DOULOS QEOU

Kevin Smith kgs at iafrica.com
Thu Jan 6 16:11:41 EST 2000


Dear friends

While working on Titus 1:1, I found that the noun phrase DOULOS QEOU is used four times in the NT:
    Acts 16:17 - hOUTOI hOI ANQRWPOI DOULOI TOU QEOU TOU hUYISTOU EISIN
    Titus 1:1 - PAULOS DOULOS QEOU
    Rev 7:3 - ACRI SFAGISWMEN TOUS DOULOUS TOU QEOU hHMWN
    Rev 15:3 - ...MWUSEWS, TOU DOULOU TOU QEOU

RE: Acts 16:17. What connotations would the designation 'slaves of the Most High God' have coming from the slave girl? Would it be a derogatory or complimentary description? 

RE: Rev 7:3. The two plurals (Acts 16, Rev 7) both occur in contexts where the reference could be to preachers (In Rev 7 this is, like most things in Rev, debatable.). Is it possible that DOULOI QEOU means 'slaves of God' in the sense of 'those who do God's work'? Or is 'servants of God' in Rev 7:3 simply another way of saying 'believers'? 

RE: Rev 15:3. If DOULOI QEOU = 'those who do God's work', then Moses would be an example par excellence; hence hO DOULOS TOU QEOU. Could this be the regular force of the singular? I know it is used in the LXX to designate some of the 'great men of God,' but I don't have the Gramcord LXX to check it out thoroughly.

Thanks for your insights.
Kevin
P.E., South Africa
kgs at iafrica.com 


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