Slaves are not us: what is the meaning of the term “Servant of God”? What does a servant of God mean in Orthodoxy? Why a servant of God and not a son
The naming of believers as servants of God dates back to the time of the Exodus from Egypt. In Leviticus 25:55 the Lord says of the children of Israel, "They are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt." Here we are talking not only about dependence on God, but also about liberation from human slavery: they were slaves of the Egyptians - now only My slaves. The prophet Nehemiah calls the Israelites God's servants in his prayer (Neh. 1:10), which is again dedicated to deliverance - this time from the Babylonian captivity. Prophets are also called servants of God (2 Kings 24:2), and from the context it is clear that this emphasizes their independence from secular power. The psalmist repeatedly calls himself a servant of God (Ps. 116:7, 118, 134). In the book of the prophet Isaiah, the Lord tells Israel: “You are My servant. I have chosen you and will not reject you” (Isaiah 41:9).
The apostles call themselves servants of God (or Christ's) (Rom. 1:1, 2 Peter 1:1, James 1:1, Jude 1:1), and this sounds like an honorary title, a sign of chosenness and apostolic authority. The Apostle Paul calls all believing Christians servants of God. Christians "have been set free from sin and become servants of God" (Rom. 6:22), "freedom of glory" (Rom. 8:21) and "eternal life" (Rom. 6:22) await them. For the apostle Paul, bondage to God is synonymous with liberation from the power of sin and death.
We often take the phrase "servant of God" as a sign of exaggerated self-abasement, although it is easy to see that this very aspect is missing from the biblical usage. What's the matter? The fact is that in the old days, when this terminology arose, the word "slave" simply did not have the negative connotation that it had taken over the past 2-3 centuries. The slave-master relationship was mutual. The slave was not free and completely dependent on the will of the owner, but the owner was obliged to support, feed, clothe him. For a good master, the fate of a slave was quite decent - the slave felt safe and was provided with everything necessary for life. God is a good master and a powerful master. Calling a person a servant of God is an accurate definition of his actual position, and does not at all mean artificial self-abasement, as many people think.
Indeed, a slave is just a worker who cannot change the owner and is completely dependent on him. The master for the slave is the king and god, he judges the slave at his own discretion and is free to reward or punish. The relationship between a slave and a master is eternal, unchangeable and unconditional. A slave must love his master simply because that is the only reasonable possibility for him. Not to love your master and not to try for him for a slave is stupid and pointless. We have approximately the same degree of freedom. Since we live in a world created by God and are forced to put up with the laws and restrictions appointed by Him, we are the slaves of this world and the slaves of the master of this world, i.e. God. We are completely dependent on him and cannot change the owner in any way. He is free to punish or reward us, and no law is written to Him. Therefore, we are the servants of God, and there is nothing particularly new for us in this. In any case, we are His slaves, but we can choose how we treat our master and how conscientiously we do our work.
The modern expression "slave labor", which has a negative connotation, does not at all reflect the point of view of those times when slavery was a common everyday occurrence, and slaves could be used in any job. In the well-known Gospel parable about the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), three slaves receive a very significant amount of money for a year: one - 5 talents, the other - two, and the third - one. The first and second slaves double their sum, and the master, returning, praises them and gives them what they have earned. The third slave, who buried his talent and returned to the owner only what he received, will be punished for laziness. Here it is worth paying attention to the following: (1) slaves receive huge sums at their disposal for a long time: (talent is about 40 kg of silver); (2) slaves are expected to have initiative and acumen very similar to what is required of today's businessmen; (3) the master rewards and punishes the slaves at his own discretion - that's why he is the master. The incredible size of the sums entrusted to the slaves indicates the allegorical nature of the parable, which is an accurate illustration of our relationship with God. We also receive for temporary use very valuable gifts (primarily our own life), i.e. dispose of huge values that do not belong to us. We are expected to take creative initiative in judicious disposal of what is entrusted to us. God, our master, will judge us according to his master's will.
The solution to the problem is not to put up with the "unpleasant" title "Servant of God" and perceive it as a sign of heightened humility, but to think carefully and understand that this title expresses the actual essence of the real relationship of any person with God.
Interestingly, if the Russian Orthodox call themselves "God's servant", "God's servant", then European Christians prefer to use self-names that are more pleasing to the modern ear, which are essentially less accurate. English-speaking Orthodox, for example, call themselves "servant of the Lord" (servant of God) and "handmaid of the Lord" (servant of God). It sounds nicer, but a servant or maid can change master, but a slave cannot. But we obviously cannot change God, because there is simply no other.
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Servant of God... Who can be called that if this phrase has a certain meaning - unquestioning obedience to the will of the Lord, which means life in Christ: a life without sins, in love for one's neighbor? Even holy people considered themselves sinful, therefore, in the ideal sense, one cannot call anyone on Earth a servant of God. Or all people, as part of this world that God created, are His slaves, some of whom have come closer to Him, say, by one percent, and others by ninety-nine. Or maybe the servant of God is the one who, being a great sinner, has realized his sinfulness and, stumbling and falling, is slowly approaching the Almighty?
Among Orthodox Christians there are a lot of people who look like Pharisees, there are those who come to church by chance, and those who read the Bible, attend church, go to confession, but steal every day, become a multimillionaire. How to be? Are they also considered servants of God, just because they once passed the rite of baptism? Or maybe the true servant of God is Solzhenitsyn's superstitious pagan Matryona, who "had fewer sins than a cat"? A pagan, but "a righteous man, without whom neither the village, nor the city, nor our whole land stands."
Sergey Khudiev
Somehow, the story of a man who was in Athens and found that in the Greek Church the parishioners are called “children of God”, and not “servants of God”, as in the Russian Church, was circulating on the Internet. From this, deep conclusions were drawn about the difference in the mentalities of Russian and Greek churchmen. Of course, this case itself is a pure misunderstanding, if this person was familiar with the New Testament, he would know that in it the apostles call Christians both servants and children of God, just as both terms are present in both Greek and Greek worship. and Russian Orthodox Churches.
When I call myself a “slave of Jesus Christ,” I experience some trepidation - this is how the holy apostle Paul, the holy apostle Peter, other apostles of Christ, the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer, and many other martyrs, saints, ascetics, fathers and teachers of the Church called themselves.
To stand in this line, to say: I, too, like these people, "a servant of Jesus Christ" - would be inappropriate impudence. “Apostle Paul and I are servants of Jesus Christ!” But I decide to do this only because the Scripture calls all Christians the slaves of Jesus Christ. This precious title was bestowed on me in Baptism, and I bear it - not with pride, I did not deserve it and could not - but with amazement that such a great honor was given to me.
Moreover, in the Bible, Jesus himself is called a servant of God: “Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted, and exalted, and magnified” (Isaiah 52:13).
But the modern world rages for equality
But the very naming of Christians as “servants of God” serves as a kind of stumble for non-church people. This is understandable - the word "slave" in modern language is sharply negative. A slave is someone who is perceived as a thing, a “talking tool”, whose desires, interests or human dignity are of no interest to anyone. Someone who can be exploited, mistreated - even killed - with impunity. The very institution of slavery is repugnant, and everyone agrees that it should be eradicated and persecuted.
This is clear; people are sinful, and this manifests itself the more noticeably, the more power a person has over others. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The tyrant boss is forced to restrain himself, because there are other employers in the world to whom workers can, in the end, leave. But in a situation where it is impossible to leave, there is no one to complain to, and only such a weak deterrent remains that slaves are still valuable property, human sin crawls out in all its naked ugliness.
It is terrible to find yourself in the complete, undivided power of your neighbor - because you cannot rely on his good will. That is why we fear and resent slavery.
We are afraid and do not trust each other - and we have good reasons for this.
The modern world vehemently demands equality - because anyone with a higher status will certainly use it to oppress and oppress their fellows. Equality, of course, is unattainable - in any corporation, society, state, hierarchies are immediately built up, without this it is impossible - but at least it should be strived for.
It is impossible to do without the power of some people over others - but, at least, it must be furnished with checks and balances, laws and job descriptions, so that this power is as far as possible from absolute. The price of freedom is unceasing vigilance. You gape - and your neighbors will immediately hang a yoke on you.
Not low servility, but heartfelt devotion
But we also know glimpses of some other world. In our world there is not only exploitation - and violent attempts to avoid this exploitation. There is love in our world. As the bride says in the Song of Songs, "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine" (Song 6:3). Belonging to another person is not always a source of threat. Sometimes - as for lovers - it is a source of deep joy, happiness, fullness of life. The child is in the power of the parents - and this (except for a small number of tragic cases) is good and right, they love him, they take care of him.
We cannot imagine a relationship of trust and devotion between servant and master, master and slaves - but this sometimes happened. As, for example, it is narrated in the book of Genesis, "Abram, having heard that his kinsman was taken captive, armed his servants born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued [enemies] to Dan" (Genesis 14:14). Abram armed his slaves, being sure that they would not turn their weapons against him, would not run away, but would fight and endanger their lives for their master - and this is fully justified.
This happened - not low servility, but heartfelt devotion; not lordly tyranny - but paternal care. Alas, not too often - we live in a fallen world. But the very word "slave" could also mean something else - and cause a completely different chain of associations than ours.
It could be an expression of gratitude and devotion - the ruler amazed the people with his generous benefactions, and they recognized themselves as his slaves. It could be an expression of belonging - as people today are acutely aware of their belonging to a nationality, to a party or country.
Devotion to the individual has almost disappeared from our world. But in the ancient world (as well as in the medieval one), everyone understood what was at stake. A medieval king might exclaim in the thick of battle, "Those who love me, follow me!" - and followed him.
The word "slave" could mean complete trust - "I belong to you."
The lord of the universe took the form of a slave
And in the Christian context, among the apostles, among the holy fathers, “servant of God” is a very warm word. God in Jesus Christ became a man, died and rose again, and gave us life eternal and blessed. Now we, the servants of God, belong to Him, we live in His house, hallelujah!
He Who has absolute power became a man, suffered torment and death at the hands of His rebellious creatures for their salvation.
“Jesus, having called them, said to them: You know that those who are revered as princes of the nations rule over them, and their nobles rule over them. But let it not be so among you: but whoever wants to be great among you, let us be your servant; and whoever wants to be first among you, let him be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-45).
God completely gave Himself to creation - the Lord of the universe took the form of a slave in order to raise fallen people to himself. Faith responds with grateful devotion - now we belong to You. We are God's servants.
Good afternoon, our dear visitors!
Orthodox Christians call themselves - servants of God. Why "slaves" and not friends or sons? Who is a servant of God? And why should we here on earth be servants of God?
Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin) answers this question:
“Some of us, from modern people, brought up in the spirit of pride, the word “slave” seems offensive, incomprehensible.
But if you just think about it, what a great honor it is to be a servant of God! The slave belongs to his master. If only we could belong to the Lord with all our minds, all our hearts and souls! If we are not slaves of God, then we are slaves of this world, slaves of the devil, slaves of our own egoism.
Then, the word "slave" comes from "to work, to labor." Our life should be labor to the glory of God, if we are His true servants.
Once upon a time, long before the birth of Christ, there lived a famous philosopher named Socrates. On the birthday of this philosopher, his students came to him, and each brought him something as a gift.
But one student was so poor that he had nothing, and while Socrates was congratulating, he sat downcast. He was the last to stand up and said: “Dear master! You know that I am a beggar, I have nothing to give you. My only gift is that I give myself to you as a slave. Do with me what you want!”
And Socrates said: “This is the most precious gift for me. I accept it, but only in order to return you later to yourself in an even better form!
A servant of God is one who tries to subordinate his will to the will of God. This is not lack of will and not a renunciation of one's personality, but the highest act of will.
God is our Father, but we must earn the right to be called children of God. Man is the image of God, but distorted and stained with sins. Therefore, we must go through the stages of struggle with sin.
The first of these is the degree of a slave; but we must remember that God is not a slave owner, but we need this slavery, because it brings us back from sin to ourselves, and from ourselves to God. In this slavery - liberation from slavery to sin and the demon, therefore, in it - the beginning of great freedom.
So, here on earth we must be servants of God, so as not to become slaves of our passions and sins, so that in the Kingdom of Heaven we will no longer be called slaves, but sons of God by grace.
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In church life there are various rites, sacraments, which are very often used and we are already used to them. As well as some church words become so familiar to us that sometimes we don’t even think about their meaning. So there is a lot of controversy about the use of such an expression as "God's servant." Some believe that such a statement humiliates human dignity. But before making hasty conclusions, it is worth understanding why the parishioners are called servants of God.
Why say the servant of God
In order to get away from insults and insults, one should not borrow legal or social concepts and transfer them to interpretations of higher reality. Our spirituality must be free from worldly notions. The main purpose of the Lord is to bring everyone to eternal life. If human nature is damaged by sin, then he must not only believe in God, but also completely and completely follow his good will.
It is in the Holy Scriptures that it is said about such a person that if he renounced his sinful thoughts and deeds and surrendered to the saving will of the Lord, then he is called a "servant of God." In biblical texts, this title is honorific.
There are several interpretations of what a servant of God or a servant of God means:
- In Judah, the word "slave" did not carry a pejorative meaning in its context. It simply meant a worker.
- The main task of the Lord is to desire only good things for us and lead us to perfection. It is precisely the submission of his will that there is nothing humiliating in itself.
- The emotional component of this phrase should draw our attention to the degree of trust in the Lord and our fidelity to him. We should not turn to him only when necessary and in difficult times.
- It is also necessary to recall the historical features of the time when the slaveholding order existed. There were only slaves and their mercenaries. But in this case, the "slave" is not a disenfranchised being.
- Why a servant of God and not a son of God? It is believed that the relationship between the Lord and man must go through certain stages of development: a slave, a mercenary and a son. This classification is found in the parable of the prodigal son.
As the church explains
Many clergy say that the emphasis in the phrase "God's servant" should be placed on the second word. If you relate to the Lord, then you cannot be anyone else. Becoming a servant of God means gaining incredible freedom. "Slavery" to the Lord is also considered a greater measure of freedom than slavery over one's passions and stereotypes.
For a very long time, this question has been worrying about: why in Orthodoxy parishioners (when performing the sacraments, rites, prayers) are called "servant of God", and in Catholicism "son of God"?
Priest Afanasy Gumerov, a resident of the Sretensky Monastery, answers:
This assertion is not true. Catholics in their prayers also refer to themselves as servants of God. Let us turn to the main service of Catholics - the Mass. " The priest, having removed the cover from the bowl, lifts up the bread on the paten, saying: Accept, Holy Father, Almighty Eternal God, this immaculate sacrifice, which I, Your unworthy servant, offer to You, my living and true God, for my countless sins, insults and negligence, and for all those present here, and for all faithful Christians living and dead ". With the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer (I), the priest asks for the living: “Remember, Lord, Thy servants and handmaids…. all those present whose faith is known to You and whose piety is known to You…” During the canon of the Liturgy, the priest says: “Therefore, we, Lord, Thy servants, Thy holy people, remembering the blessed Suffering and Resurrection from the underworld and the glorious Ascension to heaven of the same Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, we bring to Thy glorious Majesty from Thy blessings and gifts…”. During the commemoration of the dead, a prayer is said: “Remember again, Lord, Thy servants and servants … who preceded us with a sign of faith and are resting in the sleep of peace.” In continuation of the prayer for the departed, the priest says: “And to us, Your sinful servants, who trust in the abundance of Your mercy, deign to grant some part and communion with Your holy Apostles and Martyrs, with John, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter , Felicity, Perpetue, Agathia, Lucius, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia and all your saints, in whose community you accept us ... ". The Latin text contains the noun famulus (slave, servant).
Our spiritual consciousness must be cleansed of worldly notions. We should not apply concepts borrowed from the field of legal and social relations to a higher reality in which other principles and laws operate. God wants to lead everyone to eternal life. A person who has a nature damaged by sin, in order to find bliss in the Kingdom of Heaven, must not only believe in God, but also fully follow the all-good will of the Lord. The Holy Scriptures call a person who has put off his sinful will and given himself over to the saving will of the Lord "a servant of God." This is a very honorary title. In biblical sacred texts, the words “servant of the Lord” are applied primarily to the Messiah-Christ, the Son of God, who to the end fulfilled the will of the Father who sent Him. The Messiah speaks through the prophet Isaiah: “My right is with the Lord, and my reward is with my God. And now says the Lord, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, that Jacob might be brought to him, and that Israel might gather to him; I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God is my strength. And He said: Not only will You be My servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the remnants of Israel, but I will make You a light of the nations, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:16). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul speaks of the Savior: “He made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of men, and becoming in appearance like a man; He humbled Himself, being obedient even unto death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2:7-9). The Blessed Virgin Mary says of Herself: “Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Who else does the Word of God call "the servant of God"? Great righteous: Abraham (Gen.26:24), Moses (1Chr.6:49), David (2Sam.7:8). The Holy Apostles apply this title to themselves: “James, the servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1), “Simon Peter, the servant and Apostle of Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:1), “Judas, the servant Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:1), "Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ" (1:1). The right to be called a servant of God must be earned. How many can say with a clear conscience about themselves that they are servants of God and are not slaves of their passions, slaves of sin?