Explore God’s Call to ServanthoodНамуна

Servanthood among the New Testament Saints

The New Testament develops the theme of servanthood in much more detail and with greater clarity. While Jesus’s apostles described themselves in various ways, they most regularly identified themselves as servants of Jesus Christ. This language is typically seen in their opening greetings at the beginning of their letters.

Paul called himself a servant in Romans (1:1), Philippians (1:1), and Titus (1:1), as did James (1:1), Peter (2 Pet. 1:1), and Jude (v. 1). Peter wrote, “Simeon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those who have received a faith equal to ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:1).

The apostles did more than just identify themselves in this way; they also elaborated on what being a servant means. As they described servanthood, we encounter the same characteristics—humility, obedience, sacrifice, trust, and devotion—that we saw in the Old Testament saints.

Paul was clear that people should think of him, and us, as servants. It is the servant’s primary responsibility to be found faithful to the work God has called him to do. In 1 Corinthians 9:19–23, Paul wrote:

Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win those under the law. To those who are without the law, like one without the law—though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ—to win those without the law. To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.

As one who had been made free by Jesus Christ, Paul surrendered himself like a servant to all people for the purpose of seeing many come to faith in Jesus.

Throughout the New Testament, we find the same characteristics of servanthood in the apostles that we did in the Old Testament saints. Paul and the apostles, as ministers of the gospel, were marked by humility, obedience, sacrifice, trust, and devotion. Though they were apostles, they humbled themselves as servants, obeyed the Lord’s calling on their lives, gave their lives as a sacrifice, trusted God in the face of persecution, and modeled devotion to Jesus.

We hope you enjoyed this plan!

Thank you for reading this devotional plan, which is based on Let This Mind Be in You: Exploring God’s Call to Servanthood (B&H Books, 2023) by James K. Dew Jr. Click here to learn more about the book.