In his sermon, David Green explores the opening verses of the book of Jude, focusing on the phrase 'Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ.' Green discusses the Greek term 'doulos,' often translated as 'servant' or 'bondservant' but more accurately meaning 'slave.' He highlights the historical reluctance to use 'slave' due to its negative connotations, particularly in relation to the African slave trade, and emphasizes that Jude's use of the term reflects a total submission and dedication to Christ. Green references John MacArthur's work on this topic and discusses various Bible translations' decisions regarding this term. The sermon underscores that being a 'slave of Christ' signifies freedom from sin and contrasts with the apostates' rejection of Christ's lordship. Green draws parallels with other New Testament figures, such as Paul, Timothy, Peter, and James, who also identified as slaves of Christ. He stresses the importance of considering one's own alignment—whether as a slave to sin or to Christ—and concludes with the notion that true freedom and eternal life are found in submission to Jesus.

Let's go over to the book of Jude. As I said last time, it was written by Jude, Jude being the human author of the text. And some have nicknamed this book, The Acts of the Apostates, because that's what he's dealing with. He's dealing with a real problem that was affecting the church or the churches of that time in the first century. Certainly relevant for the first century, relevant for our day as well, even though we're some 2, 000 years removed from the date of when he wrote it.

And so today we're just going to pick up at the beginning of the text there on Jude, verse 1. Says Jude a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James to those who are the called beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. Verse 2 says may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. This morning We want to focus our attention there in that first phrase. In that first phrase.

When I was studying I thought I would try and take verses one and two in this sermon, but really as I was digging in, I really wanted, it ended up that I just got into this first phrase, Jude a slave of Jesus Christ. There's a lot packed into that. Behind our English word slave here on the text is the Greek word doulos. In many Bibles, many English translations, that word is translated servant, sometimes bond servant. I recall when I first got to studying chasing this word down, as I often do in my study.

I discovered that this word servant, bond servant, slave, this word doulos really did mean slave. But most English translations shied away from it. And the reason for that is because in our English speaking society, going all the way back into the 1800s, 1700s, 1600s, slavery has gotten the bad rap. It's a controversial subject and for good reason. When you think about the African slave trade and and some of the things that have gone on, certainly we ought not to be ashamed of our ancestors and the things that happened in those days, but the reality of it is that it did happen and those things did occur.

Things did occur. We've got to remember that Jude knew nothing of the African slave trade. That's not what he had in mind when he wrote this. Fast forward a few years later after I was digging through these things and kind of thinking through the word at Dulose, I picked up a book by John MacArthur. He wrote on the subject.

He wrote a whole book on this subject. It was very helpful. For a while, Grace to You gave that book away for free. You can still find it. I used copies of it or floating around.

I don't know if it's still in print or not, but it's a good book. There's a video on the internet of the translators of the English Standard Version. I think maybe they met in 2010 and they were discussing this word, doulos, and how they wanted to translate it in the ESV. I believe they came down on the word servant or bond servant. The LSB came out and one of the things that I caught on to it very early on as I was looking at it when it first was coming out was the fact that they did consistently translate it as we see here in our text in this passage and in other passages was that they translated it as slave.

If you have your copy of the LSB, Go to the front of the Bible, there's a forward. Every translation has a forward. Not all print editions of every Bible prints it, but even the King James translators and others of the older Bibles, they had a forward. And it's always interesting to read what the translators had to say about their translation. On the second page of the of the forward, there is of the forward.

There is in bold letters something that says the terminology of slave and if you've never read that I'm going to share it with you here because it is relevant to our text. This is what This is what they said about that. They wrote, The NASB, meaning the New American Standard Bible, has already translated the Greek term doulos frequently as slave in the New Testament. The LSB made this consistent across the New Testament. This upholds the lexical definition of the term, its consistent translation, and its distinction from other terms that do denote a servant.

Such consistency also highlights a biblical theological reality that Christians were slaves of sin, but now are slaves of Christ." Romans 6, 16-22. Biblical writers did not shy away from this term because it condemned a wicked form of slavery, i.e. To sin, Satan, and death, highlighted the power of redemption and affirmed one's total submission to the Lordship of Christ. They go on. In the Old Testament, the term ebed has more flexibility than doulos in the New Testament.

For the word ebed, the notion of servant and slave, can be present in describing one's relationship with God and man. The Messiah is the suffering servant, Isaiah 52, 13, Acts 3, 26, even as Israel was a slave of Egypt, Deuteronomy 5 15, but now a slave of God, Leviticus 25 55. Likewise, Joseph's brothers call themselves Joseph's servants, Genesis 44.9. But later in the same verse, they say they are willing to become Joseph's slaves, Genesis 44.9. Again, ebed.

All of this demonstrates that ebed can have the same notion of servant and slave. For this reason, the New Testament translates ebed not merely with doulos but with other words, such as pais. The apostles recognized that ebed can have different nuances that go beyond slave. Accordingly, in human relationships the term servant is used for ebed when talking about one's general submission to one another as opposed to economic ownership, slave. In relationships between man and God, slave is used unless Ebed occurs with a personal name, such as my servant David.

This formation conforms to the nuances of the word and also connects well with New Testament usage of slave. This translation principle also often brings out that God's people emphasize their total subjection to their loving God by calling themselves His slaves even as He uses them uniquely as His servants in His plan. And so I appreciate that they took the time to write that in the foreword to give us the reasoning behind why they translate the word as they do. It's a strong word in the Greek. And so when Jude says what he does, he means it for a strong reason.

Now if this is the first time that you've looked at the forward, I invite you to go home and read the whole thing. And also, if you're interested in more about this, you can go on the internet. There's some on the LSB websites and so on and so forth. There's some other videos where they sit down and they discuss this and other topics that were important to them when they translated this. But let us consider here in this text what it is that Jude is saying here when he wrote that he was a slave of Jesus Christ.

And then let us also look at how this is applicable to us. MacArthur wrote on this verse when he commented on it, he said in the Greco-Roman world, slavery was widespread, making the familiar New Testament designation slave very significant. It denoted being owned and rendering absolute selfless submission to someone, in this case to Jesus as Lord. In this letter, such identification is especially fitting because it sets Jude in sharp distinction from the apostates. He was a grateful, willing slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, whereas the apostates denied Christ's lordship through their overly sinful lifestyles.

You see, Jude wasn't the only one. Though there were these apostates who were running around in their sinful lifestyles, Jude says, I'm a slave of Jesus Christ. And remember, he was half brother of Jesus. But he writes this and he says, I'm a slave of Jesus. He could have written this.

Remember, he could have written Jude, brother of Jesus, but he doesn't. He willingly took pen to paper, ink to papyrus as it were, slave of Jesus Christ. But he wasn't the only one. Notice, if you will, Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1 verse 1 Paul a slave of Jesus of Christ Jesus called as an apostle having been set apart for the gospel of God.

The gospel of God. So we see Paul as he wrote to the church at Rome and he says that he's a slave of Christ Jesus and again we see similar language as he wrote to the Church of Philippi. Philippians chapter 1. Philippians chapter 1 and verse 1. Paul and Timothy slaves of Christ Jesus to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the overseers and deacons.

So to the church of Philippi, he wrote the same thing and he includes Timothy who was with him. He says, Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. This is the same word, this Duluth's word. 2nd Peter chapter 1, 2 Peter chapter 1 And verse 1, Simon Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ. So Peter, supposedly the first pope of the church, no he wasn't.

But that's what they say. It's not right. Peter says, I'm a slave of Jesus Christ. Not only Paul and Peter, but James as well. Peter, but James as well.

Over in James 1, James 1 believed to be the perhaps the oldest or one of the oldest books of the New Testament. Look at what he wrote, James 1, In verse 1, James the slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so all of these men, including Jude, they all identified themselves as slaves of Jesus Christ. And so as we consider these things, as we think about this and look at this, We ask ourselves as we look in the mirror of God's word, we must ask ourselves, are we today slave of Jesus Christ? The flesh rises up and says, oh, I would never say that.

I'm not slave to anyone, especially, you know, we're true-blooded Americans. The reality is that you're either slave to Jesus or you're slave to sin. The flesh rises up and says I'm not slave to anyone, I'm my own man, but let me tell you, sin itself is a terrible master. There is no true freedom to be found in this world. The translators of the LSB in their foreword, they mentioned Romans chapter 6.

Let's go over there for just a moment. Romans chapter 6. Beginner verse 15, he says, what then shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? May it never be. Do you not know that when you go on presenting yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness.

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were given over. Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, leading to further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Therefore, what benefit were you then Having from the things of which you are now ashamed, for the end of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit, leading to sanctification and the end eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. You know, even in the African slave trade, And even in those years when there was slavery in this country and I know the woke world doesn't like to hear this, doesn't understand it, but there wasn't just slavery in the South, there was slavery in the north and there was slavery in Europe. And it wasn't just white people that had slaves, black people had slaves, and Native Americans had slaves, and there was slavery all over the world.

And even though it does get a bad reputation in our world, the fact is, and the reality is, that there weren't just bad slave owners, there were good ones too. And when slavery was abolished in this country, There were some slaves who wanted to continue living with their former slave owners, because they were like family. Now, someone reads this like in Jude 1, Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ, and they say, oh that's terrible. Don't you want to be free? The reality is, you'll find no greater freedom than in Christ.

No greater freedom than in Christ. In fact, over in John chapter 8, Sin in this world is a terrible task master. A terrible master. Slavery to sin itself is horrible. The only outcome is death and destruction.

But through Christ there's life, peace and freedom. In John chapter 8, In John chapter 8 verse 31 going down to verse 36, So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him, if you abide in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will make you free. They answered him, we are Abraham's seed and have never yet been enslaved to anyone. How is it do you say you will become free?

Jesus answered them, truly truly I say to you everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. And the slave does not remain in the house forever, the Son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you'll be free indeed. These Children of Abraham, they were enslaved to sin and they didn't even realize it. They thought they were free.

And I guarantee you, there's a whole host of people who are out there in this world, they think they're free. They think that they're so much better off outside of Christ, enslaved to sin. And they hear us and they see us and they say, oh you poor people, slaves of Jesus. Jude, James, Peter, Paul, and countless millions upon millions of others who said, I'm a slave of Jesus. What they had, what we have, is the true freedom.

Because there's no better master than our master. Look over there at John chapter 15. Let's start with verse 12. This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer, check this out, no longer do I call you slaves for the slave does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends. For all things that I have heard from my father, I've made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you. You don't bear fruit, your fruit would abide, so that Whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it, give to you.

This I command you, that you love one another. Our Lord, our Master, our Savior, Jesus. Yes, We can truly say that we are His slave, but He is our Savior, He is our friend, He is our elder brother. So what a joy it is to think about and consider what a privilege it is to be a slave of Jesus Christ. Just a few words there in the beginning of this epistle, but much to unpack and to think about.

And so I ask you once again, how is it with you? Are you a slave of sin itself? Are you a slave of Jesus Christ? There's only one way to heaven, One way to eternal life, one way to our Lord, one way to eternity, and that is through Jesus. Believe in Him and you will have eternal life.

One day, his faithful followers will hear these words. Matthew 25 and verse 21, it says, His master said to him, well done, good and faithful slave. What a joy that'll be to hear those words. May it be, may it be that the Lord will bless us with those words. Thank you