Slave of Christ. New Studies in Biblical Theology. | Murray J. Harris

I hope that you are familiar with InterVarsity Press' series titled New Studies in Biblical Theology. For those of you who are not acquainted with this series, I would like to introduce it to you by previewing one of the volumes that has greatly impacted my view of the Christian life. I will follow up with a post listing all of the volumes in this series.

When I moved to Charleston a little over four years ago, I began studying the history of this city. Charleston is known as the Holy City and the Gateway to the South. Its history is fascinating including some very high points as well as some that are very low. One of the ugly marks to consider is that of the slave trade. I still find it fascinating to meet people, hear their names and be able to connect them in some way to a historic family, most of which were slaveholders. Some of these names are Middleton, Drayton, Pinckney, and Prioleau.

Digging into this subject exposed me to the arguments both for and against the institution of slavery. I learned that good men fell on both sides, especially in the theological arena. Above all, both sides appealed to the Scriptures in support of their positions. So what does the Bible teach about slavery?

Then I found Volume 8 in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series. This study was not written to address the historical questions I had, but I did find it to be of immense help to me. The title of this volume is Slave of Christ: A New Testament Metaphor for Total Devotion to Christ (IVP, 2001) and it was written by Murray J. Harris. As the title indicates, Harris is primarily concerned with the New Testament development of the phrase "slave of Christ". However, in order to understand the full impact of the metaphor, Harris draws upon Old Testament and various 1st century accounts of slavery.

Other than the Introduction, Harris' chapter headings are as follows:

• Slavery in the Roman Empire in the First century AD
• The New Testament attitude towards physical slavery
• Slavery and freedom
• Slavery and lordship
• Slavery and ownership
• Slavery and privilege
• 'Slave of Christ': its significance in the New Testament
• 'Slave of Christ': four New Testament examples

He also includes the following Appendixes:

• The use of doulos in the Septuagint
• New Testament terms denoting slavery
• The translation of doulos in English versions of the New Testament

This volume includes a lengthy Bibliography (9 pages), an Index of authors, an Index of subjects, an Index of principal Greek and Latin terms and phrases, an Index of Bible references, and an Index of other ancient authors and writings.

Here are a few notable statements from this study:

With regard to differences between ancient and modern slavery, Harris concludes that

...whereas in many parts of the English-speaking world slavery is part of our history, in the Mediterranean lands of the first century, slavery was part of their life. This difference is a ground, I submit, not for the purging of the language of slavery from the New Testament, but for its preservation. That is, if the language of slavery is offensive, the offence would have been considerably greater for those who lived in societies where slavery was intrinsic than for us for whom slavery is simply an unpleasant and embarrassing memory. (p. 45)

From one of the most helpful sections, he deals with the NT concept of "Freedom and slavery."
...whenever people feel exhilarated at being set free, they immediately face two new dangers. The first is the danger of converting liberty into licence. Protection against this danger comes when freedom from slavery to sin leads to slavery to righteousness (...'Freedom for slavery'). Second, there is the danger of becoming enslaved to liberty. Protection against this danger comes when freedom is expressed in self-imposed slavery for the good of others (...'Freedom in slavery'). (p. 79)

Under the heading 'Freedom for slavery' he states that

although conversion to God brings release form the thraldom of sin, it marks not the end of all bondage but the beginning of a new bondage. (p. 83)

Under the heading 'Freedom in slavery' he states that

Everything is viewed in terms of freedom, nothing in terms of obligation. 'Freedom! Freedom! Freedom at all costs!' is the watch-cry, and any restriction on that freedom is regarded as an evil to be resisted. But in reality the most convincing evidence of the possession of freedom is the willingness to surrender it to achieve a worthy goal. (p. 85)

In conclusion,

So then, in true Christian liberty, freedom from is immediately succeeded by freedom for. We are set free from slavery to sin precisely in order to be free to choose slavery to Christ, a slavery of perfect freedom. As believers, we have chose to become slaves of a new Master. Such a transfer of allegiance, such an exchange of masters, saves us from falling prey to the danger of using liberty as an opportunity or pretext for evil and the danger of becoming liberty's slave. (p. 86)

What a glorious paradox! I have been set free to serve Christ! Now, this ought to inform (maybe we should say, "turn on their head") many of our conversations on "Christian liberty"! Do we really know what it means to be a slave? I appreciate the help in working through the Biblical data provided here by Murray J. Harris. I highly recommend this study to you.

Harris, Murray J. Slave of Christ: A New Testament Metaphor for Total Devotion to Christ. Edited by D. A. Carson. Downers Grove, ILL: IVP, 2001. Paperback. 224 pages.

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Slave of Christ. New Studies in Biblical Theology. | Murray J. Harris