• 1 Corinthians 7:20 abide is μένω (ĕnō), the usual word for *to abide*, remain or to dwell (cf. 1 Cor 3:14; 7:8; 7:11; John 15:4), and is used to describe the situation one finds themselves in.
• calling is κλῆσις (ēsis) and called is καλέω (ĕō). κλῆσις (ēsis) is a shorter form of καλέω (ĕō) (1 Corinthians 7:17-18). Refers to when we came to a saving knowledge of Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 7:21 servant There are 6 different Greek words for service work:
παῖς (pais), male or female child (24x in 24vss). 11x to describe a young child (Matthew 2:16; 17:18; 21:15; Luke 2:43; 8:51; 8:54; 9:42; John 4:51; Acts 4:27; 4:30; 20:12). 11x to describe a servant, most likely one who is young in age (Matthew 8:6; 8:8; 8:13; 12:18; 14:2; Luke 1:54; 1:69; 7:7; 12:45; 15:26; Acts 4:25). 2x to describe Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 3:13; 3:26).
****διάκονος (ŏnŏs) from διώκω (ōkō), to pursue, which means a servant, minister, or a deacon, 30x in 28vss. 20x as minister (Matthew 20:26; Mark 10:43; Romans 13:4 (2x); 15:8; 1 Cor 3:5-6; 2 Cor 3:6; 6:4; 11:15 (2x); 11:23; Gal 2:17; Eph 3:7; 6:21; Colossians 1:7; 1:23; 1:25; 4:7; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; 1 Timothy 4:6). 3x as a deacon (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8; 3:12). 7x as servant (Matthew 22:13; 23:11; Mark 9:35; John 2:5; 2:9; 12:26; Romans 16:1).
οἰκέτης (ŏikĕtēs), from οἶκος (ŏikŏs), which means house, thus it means a household servant,
ὑπηρέτης (ērĕtēs) from ὑπό (ŏ), under, beneath and *étēs*, a rower, thus meaning an under rower, one is service under the direct command of a superior. Found 20x in 20vss (Matthew 5:25; 26:58; Mark 14:54; 14:65; Luke 1:2; 4:20; John 7:32; 7:45-46; 18:3; 18:12; 18:18; 18:22; 18:36; 19:6; Acts 5:22; Acts 5:26; Acts 13:5; Acts 26:16; 1 Corinthians 4:1).
θεράπων (ĕrapōn) means a servant, minister attendant, but it was used of one who voluntarily served, and cared for another, a caretaker. This word never was used to describe one who was in bondage and made to serve and found only in Hebrews 3:5.
δοῦλος (ŏulŏs) found 127x in 119vss, and comes from δέω (ĕō), to bind, thus it means one who is bound to serve, a slave, one whose mind *
• Servant: A person who is engaged to attend or wait upon, or to obey the directions and meet the needs of, a particular person, or to perform specified tasks or functions in a particular household or establishment...who is in the service of another, or of a household; an attendant.
• Slave: One who is the property of, and entirely subject to, another person, whether by capture, purchase, or birth; a servant completely divested of freedom and personal rights.
**
• A servant is someone hired to do something, while the slave is owned.
**• Paul writes about δοῦλος (ŏulŏs) slaves in Ephesians 6:5--6.
• Slavery in the Greco-Roman world contrasted greatly with what we know about slavery, in that it was not based on the color of skin. Slaves were generally prisoners of war, foreigners, or those captured by pirates.
• At the time of the King James Version in 1611, slavery was essentially non-existent, whereas the indentured servant was the norm. At that time, a person was not viewed as property, therefore slave was not an applicable term. Which explains why the 54 translators of the King James Version chose to use servants here and not slaves.
• The root of slavery, as we know, is from sin and the false premise of Darwinian evolution, which itself is fundamentally a philosophy based on racism. The groups of people that scattered from Babel (Genesis 11:1--9) brought various combinations of genes with them, which is why we have the so-called races today.
• There is only one race, the human race. We all have the same basic brown pigment as descendants from one man (1 Corinthians 15:45). Scripturally, there is only one race (Acts 17:26), and it was only recently that geneticists found that four to six genes with numerous variations control the amount of melanin that is found in each person. This is why even one couple can have children with a wide range of skin shades.
**
• free** is ἐλεύθερος (ĕlĕuthĕrŏs) which means liberty, freedom, the antonym of δοῦλος (ŏulŏs).
• 1 Corinthians 7:22-24 is ἀπελεύθερος (ĕlĕuthĕrŏs) found 1x and from ó, *from*, and útheros, free. It is a stronger word than in verse 21 and means undeniably free.
• bought is ἀγοράζω (ŏrazō), meaning *to go out to the marketplace and buy* (cf. 1 Cor 6:20).
