Fellow bondservant (co-slave)(4889)

Fellow bondservant (co-slave)(4889) (sundoulos/syndoulos from sun/syn = with + doulos = bondservant) describes a "willing fellow slave," a servant who is intimately associated with another servant (or servants) by virtue of the fact that they belong to (serve) the same master. Sundoulos is used of both men and of angels (Rev. 19:10; 22:9). Strong's Definition (abbreviated from Thayer) is good - 1. a fellow servant, one who serves the same master with another a. the associate of a servant (or slave) b. one who with others serves (ministers to) a king c. a colleague of one who is Christ’s servant in publishing the gospel d. one who with others acknowledges the same Lord, Jesus, and obeys his commands e. one who with others is subject to the same divine authority in the Messianic economy 1. of angels as the fellow servants of Christians The main word doulos indicates that they had wholly surrendered their will to the master's will and were devoted to their master, even to the disregard of their own interests and/or desires. Of the 10 uses in the NT, two speak not of literal slaves but of "spiritual" slaves so to speak (Col 1:7, 4:7). Someone has well described them as "sold-out believers" belonging to each other because each belongs to Christ. Since they mutually belong to one body, the body of Christ (1Cor 6:15, 12:13, 27, cp Jn 14:20), in a sense all believers are "fellow bondservants." We all serve the Lord together as willing "love slaves," being joined to one another in Christ through His indwelling Spirit, serving the Master with Spirit produced unity (cp Eph 4:2-3). Fellow bondservants are described on earth and in heaven (Rev 6:11, Rev 19:10) and presumably all believers will in a sense be fellow bondservants in heaven throughout eternity! Paul had a strong sense of "togetherness" with his fellow laborers in the Kingdom of God. In using this description, he is saying that he and Epaphras were not their own but had been bought with the price of the blood of Christ (cf 1Cor 6:20-note, Acts 20:28, Gal 3:13, Heb 9:12, 1Pe 1:18-note, Re 5:9-note, Titus 2:14-note, 1Pe 2:9-note). They were now the property of the Lord Jesus Christ and were His slaves exclusively and eternally. They knew that no man can serve two masters (Mt 6:24-note). Paul and Epaphras had been slaves of Sin (see note on "the Sin") by their birth into Adam's likeness (Ro 5:12-note), but now they were slaves of Christ (Ro 6:18, 22-note) by virtue of their new birth. Now, as His bondslaves, they had no will of their own, no business of their own, no time of their own and were acting for their Master, Christ; dependent upon Him and obedient to Him. Paul was saying "We are slaved to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are absolutely sold out to His will. We are willing to do whatever He tells us to do. We are willing to say whatever He tells us to say (Mt 10:20). We are willing to go wherever He leads us. We are men who has made a choice. We are going to serve Him for all eternity." Sundoulos - 10x in 10v - NAS Usage: fellow bond-servant(2), fellow servant(2), fellow servants(1), fellow slave(2), fellow slaves(3). Matthew 18:28 "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' 29 "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' 31 "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 33 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' Matthew 24:49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; Colossians 1:7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, Colossians 4:7 As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information. Revelation 6:11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. Revelation 19:10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Revelation 22:9 But he said to me, "Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God." Sundoulos - 7x in the Septuagint - Ezra 4:7, 9, 17, 23; 5:3, 6; 6:6, 13 The will of the doulos is consumed in the will of the master. In sum a bondservant is one who is absolutely surrendered and totally devoted to his master. What a picture of Paul and Epaphras' relation to their Lord! What an example for all believers of every age to emulate! In the Greek culture doulos usually referred to the involuntary, permanent service of a slave, but the use in the epistles of Paul and Peter elevates the meaning of doulos to the Hebrew sense which describes a servant who willingly commits himself to serve a master he loves and respects (cp Ex 21:5, 6 Dt 15:12, 13, 14, 15, 16). By Roman times, slavery was so extensive that in the early Christian period one out of every two people was a slave! From at least 3000BC captives in war were the primary source of slaves. Matthew Henry - "The highest honor of the greatest apostle, and most eminent ministers, is to be the servants of Jesus Christ; not the masters of the churches, but the servants of Christ." Kenneth Wuest explains that a doulos as "the most abject, servile term used by the Greeks to denote a slave. The word designated one who was born as a slave, one who was bound to his master in chords so strong that only death could break them, one who served his master to the disregard of his own interests, one whose will was swallowed up in the will of his master. Paul was born a slave of sin at his physical birth, and a bondslave of his Lord through regeneration. (Note: There was another word, andrapodon which was person taken prisoner in war and sold into slavery) The chords that bound him to his old master Satan, were rent asunder in his identification with Christ in the latter’s death (Ro 6). The chords that bind him to his new Master will never be broken since the new Master will never die again, and is Paul’s new life (Php 1:21-note, Col 3:3,4-note). He has changed masters because he has a new nature (2Cor 5:17-note, 2Pe 1:3,4-note), the divine, and the evil nature which compelled him to serve the Devil has had its power over him broken (Col 1:13-note, He 2:14, 15- note). Paul’s will, at one time swallowed up in the will of Satan, now is swallowed up in the sweet will of God. The reader will observe how wonderfully God has watched over the development of the Greek language so that at the time it was needed as the medium through which He would give His New Testament revelation to the human race, its words were fit receptacles and efficient instruments for the conveyance of His message to man. Paul calls himself a bondslave of Christ Jesus... The apostle is proud of the fact that he is a slave belonging to his Lord. There were certain individuals in the Roman empire designated “Slaves of the Emperor.” This was a position of honor. One finds a reflection of this in Paul’s act of designating himself as a slave of the King of kings. He puts this ahead of his apostleship." (Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament) (Bolding added) ><>><>><> CHUMS (ILLUSTRATION of "SUNDOULOS") - In 19th-century England, debtors’ prison housed those unfortunate souls who couldn’t pay their bills. New prisoners were escorted to the “chummage,” a prison dormitory. Since the people were not there for violent crimes, a spirit of trust and camaraderie soon developed. They played games together and had plenty to eat. Some were even allowed private rooms. In time, the prisoners began to refer to each other as “chums.” Later, the word caught on outside the prison walls and took on the meaning of “a cordial friend.” Deep bonds of friendship also take place in Christian ministry. Those who worked alongside Paul were not strangers to persecution and imprisonment. But a common mission created a deep sense of connectedness. In his letter to the believers in Colossae, Paul called Epaphras a “fellow servant” (SUNDOULOS) (Col 1:7). The term can be paraphrased as “together slave” or “one who serves the same master with another.” When believers live under the lordship of Christ, they can see their lives intertwined in service. By serving as slaves to Christ, a spiritual camaraderie results that transcends being “chums.” And that special relationship will continue on into eternity! - by Dennis Fisher Working together with others, Serving the Lord day or night, Telling the story of Jesus Promises endless delight. —Hess Christians stand strong when they stand together

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Fellow bondservant (co-slave)(4889)

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