Re: DOULOS QEOU

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Thu Jan 06 2000 - 16:33:25 EST

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<div>At 11:11 PM +0200 1/6/00, Kevin Smith wrote:</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Dear
friends</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">While working on Titus
1:1, I found that the noun phrase DOULOS QEOU is used four times
in the NT:</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">    Acts
16:17 - hOUTOI hOI ANQRWPOI DOULOI TOU QEOU TOU hUYISTOU
EISIN</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">    Titus
1:1 - PAULOS DOULOS QEOU</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">    Rev
7:3 - ACRI SFAGISWMEN TOUS DOULOUS TOU QEOU hHMWN</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">    Rev
15:3 - ...MWUSEWS, TOU DOULOU TOU QEOU</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">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?</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">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'?</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">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.</font></blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div>A lot might be said about Paul's usage of DOULOS IHSOU CRISTOU
also, but in fact, the phrase DOULOS QEOU surely has its roots in one
of the most fundamental Exodus conceptions, that Israel is released
from bondage (AVODAH, servitude) to Pharaoh in order to become a
servant/slave of Yahweh (EVED-YHWH). The supreme expression of this
conception in the OT is the the poetic images of the suffering
Servant of God in Isaiah 40-55.</div>
<div><br></div>

<div>-- <br>
 <br>
Carl W. Conrad<br>
Department of Classics/Washington University<br>
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018<br>
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649<br>
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu </div>
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