπος] was crucified with [Christ] in order that the body of sin might be rendered ineffective, [that is,] that we might no longer be enslaved to sin” (6:6; cf. vv. 3-5, 7).10 Slavery to Christ is a good slavery.
This study uses “slave” for “δοῦλος” rather than “servant” to avoid confusion and to expose the improper use of “servant” for δοῦλος in American translations.11 The word “servant,” is better rendered from “διάκονος.”12 διάκονος often translates, “assistant, intermediary, agent, courier, servant, minister, deacon,”13 and is not in Romans 6. Although “servant” and “slave” are used interchangeably among scholars and translators for δοῦλος in Romans 6, and in specific translations, e.g., King James Version (KJV) and English Standard Version (ESV),14 the purpose is to keep the definitions of δοῦλος and διάκονος separate and distinct in context. Therefore, keeping δοῦλος as “slave” throughout this study will challenge the contemporary reader to reconsider slavery in light of various contexts. Ultimately, it expresses the spiritual and eternal reality of slavery to sin and death, but also slavery to righteousness, life, and redemption in Jesus Christ.
Chapter one looks at the context of slavery in the Greco-Roman period of Jesus and Paul. The background of slavery in the Old Testament shows the slavery and redemption of Israel from slavery, as well as slavery with Israel. Paul then draws on slavery language in Romans 6 to describe the spiritual slavery of mankind before Yahweh. Scripture also introduces the concept of spiritual slavery to righteousness as a Christian vocation bound to God in Christ.
Chapter two examines spiritual slavery to sin and explains how spiritual slavery is wicked and bad. Jesus confirms, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34 [Legacy Standard Bible]).15 Slavery to sin is the eternal condition of all mankind.
Chapter three explores freedom from slavery to sin and God’s declaration of righteousness (cf. Rom 6:7, 18, 22). For Jesus says, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection is the means of grace completed for sinners who are now bound to Christ (Rom 6:3-4). Sinners declared righteous and free from slavery to sin are also bound to righteousness and God for the sake of Christ.
Chapter four culminates this thesis and study by identifying slavery to God for those redeemed in Christ and what slavery to righteousness looks like. When one is eternally bound to Christ, life’s renewal is given to the slave of righteousness. So, how can freedom and slavery exist together in Christ? Jesus took a form of a slave to die for all so they could be declared righteous from slavery to sin and death. In Jesus Christ, one is now a slave of righteousness and bound eternally to God.
For a deeper theological overview and history of the Civil War, see Mark Noll, The Civil War as a Theological Crisis, (North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 2006).
Considering the language of “justice” and “injustice” today, its abuses by the world of social criticism, Marxist ideologies, i.e. social justice, CRT, DEI, a highly recommended critique of these ideologies, see Jon Harris, Christianity and Social Justice: Religions in Conflict (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Reformation Zion Publishing, 2021); See Harris’ Christianity and Social Justice Ch. 6 section, “Social Justice Ethics,” under subheading, “The Sources of Evil and Contentment,” 120-124, specifically on a brief look at slavery of the Greco Roman era and other helpful insights. For more resources on woke ideology, cf. Voddie T. Baucham, It's Not Like Being Black (New York, Regnery Faith, 2024); Baucham, Fault Lines (Salem Books, Washington, D.C., 2021); Rev. Paul Dare, Christians In A Woke World: A Call to Courage, Confession, and Love (Independently Published, 2021).
Cf. Ralph A. Austen, “The Trans-Saharan Slave Trade: A Tentative Census.” Uncommon Market; Essays in the Economic History of the Atlantic Slave Trade, ed. by H.A. Gemery and J.A. Hogendorn, 23-76 (1979); “Between 1500 AD and 1890 AD, over twenty-two million (22,000,000) Africans were sold into slavery (R.A. Austen 1979). Seven million (6,856,000) were sold east: with 3,956,000 were sold across the Sahara and 2,900,000 across the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean (R.A. Austen 1979). Fifteen million (15,000,000) were trafficked across the Atlantic. 70% of all Africans sold into slavery in the Americas were transported by Portugal and Britain. For a contrast, 22 million is equivalent to 2x the current population of Sweden.” “The Slave Trade in Black Africans,” Think Africa, accessed 05/11/2022, https://thinkafrica.net/atlantic-slave-trade/.
The image of slavery in the current culture of American postmodern ideologies misrepresents historical antiquity, which shapes the present, future, biblical and eschatological realities.
The theological reality of spiritual slavery and ancient slavery is the main thought here for reality, “not reflective of reality,” instead of the American and worldly experience. Perhaps the philosophical, metaphysical, and ontological concepts of reality and thought throughout history are also of some value and focus on reality. Yet, here is the foremost theological thought in contrast to the past slave trade in America in history and philosophical niceties of the world. Still, the theological reality is the thought and reality above all these realities and primary to the point. History shapes the way one may perceive reality, perhaps, according to their surroundings, environment, emotions, experience, knowledge, past, present, and future as perceptions of reality. Yet, here, the reality discussed in the vastness of realities is intended to be from a spiritual and theological reality of existence and purpose, driving toward a theological perspective of the reality of slavery. So then, slavery in U.S. history, although real as a fact and a reality in that the slave trade happened in time, is the “modern perception” of the reality of U.S. history that misrepresents and overlooks the ultimate theological reality of spiritual slavery. Slavery in ancient history also exceeds beyond the American experience; See Chapter 1 for Earthly Slavery; Chapters 2-4 expand on spiritual slavery.
John G. Nordling, Philemon, Concordia Commentary (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2004), 39.
δοῦλος; “1401. dŏulŏs, doo´-los; from 1210; a slave (lit. or fig., involving. or vol.; frequently therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency):—bond (-man), servant.” James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 24. Hereafter, JStrong.
Slave – δοῦλος, “[dŏulŏs, doo´-los] . . . to being under someone’s total control, slavish, servile, subject . . . Ro 6:19” William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, Walter Bauer, et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 259. Hereafter, BDAG; “δοῦλος … doulos; of unc. der.; a slave: — bond-servant.” Zondervan Bible Publishers, edited by Robert L. Thomas, The Strongest NASB Exhaustive Concordance (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2004), G1401. Hereafter, NASEC. This study largely uses NASEC for Hebrew and Greek Strong’s references compared to BDAG. For further δοῦλος – doulos definitions and New Testament usage, see, Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich and Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1985), 182-86; cf. Gerhard Kittel and Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol 2 (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1964), 261-80; Henry Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon. 9th ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996), 447. See notes 7 and 11.
ἄνθρωπος; “444. anthrōpŏs, anth´-ro-pos; from 435 and ὤψ ōps (the countenance; from 3700); man-faced, i.e. a human being:—certain, man.” JStrong, 12; “ἄνθρωπος. . . ① a person of either sex, w. focus on participation in the human race, a human being . . . ② a member of the human race, w. focus on limitations and weaknesses, a human being.” BDAG, 81; Cf., ἄνθρωπος, “anthrōpos; prob. from G435 and ὤψ ōps (eye, face); a man, human, mankind: — any” NASEC, G444. This study uses humankind, humanity, and mostly “mankind” as the human race for ἄνθρωπος – anthrōpos.
Michael P. Middendorf, Romans 1–8, ed. Dean O. Wenthe and Curtis P. Giese, Concordia Commentary (Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2013), 443; See note 15 for expl. on English translations used in this study.
“δοῦλος, ου, ὁ . . . ① male slave as an entity in a socioeconomic context, slave (‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times [s. OED s.v. servant, 3a and b]; in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished [Goodsp., Probs., 77–79]). Opp. ἐλεύθερος 1 Cor 7:21. Lit., in contrast . . . ② one who is solely committed to another, slave, subject” BDAG, 260; Cf. notes 7 and 8.
διάκονος, ου, ὁ, ἡ . . . “one who is busy with someth. in a manner that is of assistance to someone . . . ① one who serves as an intermediary in a transaction, agent, intermediary, courier . . . ② one who gets someth. done, at the behest of a superior, assistant.” BDAG, 230; Cf., “διάκονος–diakonos; of unc. or.; a servant, minister: — deacons.” NASEC, G1249. For further diakonos definitions and New Testament usage, see, Kittel, Friedrich and Bromiley. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume, 152-55; cf. Kittel and Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol 2, 81-93; Liddell and Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, 398.
Ibid; Cf. note 12.
E.g., Matt 18:32, both KJV ad ESV translations us “servant” for δοῦλε, which is vocative, sing., masc., for of δοῦλος. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).
Unless otherwise noted, this study uses the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB); Legacy Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation/Three Sixteen Publishing, 2021); for all quoted Scripture except Romans 6. Scripture quoted from Romans 6 are translated by Middendorf, Romans 1–8, Concordia Commentary (Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2013), 443, 486. Please note!: LSB in this study is not to be confused with Lutheran Service Book.
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