WHAT IS A SERVANT

(King James Bible, rightly divided)

A servant in the Pauline sense is not a person seeking rank or recognition, but a believer who belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ and gladly uses his liberty to serve. The King James Bible speaks of believers as bought with a price and therefore not their own. See 1 Corinthians 6:19 to 20. We are set free from sin, yet we willingly present ourselves to God as those alive from the dead. See Romans 6:13 and Romans 12:1 to 2. Service is not a ladder to earn favor. It is the fruit of grace and the response of a grateful heart to the finished cross work and shed blood of Christ.

1) A servant belongs to the Lord

Paul opens Romans and Philippians by calling himself a servant of Jesus Christ. See Romans 1:1 and Philippians 1:1. This language speaks of ownership and allegiance. Christ purchased us with His own blood. See Acts 20:28. The believer’s first identity is not volunteer or leader, but servant of Christ. All other roles flow from this allegiance. We serve Him first and we serve people for His sake. See Colossians 3:23 to 24.

2) A servant serves from grace, not under law

Paul warns the Body of Christ to stand fast in liberty and not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. See Galatians 5:1. In the same chapter he says by love serve one another. See Galatians 5:13. Service in this dispensation is motivated by grace, not compelled by ordinances, feast days, or performance systems. Having been made free from sin we became servants of righteousness. See Romans 6:17 to 18 and Romans 6:22. Grace changes both the heart and the aim of service.

3) A servant keeps the mystery central

Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. See 1 Corinthians 4:1 to 2. In Ephesians 3:7 Paul says he was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God. The Body of Christ serves Christ by making all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery. See Ephesians 3:9. Real service never trades the gospel of the grace of God for the kingdom program given to Israel. Real service refuses to mix law with grace or prophecy with mystery. The message we carry is Christ crucified and risen, with redemption through His blood and complete forgiveness according to the riches of His grace. See Ephesians 1:7 and 1 Corinthians 15:3 to 4.

4) A servant meets real needs among the saints

Phebe is commended as a servant and a succourer of many. See Romans 16:1 to 2. Onesiphorus refreshed Paul and was not ashamed of his chain. See 2 Timothy 1:16 to 18. The saints are instructed to distribute to the necessity of saints and to be given to hospitality. See Romans 12:13. Service is often logistical, quiet, and practical. It opens homes, bears burdens, supplies needs, and clears the way for sound doctrine to run. It is not sentimental or showy. It is faithful, timely, and known by its fruit.

5) A servant’s manner is marked by Christlike lowliness

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant. See Philippians 2:5 to 8. The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient. See 2 Timothy 2:24 to 25. In our earthly work and relationships we serve with singleness of heart, as to the Lord, knowing that of the Lord we shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for we serve the Lord Christ. See Ephesians 6:5 to 8 and Colossians 3:22 to 24. The tone of a true servant is meekness, patience, and joyful endurance.

6) A servant honors Pauline order in the Body of Christ

Service does not erase the order God gave for the Body. Elders are men who must be apt to teach and rule well. See 1 Timothy 3:1 to 7 and Titus 1:5 to 9. Women are adorned with good works and teach younger women without usurping authority over the man. See 1 Timothy 2:11 to 12 and Titus 2:3 to 5. Many women, like Phebe, served powerfully and publicly, yet always within this order. The word servant describes character and labor, not an office that overturns the pattern given through Paul.

7) Common confusions corrected

Service is not a title hunt. The New Testament elevates faithfulness, not visibility. Service is not the pursuit of signs, wonders, or Israel’s kingdom commissions. Our commission is the ministry of reconciliation and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery. See 2 Corinthians 5:18 to 20 and Romans 16:25. Service is not slavery to men. We are the Lord’s freemen who serve others for His sake. See 1 Corinthians 7:22 to 23. Service is not a substitute for the gospel. No amount of activity replaces clear testimony that Christ shed His blood for our sins, was buried, and rose the third day.

8) A servant’s accountability and reward

Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. See 1 Corinthians 4:2. We each shall give account of ourselves to God. See Romans 14:12. The quality of our work will be tried and only what aligns with sound Pauline doctrine will abide. See 1 Corinthians 3:10 to 15. The Lord recognizes unseen faithfulness and promises the reward of the inheritance. See Colossians 3:24. Aim for faithfulness, not applause. Aim to please God, not men.

Summary

A servant is a believer who belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ, who serves from grace and not law, who keeps the mystery central, and who meets real needs among the saints with Christlike lowliness, all within the order given through Paul. This service flows from the gospel and points back to the gospel. We serve because Christ first served us at Calvary, where He shed His blood to purchase our redemption. We continue in that grace and prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God, so that sound doctrine is adorned and the fellowship of the mystery is made known.