δούλος ο. (doulos)
Often times translated "servants" or "bondservants" but more accurately translated "slaves".
In fact John MacArthur says that there are 6 greek words for "servant", however "doulos" is not one of them. "Doulos" ALWAYS means "slave".
Here is what Johnny Mac says about what it meant to be a slave:
"Now if you don’t grasp that idea of slavery and a lot of us, we miss it because it’s been hidden from our English text, it’s hard for us to really understand the essence of what it is to be a Christian. You are a slave of Jesus Christ. You are owned. You have been purchased by His blood, Acts 20. You have been bought, not with silver and gold, but with...what?...1 Peter 1:18 and 19, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. You have been purchased, Revelation 5:9. You have no independent rights. Slaves had no rights. Slaves owned nothing. They could not own their own property. In the eyes of the law they were not citizens, they could hold no public office. They were completely under the discretion and the provision and the protection and the care and the abuse in an earthly sense of their owner."
This is what it all came down to in my life. Submitting to Christ's rule of my life. I am enslaved. I was enabled to submit to Him by his effectual grace... and it is by grace that I rejoice at being His slave. I live to be his slave! It is my JOY!
I long to hear the words of Matthew 25:21: "Well done good and faithful.... SLAVE."
