What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.
Summary: The age of majority is no longer a simple milestone that children look forward to in anticipation of becoming an adult.
In 1970, when I was fifteen, the “age of majority” was twenty-one. In those days, if you were twenty-one, you could do anything any other adult could do. The world made sense.
Then, in 1970, the rules changed.
Because of the expansion of the war in Vietnam, the need for conscripts to serve in the military had grown. Before then, since 1940, the military draft had been based on the “draft the oldest man first” principle.* In 1970, that rule was replaced by a lottery system. That meant that eighteen-year-old boys could be called up and sent to fight in Vietnam. Many went, and many died.
Because of this rule change in 1970, another rule change followed.
In 1971, the 26th Amendment was ratified. This amendment changed the voting age from twenty-one years old to eighteen. The general theory was that since a kid could be sent to die for his country, he should at least be able to vote on whether or not he should go.
Of course, this was a partial change. It was a compromise. It was a knee-jerk reaction to a bad situation. It didn’t change the age of majority, nor did it give a meaningful vote to the minority of the population affected by the draft. Voting age is only one part of the package of rights that comes to a person when they become an adult. Adults can sign contracts, get married without parental consent**, take out loans, and if they are so inclined, purchase and consume alcohol in public.
For our purposes, splitting this package of rights into two parts is confusing. It makes Paul’s point harder to understand.
Personally, I “get” what Paul is saying. In 1973, I was looking at a draft lottery number of 14. That meant I would be in the fourteenth round of draft picks or would have been had there not been another change.
Political pressure at home had finally brought a change in Washington D.C.. The war in Vietnam was winding down, and with it, the draft. The last draft call was on December 7, 1972 (ibid).
It may seem like a small thing, but back then, I was terrified at the thought of being plucked out of my world and thrown into an environment that could change my life by cutting it short. When Paul says that someone underage is “no different than a slave,” I get it. Getting the right to vote didn’t change the fact that I and thousands of others were still underage. Being drafted without one’s consent taught us what it feels like to be a slave.
Application: Slavery is not having a choice in what you do with your body and your time.
Food for Thought: How does our modern concept of slavery compare with the way Paul uses the word?
*https://www.sss.gov/history-and-records/vietnam-lotteries/
** The allowable age for marriage is decided at the State level. In 1971, 85% of the states set the requirement at twenty-one years old for men.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_age_in_the_United_States
I think there were several differences between slaves in biblical times and what we saw in the US.
Most people were slaves. They crossed every race, religion and creed. One could be born a slave, but defeat in a war also led to slavery.
Slaves could purchase there freedom (be redeemed), but often came at a high price. A slave could be a common laborer, but could also be a doctor or a successful businessman.
So there was no socio-economic, race, or perceived inferiority barrier. But they were still slaves devoid of the same rights of others. They still were not free.
Of course, we are all salves to sin until Jesus sets us free. That is something we all have in common whether free or a slave from a worldly perspective.
John 8: 30 -36: As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him. 31So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”
34Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Romans 6: 6 – 11: We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 7For anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. 10The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. 11So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6: 15 – 23: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not! 16Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
20For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness. 21What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death. 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thank you, Rich!
Excellent explanation of slavery in Paul’s day. For political reasons, our society seems to be over-simplifying the term these days. In doing so we are losing some valuable insights into God’s Word.
How does our modern concept of slavery compare with the way Paul uses the word?
We are all spiritual beings, confined within physical bodies, temporarily placed on a physical world by our Spiritual, All Knowing, Omnipresent Creator God who has purpose for everything He does. WHY?
I believe we are each created and placed on this earth as an opportunity to chose our eternal destiny, so when we stand before God, our hearts we will be the source of undeniable truth, our true selves. Is Christ in our hearts, or do we show ourselves as servants, slaves of our flesh.
To be a slave in this world is to exist in a state of being subjected to involuntary servitude. It usually includes being legally owned as property of another person. A slave lives in subjection to the will of their owner, has no rights, owns no property, receives no inheritance.
In Romans 1:1, Paul writes, he is a servant to Christ. The word servant in that text is the Greek word doulas. This word means that I have a Master and I am submitted to Him, but in that submission, I am freer than I have ever been.
All of us have been born into spiritual slavery. We are all slaves to sin and separated from God. But when we submit to God, we become free to love Him and love our neighbors. We also get a focus, a purpose, and a vision to do His will. Rather than being a slave to our circumstances, we can be a servant to a Master who is sovereign over our circumstances.
God reveals worldly slavery as, Romans 7:14-25, 2 Peter 2:19, Colossians 3:5
John 8:34-35, Jesus tells us, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever”.
Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
God desires all people to come to know Him and to be freed from their life of being a slave to sin. His Word tells us, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. Galatians 3:28
Ron,
I really like your words “Rather than being a slave to our circumstances, we can be a servant to a Master who is sovereign over our circumstances.”
This is a direct challenge to our flesh. The flesh cannot submit to God. Yet, if we humbly submit in Spirit, Jesus frees us from being a slave to the flesh.
Great summery Jeff!
Thank You!
Ron