Friends: The Apostle Paul was both free in Christ and a slave for Christ. Lots of people are. See the column ... Blessings, Bob

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Spirituality Column #927

August 20, 2024

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

Freedom, or Slavery

By Bob Walters

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free … do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Paul speaking of the New Covenant vs. the Law, Galatians 5:1

My Bible mentor George Bebawi called Galatians a “stick of dynamite.” Galatians he said is not there for friendly advice about forging a gentle new path ahead in Jesus.

It is there to blow up the Jewish way of thinking about the mindset of the Law.

And who better to do it than Paul?  Early in the book of Acts we see this highly educated but rigid and murderous Pharisee hunt, torture, and mercilessly kill Christians for their disobedience to the Law. Paul then came powerfully to Christ (Acts 9), and in his 13 letters of the New Testament not only explains to all how to be a Christian, but how Jews erred in not accepting Jesus, the new covenant, and Christian thought life.

Later in Acts 18:1-17 we see Paul, rejected by the Jews in Corinth, declare “I will go to the Gentiles” (non-Jews), and is then told by the Lord to “keep on speaking.” Paul, once a vicious Jew who killed Christians brings the message of Christ to non-Jews.

As the Bible is organized, after Acts is Paul’s letter to the Romans, two letters to the Corinthians, and then his run of shorter letters beginning with Galatians. This is where we see Paul note (v2:4), “Some of our false brothers infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ and to make us slaves.” Paul is referring to Jews who insisted Christians, among other things, be circumcised.

Then in Galatians 2:11-21 is Paul’s vociferous disagreement with Peter on many matters concerning the Law. Paul’s “freedom” in Christ was from the “slavery” of the Law. No human could fulfil the burden of the Law from which Jesus frees us by grace.

Paul pounds that message throughout Galatians.  Today’s Americans see the word “freedom” and think “land of the free and home of the brave.” We see the word “slavery” and think of only past plantations, modern social injustice, and CRT racism.

To avoid today’s cultural horrification at the mere word “slavery,” modern Bible translations have largely cleansed the Greek doulos (slave) into “servant.” But here the English is either “slavery” or “bondage” and a “yoke” that limits life. Some form of doulos is used 125 times in the New Testament to describe a person who is owned by another.

But “slavery” is not always a horrible yoke. In Matthew 11:30 Jesus says “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” It means in Christ we are properly yoked with our master. When Paul says he is “a slave of Christ” in Romans 1:1, he is declaring his love and purpose of being owned by Christ. We are usually slaves to that which we love.

Another of my great Christian mentors, Russ Blowers, knew George Bebawi well and gave George the highest compliment I ever heard Russ bestow on anybody. He called George “a free man in Christ,” and Russ was among the greatest of encouragers.

Few anywhere could match George’s scriptural expertise (in many languages), his understanding of the ancient church and multiple doctrines, his life experience of having grown up a Jew in a Muslim neighborhood in Cairo, Egypt, converting as a teen to Christianity, becoming a Coptic priest, attaining a divinity PhD at Cambridge, teaching and serving in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and USA … and the obvious surety and humility of his faith in and love for Jesus Christ.

George joyously made himself a slave of Jesus, and freely shared his joy with all.

G.K. Chesterton wrote that our greatest freedom is to be free to bind ourselves to that which we choose. Freedom only works well when we choose Jesus.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) notes freedom also requires love and responsibility. And in case you missed it last week, here is a link to my recent guest slot on Rich Jacobs’’ “Finding Genius” podcast (48 minutes): Exploring The Culture Of Christianity With Bob Walters (recorded 7-31-24).