Slaves of God - what does this mean in Orthodoxy? To know this is the duty of every person living with an unshakable faith in the heart. The question of what does the servant of God in Orthodoxy mean, we will try to open as much as possible in the framework of this article. The topic from a religious point of view is not simple. But it is very important for understanding Christian dogma and universal experience. So, let's begin.
Son of man
The figure of Jesus Christ is fundamental not only for Christianity, but for all of humanity as a whole. Corinthians says that he became impoverished for us. In the Epistle to the Philistines, we can read that Christ destroyed, having devastated himself, assumed the image of a slave, humbled himself. The Son of man, the Lord, the Lamb of God, the Eternal Word, Alpha and Omega, the Vindicator, the Lord of the Sabbath, the Savior of the world - these are the epithets and many others that apply to Jesus. Christ himself calls himself the way, the truth and the life, and, despite such magnificent names, he took on the form of a slave, being the son of God. Jesus is the servant of God, Christ is the son of God.
Christians are slaves of the Almighty
What does the servant of God mean? When the word "slave" is mentioned, associations arise with inequality, cruelty, lack of freedom, poverty, injustice. But this refers to social slavery, which created society, struggled with it for many centuries. The victory over slavery in the social sense does not guarantee spiritual freedom. Throughout the history of the church, Christians have called themselves slaves of God. One of the definitions of the word "slave" means a person who has completely surrendered to something. Therefore, the servant of God means a Christian who seeks to completely surrender to the will of God. And also the observance of his commandments, the struggle against his own passions.
Is every Christian worthy to be called a servant of God? Referring to the definition given above, of course, no. All people are sinful, and only a few manage to fully devote themselves to Christ. Therefore, everyone who believes in the Almighty is obliged with reverence, humility and great joy to call himself a servant of God. But human pride and ignorance often prevail. The spoken word "slave" and all the associations associated with it sometimes overshadow the end of the epithet we are considering. In our understanding, the exploitative and arrogant attitude of the master towards his servant is logical. But Christ destroys this pattern by saying that we are his friends if we fulfill what he has commanded us.
“I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not know what his lord does; but I called you friends, ”he says in the Gospel of John. When reading the Gospel of Matthew or while serving in an Orthodox church while singing the third antiphon, we learn from the words of Christ that the peacemakers will be blessed — they will be called the sons of God. But here we are talking about the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, the son of God, any Christian is obliged to honor only Jesus Christ. That is why the servant of God, not the son of God.
Social and spiritual slavery
Any slavery means a restriction of freedom in a person, in his entire being. The concepts of social and spiritual slavery, how much they vary, are so much interfaced. These concepts are simple enough to consider through the prism of wealth of earthly or financial well-being, in modern language.
Slavery of the riches of the earth is heavier than any suffering. This is well known to those who have been privileged to free themselves from it. But in order for us to know true freedom, it is necessary to break the bonds. In our house should not be stored gold, but that which is more valuable than all worldly goods - philanthropy and alms. This will give us hope for salvation, liberation, and gold will cover us with shame before God and will in many ways contribute to the influence of the devil.
Slavery and freedom
The most precious gift of God to man, the gift of love is freedom. Of course, people are so unknown, the religious experience of freedom is so difficult, just as the experience of law is simple. Modern mankind without Christ and now lives like the ancient Jews under the yoke of the law. All modern state laws are a reflection of the natural. The most irresistible slavery, the most powerful fetters - death.
All human liberators, rebels, ardent rebels remain only slaves in the hands of death. It is not given to all imaginary liberators to understand that without the liberation of man from death, everything else is nothing. The only person among mankind rises to death - Jesus. As for each of us, the natural, normal is “die”, for him - “I will rise”. He was the only one who felt the strength in himself, necessary for death to conquer death with death, both in himself and in all of humanity. And people believed it. And, although not many, will believe until the end of time.
Liberator
Truth will set us free. So says the Evangelist John. Imaginary freedom is a slave rebellion, the devil organized a bridge from social insignificant slavery, which we call the revolution, to the totalitarian future slavery of the Antichrist. The devil no longer hides this face in the historical period, which we call modernity. Therefore, just now, to die or be saved to the world means to reject or accept before the enslaver the word of the liberator: “If the Son sets you free, then you will truly be free” (John 8, 36). Slavery at the Antichrist, freedom in Christ - this is the future choice of mankind.
What is said in the bible
So, after all, is man a servant of God or a son of God? The concept of "slave", which came to us from the Old Testament, is very different from the modern understanding of this term. In ancient Israel, kings and prophets called themselves the servants of God, thereby emphasizing their special purpose on earth, and also expressing the impossibility of serving anyone as soon as the Lord God.
The servant of God in ancient Israel is a title that could only be awarded to kings and prophets through whom the Lord himself communicated with the people. Considering slavery as a social component, it should be noted that in ancient Israel, slaves were almost full members of the family of their master. It is noteworthy that before the birth of a son to Abraham, his slave Eleazar was his main heir. After the birth of Isaac, Abraham sends his slave Eleazar with many gifts and an order to find the bride for his son.
These examples clearly show the difference between slavery in ancient Israel and slavery in ancient Rome, with which the concept of this term is usually associated with our contemporaries.
In the Gospel, Christ tells the parable of the vineyard. Mr. created a vineyard, hired workers to work on it. Every year he sent his slaves to check the work done. It is noteworthy that hired workers work in the vineyard, and slaves are attorneys of their master.
The concept of a servant of God in Christianity. Old Testament Women
The concept of "servant of God" appears in the Old Testament history. As we examined above, meant the title of kings and prophets. Women, like most men, did not have the right to call themselves such an epithet. However, this does not beg the female person.
Women, like men, could participate in religious Jewish holidays, offer sacrifices to God. This suggests that they personally held the answer to the Lord. The important thing is that a woman could directly turn to God in her prayer. The following historical examples confirm this. So, the prophet Samuel was born through the prayer of a childless Anna. God entered into fellowship with Eve after the fall. The Almighty communicates directly with Samson's mother. The importance of women in the history of the Old Testament cannot be overestimated. The actions and decisions of Rebekah, Sarah, Rachel are of great importance for the Jewish people.
The Role of a Woman in the New Testament
“Behold, the servant of the Lord. Let it be according to your word ”(Luke 1, 28-38). With these words, the Virgin Mary humbly answers the angel who brought her the news of the future birth of the son of God. And so for the first time in the history of mankind, the concept of "servant of God." Who, if not the Virgin Mary, blessed between wives, is destined to be the first to accept this great spiritual title? The Virgin Mary is glorified throughout the Christian world. Following the Mother of God is the servant of God Elizabeth, who immaculately conceived John the Baptist.
A striking example of this title are those who came on the day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to the Sepulcher of the Lord with incense, aromas for the ritual slimming of the body. Historical examples confirming the humility and faith of truly Christian women are found in modern history. The wife of Nicholas II Alexandra Fedorovna and his daughters are counted as saints.
Slave in prayer
Opening a prayer book and reading prayers, we cannot help but notice that all of them are written from a masculine person. Often, women have a question about whether to use feminine words written from a masculine person. Most accurately, no one could answer this question as the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church. Ambrose Optinsky argued that you should not care about the petty accuracy of the rule (prayer), you should care more about the quality of prayer and the peace of the soul. Ignatius Brianchaninov said that the rule (prayer) exists for a person, and not a person for a rule.
Use of the term in worldly life
Despite the fact that every Christian considers himself a servant of God, it is undesirable to call himself that in everyday everyday life on the advice of Orthodox priests. Not that this was blasphemy, but, as we have already discussed above, every Christian should reverently and joyfully relate to this epithet. This should live in the heart of a believer. And if this is true, then no one will prove anything to anyone and declare this to the whole world.
The appeals of "comrade" during the Soviet era or "gentlemen" in the period of Tsarist Russia are clear and logical. The conversion and the utterance of the words "servant of God" should take place in a suitable place for this, whether it be an Orthodox church, a monastery cell, a cemetery or just a secluded room in an ordinary apartment.
The third commandment is strictly forbidden to mention the name of the Lord in vain. Therefore, the pronunciation of this epithet is unacceptable in a comic form or in the form of a greeting and in such cases. In prayers for health, for repose, and others, the words “servant of God” should be followed by the spelling or pronunciation of the name of the worshiper or the one requested in prayer. The combination of these words is usually either heard from the lips of the priest, or pronounced or mentally read in prayers. After the epithet "servant of God" it is desirable to pronounce the name in accordance with the church spelling. For example, not Yuri, but George.
Testimonies of God's Slaves
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24, 14). Today, many people in the church are trying to determine by signs how close the second coming of Christ is. Such a sign, for example, can be seen in the return of the Jews to Israel. But the Lord with the above words makes it clear that the most striking sign of his second coming is that the gospel will be preached to all nations as a testimony. In other words, the testimonies of God's servants (their life affirmations) prove the gospel.
Slaves in the kingdom of heaven
Despite human sinfulness and the desire to take a dominant place in the universe, Christ once again shows his mercy and humanity, taking the form of a slave, being at the same time the Son of the Lord God. It destroys our reinforced erroneous stereotypes of greatness and power. Christ tells his disciples that whoever wants to be great will be a servant, and whoever wants to be first will be a slave. “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to minister and give his soul for the redemption of many” (Mark 10, 45).