Thematic Bible: Servant


Thematic Bible




Which one, indeed, is the greater, the guest at the table or the servant who waits on him? Is it not the guest at the table? But I am among you as the servant who waits on you. Verse ConceptsTablesJesus Christ, Meekness OfChrist, Character OfHumility Of ChristReclining To EatServing PeopleServing

got up from the table, took off His outer clothes, and took a towel and tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel which was around His waist.



"Do not injure the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we mark the slaves of our God with His seal on their foreheads." Verse ConceptsForeheadsRestraintDivine Protection, Examples OfHarming TreesSlaves Of GodhurtingChristians Are Called Servants Of God



As for us apostles, men ought to think of us as ministers of Christ and trustees to handle God's uncovered truths. Verse ConceptsApostles, Function In Early ChurchBeing A ServantSecrecyMinisters, Description OfResponsibilityVolunteeringMoney Managementsecrets


"Who then is the faithful and thoughtful slave, whom his master put in charge of his household, to deal out to the members of it their supplies at the proper time? Blessed is that slave if, when his master comes back, he finds him so doing. I solemnly say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. read more.
But if the slave is bad and says to himself, 'My master is going to be gone a long time,' and begins to beat his fellow-slaves, and keeps on eating and drinking with those who get drunk, the master of that slave will come on the very day he is not expecting him, and will cut him in two, and give him his share with the hypocrites, where they will weep and grind their teeth."




"You must keep your belts tight and your lamps burning, and be like men waiting for their master when he comes home from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they at once may open the door for him. Happy are those slaves whom the master, when he comes, will find on the watch for him. I solemnly say to you, he will tighten his belt and have them sit at table, and he will go around and wait on them. read more.
Whether he comes before or after midnight, if he finds them so, happy are they. But be sure of this, that if the master of the house had known what time the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. So you, too, must always be ready, for at an hour that you are not expecting, the Son of Man will come." Peter said to Him, "Lord, do you mean this story for us, or is it for everybody?" And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful, thoughtful manager whom his master will put in charge of his household, to give out the supplies at the proper time? Happy is that slave whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. I tell you truly, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that slave says to himself, my Master is not coming back for a long time, and begins to beat the men and women slaves, and to eat and drink and get drunk, his master will come back some day when he is not expecting him, and at an hour of which he is not aware, and will cut him in two, and give him his share with the unfaithful. That slave who knows his master's wishes and does not get ready or act upon them will be severely punished. But the one who does wrong without knowing it will be lightly punished. Much will be demanded from anyone to whom much has been given; yea, people will demand much more from anyone to whom they have entrusted much.

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"What man among you, if he has a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come at once and take your seat at the table,' but will not rather say to him, 'Get my supper ready, and dress yourself and wait on me until I eat and drink, and you yourself can eat and drink afterward'? Does he praise the slave for doing what he was ordered to do?

and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and we never have been anybody's slaves. How can you say to us, 'You will be set free'?" Jesus answered them, "I most solemnly say to you, everyone who lives in sin is a slave of sin. read more.
Now a slave does not live permanently in a household, but a son does.

Do you not know that when you habitually offer yourselves to anyone for obedience to him, you are slaves to that one whom you are in the habit of obeying, whether it is the slavery to sin whose end is death or to obedience whose end is right-doing? But, thank God, that though you once were slaves of sin, you became obedient from your hearts to that form of teaching in which you have been instructed, and since you have been freed from sin, you have become the slaves of right-doing. read more.
I am speaking in familiar human terms because of the frailty of your nature. For just as you formerly offered the parts of your bodies in slavery to impurity and to ever increasing lawlessness, so now you must once for all offer them in slavery to right-doing, which leads to consecration. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free so far as doing right was concerned. What benefit did you then derive from doing the things of which you are now ashamed? None, for they end in death. But now, since you have been freed from sin and have become the slaves of God, the immediate result is consecration, and the final destiny is eternal life.

Were you called while a slave? Stop letting that annoy you. Yet, if you can win your freedom, take advantage of such an opportunity. For the slave who has been called to union with the Lord is the Lord's freedman; in the same way the freeman who has been called is a slave of Christ. You have been bought and actually paid for; stop becoming slaves to men.


For the Scripture says, "You must not muzzle an ox when he is treading out the grain," and, "The workman deserves his pay." Verse ConceptsEmploymentMastersMinistry, In The ChurchThreshingWord Of GodMuzzlingOxenBinding As AnimalsScripture SaysSpecial RevelationRewardWorth





Stay on at the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the workman deserves his support. Do not keep moving about from house to house. Verse ConceptsDiligence, Rewards OfGuestsHelpfulnessMastersMinistry, In The ChurchServants, Working Conditions OfValuesWagesEmployeesSocial FellowshipMotionlessnessStaying PutPeople EatingSpecial RevelationMoving To A New Place

Now when a workman gets his pay, it is not considered from the point of view of a favor but of an obligation; Verse ConceptsReward, HumanServants, Working Conditions OfOne's DeedsRighteousness imputedDebtWorking For GodWork Ethicworking



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Do not accept gold or silver or even copper money for your purse, and do not take a bag for your journey, nor two shirts, nor any shoes, nor a staff, for the workman deserves his support.

cinnamon, spices, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, slaves, and the lives of human beings. Verse ConceptsBabylonFrankincensePerfumeSpirit, Nature OfTradeCinnamonCommerceProviding WineProvision Of OilGroups Of Slaves


































cinnamon, spices, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, slaves, and the lives of human beings. Verse ConceptsBabylonFrankincensePerfumeSpirit, Nature OfTradeCinnamonCommerceProviding WineProvision Of OilGroups Of Slaves



the immoral, men who practice sodomy, men who make other men their slaves, liars, perjurers, or anything else that is contrary to sound teaching, Verse ConceptsTradeSound DoctrineThe End Of LiarsDefilementgaysSexual ImmoralityBeing GayGay MarriageSame Sex MarriageSexual Purity




Were you called while a slave? Stop letting that annoy you. Yet, if you can win your freedom, take advantage of such an opportunity. For the slave who has been called to union with the Lord is the Lord's freedman; in the same way the freeman who has been called is a slave of Christ.











Were you called while a slave? Stop letting that annoy you. Yet, if you can win your freedom, take advantage of such an opportunity. Verse ConceptsCivil LibertySlavesConsider Your Call To SalvationPeople Freeing SlavesOpportunityReligious FreedomslaveryFreedomPositive ThinkingBeing ContentMoralityfree
















and delivered him from all his troubles, and allowed him to win favor and to show wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and so he appointed Joseph governor of Egypt and of his whole household. Verse ConceptsGiving, Of TalentsDiscernment Of GovernorsRescueRulersWisdom, Human ImportanceGod Gives WisdomAfflictions


Because I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt and heard their groans, I have come down to deliver them. So come! I will send you back to Egypt as my messenger.' Verse ConceptsAnswered PrayerOppression, God's Attitude ToRescueAnswered PromisesGod Seeing Their AfflictionGod Saving From EnemiesOppressorsGod Sending His SonGod Sending Prophets


By taking a cunning advantage of our race he oppressed our forefathers by forcing them to expose their infants so that they should not live. Verse ConceptsSanctity Of LifeInfanticideOppressorsKilling Sons And DaughtersThe Death Of Babies

Then the man who had received the one thousand came up and said, 'Master, I knew you were a hard man, who reaped where you had not sown, who gathered where you had not threshed. So I was afraid, and went off and buried your thousand dollars in the ground. Here is your money.' His master answered him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reaped where I had not sown and gathered where I had not threshed. read more.
So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, so that when I came back I could have collected my principal with interest. So take the thousand dollars away from him and give it to him who has ten thousand. For the man who has will have more given to him, even till it overflows, but from the man who has nothing even what he has will be taken away. And throw the good-for-nothing slave out into the darkness on the outside, where he will weep and grind his teeth.'

But another one came in and said, 'Here is your twenty dollars, sir, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief. For I lived in constant dread of you, because you are a stern man, you pick up what you did not put down, you reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, 'On the ground of what you say I will sentence you, you wicked slave! You knew that I was a stern man, that I picked up what I did not put down, and reaped what I did not sow. read more.
So why did you not put my money into the bank? In that case, when I came back I could have gotten interest on my principal.' So he said to the bystanders, 'Take the twenty dollars away from him and give it to the man who has the two hundred.' And they said, 'Sir, he has two hundred already.' 'I tell you, the man who gets will have more given to him, but the man who does not get will have even what he has taken away from him!

"For it is just like a man who was going on a long journey from his homeland, who called to him his slaves and turned his property over to them. He gave one five thousand dollars, another two thousand, another one thousand, to each in accordance with his ability. Then he started on his long journey. The man who had received the five thousand dollars at once went out and invested it, and made five thousand more. read more.
In the same way the man who had received the two thousand made two thousand more. But the man who had received the one thousand went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long time the master of those slaves came back and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five thousand dollars came up and brought him five thousand more, saying, 'You turned over to me five thousand dollars; here are five thousand more I made.' His master said to him 'Well done, my good and faithful slave, you have been faithful in the use of a small amount; I will put you in charge of a larger one. Come, share your master's joy!' Then the man who had received the two thousand came up and said, 'Master, you turned over to me two thousand dollars; here are two thousand more I made.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful slave, you have been faithful in the use of a small amount; I will put you in charge of a larger one. Come, share your master's joy!'

So He said: "Once upon a time a man of noble birth went off to a distant country to get for himself a kingdom and then return. He called in ten of his slaves and gave them twenty dollars apiece and told them to do business with his money while he was gone. But his citizens continued to hate him, and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We do not want this man to become king over us.' read more.
Then after he had gotten the appointment as king, he returned and ordered those slaves to whom he had given his money to be called in, that he might find out what business they had done. Now the first one came in and said, 'Your twenty dollars, sir, has made two hundred more.' So he said to him, 'Well done, my good slave! Because you have proven dependable in a very small business, be governor of ten cities!' The second one came in and said, 'Your twenty dollars, sir, has made a hundred!' So he said to him too, 'Be governor of five cities?




"Listen to another story. There was once an owner of an estate who planted a vineyard and built a fence around it, and hewed out a wine-vat in it, and built a tower, and rented it to tenant farmers, and then went abroad. But when the time for gathering grapes was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his rent. But the tenants took his slaves and beat the first one, killed the second, and stoned the third. read more.
Again he sent other slaves, and more than at first, and they treated them exactly the same way. At last he sent his son to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is his heir, come on, let us kill him, and get all that is coming to him!' So they took him and drove him out of the vineyard and murdered him. Now when the owner of the estate comes back, what will he do to these tenants?" They answered, "In vengeance he will put the scoundrels to death, and rent the vineyard to other tenants who will promptly pay him the rent."

Then He began to speak to them in stories. "A man once planted a vineyard and fenced it in and hewed out a wine-vat and built a watchtower; then he rented it to tenant farmers, and went abroad. At the proper time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect his part of the grape crop. But they took him and beat him and sent him back empty-handed. read more.
And again he sent another slave to them, and they beat his head and treated him shamefully. Then he sent a third one, and they killed him, and many others, some of whom they beat, some they killed. He had one more to send, his dearly loved son; at last he sent him to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.' But those tenants said among themselves, 'This is his heir; come on, let us kill him, and all that is coming to him will be ours.' So they took him and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come back and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.













But the captain answered, "I am not fit for you to come under my roof, but simply speak the word, and my servant-boy will be cured. For I, too, am under authority of others, and have soldiers under me, and I order this one to go, and he goes, another to come, and he comes, my slave-boy to do this, and he does it." When Jesus heard it, He was astounded, and said to His followers, "I solemnly say to you, I have not found, in a single case among the Jews, so great faith as this. read more.
I tell you, many will come from the east and from the west and take their seats at the feast with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, 'in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be turned out into the darkness outside, where they will be weeping and grinding their teeth." Then Jesus said to the captain, "Go; it must be done for you as you have believed." And his servant-boy was cured that very hour.

There was a Roman captain who had a slave that was very dear to him, and he was sick and at the point of death, When the captain heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, to ask Him to come and bring his slave safe through the illness. So they went to Jesus and continued to urge Him earnestly, saying, "He deserves that you do this for him, read more.
for he loves our nation, and he is the man who built us our synagogue." Then Jesus started to go with them. But when He was not far from the house, the captain sent friends to say to Him, "My Lord, stop troubling yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. And so I did not deem myself worthy even to come to you. But simply speak the word, and let my servant-boy be cured. For I too am under authority of others, and have soldiers under me, and I order one to go, and he goes, another to come, and he comes, my slave to do this, and he does it." When Jesus heard this, He was astounded at him, and turning to the crowd that was following Him He said, "I tell you, I have not found, in a single case among the Jews, so great faith as this!" Then the messengers returned to the house and found the slave well.












And because he could not pay it, his master ordered him to be sold, yea, even his wife and children and all he had, and payment to be made. Verse ConceptsLordship, Human And DivineDebtorsOther WivesSettling AccountsUnable To Do Other ThingsDebt



While Peter was down in the courtyard, one of the high priest's waiting girls came up, Verse ConceptsCourtyard



You slave-owners, too, must maintain the same attitude toward your slaves, and stop threatening them, for you know that their real Lord and yours is in heaven, and that He never shows partiality. Verse ConceptsequalityBeing FairAbuse Of Authority, Warnings AgainstGod, Justice OfGod, Impartiality OfMastersPrejudiceServants, Working Conditions OfSlavery, In NtThreatsMasters Duties Towards ServantsEmployersChrist And HeavenChrist Is My LordslaveryRespectTreating OthersNever Giving Up













So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, and he sent him to his fields to feed hogs. And often he craved to fill himself with the carob-pods which the hogs were eating, and nobody gave him a bite. Then he came to himself and said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more to eat than they need, and here I am dying of hunger! read more.
I will get up and go to my father, and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your opinion; I no longer deserve to be called your son; just treat me like one of your hired men."'

Then he came to himself and said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more to eat than they need, and here I am dying of hunger! Verse ConceptsSelf KnowledgeRegaining SanitySoliloquyNo FoodDeath Of A Fatherhomecoming

I no longer deserve to be called your son; just treat me like one of your hired men."' Verse ConceptsServants Of The Lord








"For the kingdom of heaven is like an owner of an estate who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had contracted with the laborers at twenty cents a day, he sent them off to his vineyard. He went out again about nine o'clock and found others standing around doing nothing. read more.
So he said to them, 'You too go out to my vineyard, and I will pay you what is right.' And they went. Again he went out about twelve o'clock and three o'clock, and did as before. About five he went out again and found still others standing around, and he said to them, 'Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?' They answered him, 'Because nobody has hired us.' He said to them, 'You too go out to my vineyard.' "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first.' And they who had been hired at five o'clock came and received twenty cents each. And those who were hired first, when they came, supposed that they would receive more, but they too received twenty cents each. And as they received it, they began to grumble against the owner of the estate, and say, 'These last worked only one hour, and yet you have put them on the same footing with us who have borne the heavy burdens and scorching heat of the day.' But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no injustice. Did you not contract with me at twenty cents? Take what belongs to you and go. I want to give this man hired last as much as I do you. Have I not the right to do what I please with my own money? Or, is your eye causing you to be covetous, because I am generous?




"For the kingdom of heaven is like an owner of an estate who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had contracted with the laborers at twenty cents a day, he sent them off to his vineyard. He went out again about nine o'clock and found others standing around doing nothing.






Once he proved to be useless, but now he is useful to you and me; Verse ConceptsUseless PeopleUseful People


Once he proved to be useless, but now he is useful to you and me; Verse ConceptsUseless PeopleUseful People



I write you in perfect confidence in your compliance with my wish, because I am sure that you will do even more than I ask.



I write you in perfect confidence in your compliance with my wish, because I am sure that you will do even more than I ask.


After the angel who had spoken to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants, and a religious soldier who was one of his devoted attendants, Verse ConceptsDevout MenTwo Other Men

When he had contracted with the laborers at twenty cents a day, he sent them off to his vineyard. Verse ConceptsAgreeing For GoodMoney, Uses OfNegotiationCoinsAgreeingOnce A Day


For I, too, am under authority of others, and have soldiers under me, and I order this one to go, and he goes, another to come, and he comes, my slave-boy to do this, and he does it." Verse ConceptsCommands, in NTServants, GoodHuman Authority, Nature OfAuthority Delegated To PeopleMen's OrdersObeying PeopleExamples Of Good Servants


But members of the synagogue known as that of the Libyans, Cyreneans, and Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia, got to debating with Stephen, Verse ConceptsAlexandria The CityConfrontationMissionaries, Support ForSynagogueGod, Impartiality OfFalse Teachers, Examples OfDisputes