'Slave' in the Bible

“No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.

For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.

It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!

“At this, the slave fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything!’

Then the master of that slave had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

“But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’

“At this, his fellow slave fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

“Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’

and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave;

“Who then is a faithful and sensible slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time?

That slave whose master finds him working when he comes will be rewarded.

But if that wicked slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’

“But his master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy slave! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered,

And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his ear.

and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all.

At harvest time he sent a slave to the farmers to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard from the farmers.

Again he sent another slave to them, and they hit him on the head and treated him shamefully.

And one of those who stood by drew his sword, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his ear.

“I am the Lord’s slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

because He has looked with favoron the humble condition of His slave.Surely, from now on all generationswill call me blessed,

Now, Master,You can dismiss Your slave in peace,as You promised.

A centurion’s slave, who was highly valued by him, was sick and about to die.

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, requesting Him to come and save the life of his slave.

For I too am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

That slave whose master finds him working when he comes will be rewarded.

But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female slaves, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

And that slave who knew his master’s will and didn’t prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten.

At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’

“So the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame!’

“‘Master,’ the slave said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’

“Then the master told the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.

No household slave can be the slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t be slaves to both God and money.”

“Which one of you having a slave tending sheep or plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?

Does he thank that slave because he did what was commanded?

“‘Well done, good slave!’ he told him. ‘Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.’

“He told him, ‘I will judge you by what you have said, you evil slave! If you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow,

At harvest time he sent a slave to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

He sent yet another slave, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

Then one of them struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his right ear.

Jesus responded, “I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.

A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever.

“I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him.

I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father.

Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours.

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. (The slave’s name was Malchus.)

Then the slave girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?”“I am not!” he said.

Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit of prediction. She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling.

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and singled out for God’s good news—

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.

Who are you to criticize another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able to make him stand.

Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.

For he who is called by the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called as a free man is Christ’s slave.

Although I am a free man and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people.

For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith.

But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the owner of everything.

So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman.

But the one by the slave was born according to the impulse of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.

But what does the Scripture say?Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman.

Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord.

Instead He emptied Himselfby assuming the form of a slave,taking on the likeness of men.And when He had come as a manin His external form,

You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow slave. He is a faithful servant of the Messiah on your behalf,

In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.

Tychicus, our dearly loved brother, faithful servant, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a slave of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always contending for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God wills.

The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient,

Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,

no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but even more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ:To the 12 tribes in the Dispersion.Greetings.

Simeon Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ:To those who have obtained a faith of equal privilege with ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James:To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.

The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave Him to show His slaves what must quickly take place. He sent it and signified it through His angel to His slave John,

Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the military commanders, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

And he requires everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,

Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers who have the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, because the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.”

But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”