week 1 db responds
Veronica Jackson
YesterdayJan 19 at 1:21pm
Discussion of the Theological Overview of the Meaning of Slave: The Slave Motif
Aristotle defines a slave as someone whose person and service belong wholly to another. Slavery in the biblical world was complex and very different than the slavery of the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Western world. The term “slave” used within biblical context refers to an inward relationship, where a person is under the influence or sway or another person (e.g., a slave of a Master, or a slave of Christ), (Harris, Chapter 2 & 3). Slavery is noted in the Old and New Testament.
The Old Testament distinguishes between free citizens and slaves, where non-Jewish slaves were regarded as movable property (Lev. 25:44–46), Jewish slaves, were to be treated as hired hands. Slavery is accepted in the Old Testament as part of the world in which Israel functioned. It is not abolished but regulated (Exod 21 ; Lev 25 ; Deut 15). The fact that Israel was enslaved in Egypt may have influenced this development ( Lev 25:39-43 ). The Old Testament provides numerous opportunities for the manumission of slaves, yet freedom could be purchased ( Lev 25:48-55 ).
Likewise in the New Testament in Luke 12: 42-43, a slave’s faithfulness was measured by his obedience to commands and adherence to duty. The terminology for slavery permeated relational metaphors in Israel. It was adopted as a metaphor to image the believer's relationship to Yahweh and is more appropriately translated servant rather than slave (Jer 2:14). Jesus frequently used slave motifs in his parables because such images were the common among his audiences. His reference to the social phenomenon neither approved nor condemned its existence. For example, the personal slave of a centurion ( Matt 8:5-13 ) or of a high priest ( Matt 26:51 ) is a natural part of the narrative.
Ultimately, spiritual slavery is when a person surrenders to the leadership of Christ and his teachings. In scripture, like Paul, according to Romans 1:1, was a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God. We should follow this example of being a servant to Christ, rendering total devotion to HIM. For the early Christians, whether slave or free, both body and spirit belonged to the Lord (1 Cor. 6:15,17) and slavery to him constituted true freedom.
YesterdayJan 19 at 9:34pm
The “shepherd” motif as a theological construct conveys metaphors throughout scripture but ultimately lead back to the universal truth of God as our Shepherd. God shepherds his disciples through life as they move towards the destination of heaven. The shepherd motif is seen in scripture as a metaphor for leadership through varying historical narratives and shepherding as an occupation. The biblical narrative culminates with God as The Shepherd guiding his flock through life providing discipline, protection, and development (Laniak, 2006).
The role of shepherd as an occupation in the Bible begins with Abel as a shepherd. In another example, Moses was a shepherd who tended his literal flock with his father-in-law prior to his role as an appointed biblical leader. Shepherds were charged with the protection, care, and well-being of their flocks.
Shepherding is also considered a metaphor in the Bible for leadership. The metaphor is used to convey the responsibilities bestowed upon kings and leaders appointed to serve as shepherds tending to their flocks as the head of government. To articulate this point, Laniak (2006) writes “God’s chosen leader Moses was trained for his role as a shepherd of flocks in the deserts of Sinai” (p. 75). As the biblical narrative moves from the period of the Judges into the period of the Kings, David moves to the forefront as an example of biblical leadership. Throughout 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings, the consequences of good and bad shepherding exemplified by the actions of Israel’s leaders become a stark reminder of God’s interaction with his people. In reference to Saul, Samuel says “The Lord has sought out for himself a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as rule over his people because you have not kept what the Lord has commanded you” (New American Standard Bible, 1960/2000, 1 Samuel 13:14). All leadership decisions and action must be deferential to God’s will or risk consequences in the form of destruction. It is a story of God and his appointed shepherds on earth leading his flock (Laniak, 2006).
Moving this metaphor to Christian leadership into the modern day serves as a lesson on why shepherding flocks is critical to the fulfillment of the Great Commission to “Go therefore and make disciples of the nations” (New American Standard Bible, 1960/2000, Matthew 28:19).
Shepherd is a metaphor for the Lord. The psalmist conveys this message by writing “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (New American Standard Bible, 1960/2000, Psalm 23:1) who provides protection and provision for his people (Laniak, 2006). God shepherding his flock to the promised land is woven throughout the entire Bible as he leads and guides his people through every celebration, tribulation, and trial.
References
Life Application Study Bible, New American Standard Bible. (2000). The Lockman Foundation. (original work published 1960)
Laniak, T. (2006). Shepherds after My own Heart: Pastoral traditions and leadership in the Bible. InterVarsity Press, USA.