'Slave' in the Bible

For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. 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 greater than his teacher, nor a slave greater than his master.

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

Then the slave threw himself to the ground before him, saying, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.'

The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt.

After he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe me!'

Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will repay you.'

Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, 'Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me!

Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?'

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

"Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time?

Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes.

But if that evil slave should say to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'

then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee,

His master answered, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.'

His master answered, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.'

But his master answered, 'Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn't sow and gather where I didn't scatter?

And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

But one of those with Jesus grabbed his sword, drew it out, and struck the high priest's slave, cutting off his ear.

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A slave girl came to him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean."

When he went out to the gateway, another slave girl saw him and said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."

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

At harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his portion of the crop.

But those tenants seized his slave, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

So he sent another slave to them again. This one they struck on the head and treated outrageously.

One of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the high priest's slave, cutting off his ear.

Now while Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest's slave girls came by.

When the slave girl saw him, she began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them."

A centurion there had a slave who was highly regarded, but who was sick and at the point of death.

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave.

For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. 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."

So when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.

Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns.

But if that slave should say to himself, 'My master is delayed in returning,' and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk,

then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

At the time for the banquet he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, because everything is now ready.'

So the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, 'Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.'

Then the slave said, 'Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.'

So the master said to his slave, 'Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled.

The slave replied, 'Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.'

but he answered his father, 'Look! These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends!

"Would any one of you say to your slave who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, 'Come at once and sit down for a meal'?

He won't thank the slave because he did what he was told, will he?

And the king said to him, 'Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.'

Then another slave came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina that I put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth.

The king said to him, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! So you knew, did you, that I was a severe man, withdrawing what I didn't deposit and reaping what I didn't sow?

When harvest time came, he sent a slave to the tenants so that they would give him his portion of the crop. However, the tenants beat his slave and sent him away empty-handed.

So he sent another slave. They beat this one too, treated him outrageously, and sent him away empty-handed.

Then one of them struck the high priest's slave, cutting off his right ear.

Then a slave girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight, stared at him and said, "This man was with him too!"

Jesus answered them, "I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin.

The slave does not remain in the family forever, but the son remains forever.

I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father.

Remember what I told you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too.

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest's slave, cutting off his right ear. (Now the slave's name was Malchus.)

But Simon Peter was left standing outside by the door. So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door, and brought Peter inside.

When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered.

Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great profit by fortune-telling.

From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.

Were you called as a slave? Do not worry about it. But if indeed you are able to be free, make the most of the opportunity.

For the one who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord's freedman. In the same way, the one who was called as a free person is Christ's slave.

For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people.

Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.

Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ!

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female -- for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Now I mean that the heir, as long as he is a minor, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything.

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

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

But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.

But what does the scripture say? "Throw out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the son" of the free woman.

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

because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, this will be rewarded by the Lord.

but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.

You learned the gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave -- a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf --

Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all.

Tychicus, a dear brother, faithful minister, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.

Epaphras, who is one of you and a slave of Christ, greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.

And the Lord's slave must not engage in heated disputes but be kind toward all, an apt teacher, patient,

From Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God's chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness,

no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a dear brother. He is especially so to me, and even more so to you now, both humanly speaking and in the Lord.

From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings!

From Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, have been granted a faith just as precious as ours.

From Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, wrapped in the love of God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.

Then the kings of the earth, the very important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.

He also caused everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.

to eat your fill of the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of powerful people, the flesh of horses and those who ride them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, and small and great!"