Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, …
Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, …
Titus 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, …
James 1:1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, …
2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, …
Jude 1:1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, …
BOND’SERVANT, n. [bond and servant.] A slave; one who is subjected to the authority of another, or whose person and liberty are restrained.
Are you a “Bondservant” or do you just like to pretend to be one in the crowd who “follows”.
“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. ”
– The Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You speech by John F. Kennedy
Maybe we could change this for Christians
Ask not what Christ can do for you, but as bondservants ask what you can do for Christ.
Are you a Bondservant, or are you a person who only pretends to accept Christ as “Lord” until he ask something of you. Paul, James, Peter, Timothy all called themselves Bondservants, they were committed to Christ no mater the cost.
I like 2 Corinthians 11 when Paul is describing all the things he has been through, it is sort of an oh ya and if you think you have if rough here is some of what I have been through list. He is not bragging he is saying life in Christ is not easy, never was it suppose to be. But when he gets to the end of the list he ends with “besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:28 NKJV
Paul is saying I know I have been through a lot but my heart, my deepest concern, is for the churches, for the people of Christ, for those who are also “Bondservants”, he has deep concern and wants to lift them up, to encourage them as they go through trials that there is hope. You must be a slave to Christ if you are a true follower, it will not be easy but His grace is worth it, His love is a great reward.
Bondservant
bond´sûr-vant: Appears only once in the King James Version (Lev_25:39) where it translates עבד, ‛ebhedh, “a slave”: “Thou shalt not cause him to render the service of a bondservant” or slave. the Revised Version (British and American) frequently uses bondservant (δοῦλος, doúlos) instead of the word “servant” of the King James Version (Joh_8:34, Joh_8:35; 1Co_7:21; Gal_4:7). See SLAVERY.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
From Vines NT
Servant
A. Nouns.
1. doulos (G1401), an adjective, signifying “in bondage,” Rom_6:19 (neuter plural, agreeing with mele, “members”), is used as a noun, and as the most common and general word for “servant,” frequently indicating subjection without the idea of bondage; it is used (a) of natural conditions, e.g., Mat_8:9; 1Co_7:21, 1Co_7:22 (1st part); Eph_6:5; Col_4:1; 1Ti_6:1; frequently in the four Gospels; (b) metaphorically of spiritual, moral and ethical conditions: “servants” (1) of God, e.g., Act_16:17; Tit_1:1; 1Pe_2:16; Rev_7:3; Rev_15:3; the perfect example being Christ Himself, Phi_2:7; (2) of Christ, e.g., Rom_1:1; 1Co_7:22 (2nd part); Gal_1:10; Eph_6:6; Phi_1:1; Col_4:12; Jam_1:1; 2Pe_1:1; Jud_1:1; (3) of sin, Joh_8:34 (RV, “bondservants”); Rom_6:17, Rom_6:20; (4) of corruption, 2Pe_2:19 (RV, “bondservants”); cf. the verb douloo (see B). See BONDMAN.
2. diakonos (G1249), for which see DEACON and Note there on synonymous words, is translated “servant” or “servants” in Mat_22:13 (RV marg., “ministers”); Mat_23:11 (RV marg., ditto); Mar_9:35, KJV (RV, “minister”); Joh_2:5, Joh_2:9; Joh_12:26; Rom_16:1.
3. pais (G3816), for which see CHILD, No. 4, also denotes “an attendant”; it is translated “servant” (a) of natural conditions, in Mat_8:6, Mat_8:8, Mat_8:13; Mat_14:2; Luk_7:7 (“menservants” in Luk_12:45); Luk_15:26; (b) of spiritual relation to God, (1) of Israel, Luk_1:54; (2) of David, Luk_1:69; Act_4:25; (3) of Christ, so declared by God the Father, Mat_12:18; spoken of in prayer, Act_4:27, Act_4:30, RV (KJV, “child”); the argument advanced by Dalman for the rendering “Child” in these passages, is not sufficiently valid as against the RV, “Servant” in Acts 4, and the KJV and RV in Matthew 12 (cf, e.g., the use of pais in the Sept. of Gen_41:38; Jer_36:24). The Matthew 12 passage by direct quotation, and the Acts 4 passages by implication, refer to the ideal “Servant of Jehovah” (Sept., pais Kuriou), of Isa_42:1 and following passages, thus identifying the Servant with the Lord Jesus; for the same identification, cf. Act_8:35.
4. oiketes (G3610), “a house servant” (oikeo, “to dwell,” oikos, “a house”), is translated “servant” in Luk_16:13 (RV marg., “household servant”); so Rom_14:4 and 1Pe_2:18; in Act_10:7, KJV and RV, “household servants.”
5. huperetes (G5257), for which see MINISTER, No. 3, and OFFICER, is translated “servants” in the KJV of Mat_26:58; Mar_14:65 (RV, “officers”); in Joh_18:36, KJV and RV (RV, marg., “officers”).
6. therapon (G2324), akin to therapeuo, “to serve, to heal, an attendant, servant,” is a term of dignity and freedom, used of Moses in Heb_3:5.
7. sundoulos (G4889), “a fellow servant,” is used (a) of natural conditions, Mat_18:28, Mat_18:29, Mat_18:31, Mat_18:33; Mat_24:49; (b) of “servants” of the same divine Lord, Col_1:7; Col_4:7; Rev_6:11; of angels, Rev_19:10; Rev_22:9.
Note: For misthios and misthotos, see HIRED SERVANT.
B. Verb.
douloo (G1402), “to enslave, to bring into bondage” (akin to A, No. 1), e.g., 1Co_9:19, RV, “I brought (myself) under bondage (to all),” KJV, “I made myself servant,” denotes in the passive voice, “to be brought into bondage, to become a slave or servant,” rendered “ye became servants (of righteousness)” in Rom_6:18; “being…become servants (to God),” Rom_6:22. See BONDAGE, B, No. 2.