Mateus 20

Mateus 20

Barclay: Therein is greatness. The world may assess people’s greatness by the number of people whom they control and who are at their beck and call; or by their intellectual standing and their academic eminence; or by the number of committees of which they are members; or by the size of their bank balances and the material possessions which they have amassed; but in the assessment of Jesus Christ these things are irrelevant. His assessment is quite simply: how many people have they helped? Amy Carmichael wrote, Hast thou no scar? No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand? I hear thee sung as mighty in the land, I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star; Hast thou no scar? Hast thou no wound? Yet, I was wounded by the archers, spent. Leaned me against the tree to die, and rent By ravening beasts that compassed me, I swooned: Hast thou no wound? No wound? No scar? Yes, as the master shall the servant be, And pierced are the feet that follow Me; But thine are whole. Can he have followed far Who has no wound? No scar? First (4413) protos has several nuances - first in time or place 1a) in any succession of things or persons 2) first in rank 2a) influence, honour 2b) chief 2c) principal 3) first, at the first. Classical usage of prōtos is very diverse. It can mean “first” in rank; “first” in order; “first” in quality, i.e., “best”; “first” in the temporal sense. Friberg adds protos is "I. adjectivally first of several; (1) of time; (a) in comparison of past and present earlier, first, former (Rev 2:5); (b) in antithesis between the beginning and the end first, before anything else (Rev 1:17), opposite ἔσχατος (last, final); (2) of rank and value first (of all), foremost, chief, most important of all; (a) of things (Mt 22:38); (b) substantivally, of persons οἱ πρῶτοι the leading men, the most important persons (Mk 6:21); (3) of number or sequence first (Mt 21:28; HE 10:9); (4) spatially front; substantivally ἡ πρώτη the outer (tent) (Heb 9:2, 6, 8); II. substantivally, neuter singular πρῶτον as an adverb; (1) of time at first, to begin with, (for) the first time (Ro 1:16); before, earlier (Jn 15:18); (2) of priority or value first of all (Mt 5:24); of degree above all, especially, in the first place (Mt 6:33) (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) PROTOS IN MATTHEW - Matt. 5:24; Matt. 6:33; Matt. 7:5; Matt. 8:21; Matt. 10:2; Matt. 12:29; Matt. 12:45; Matt. 13:30; Matt. 17:10; Matt. 17:27; Matt. 19:30; Matt. 20:8; Matt. 20:10; Matt. 20:16; Matt. 20:27; Matt. 21:28; Matt. 21:31; Matt. 21:36; Matt. 22:25; Matt. 22:38; Matt. 23:26; Matt. 26:17; Matt. 27:64 Slave (1401) doulos from deo = to bind) (Click additional notes on doulos) was an individual bound to another in servitude and conveys the idea of the slave's close, binding ties with his master, belonging to him, obligated to and desiring to do his will and in a permanent relation of servitude. In sum, the will of the doulos is consumed in the will of the master. A bondservant is one who surrendered wholly to another’s will and thus devoted to another to the disregard of his own interest. Paul and Timothy were not their own but had been bought with the price of the blood of Christ. They were now the property of our Lord Jesus Christ and were His slaves exclusively. No man can serve two masters (Mt 6:24+). Paul and Timothy had been slaves of Sin (see note on "the Sin") by their birth into Adam's likeness, but now they are slaves of Christ by their new, second birth. They had no will of their own, no business of their own, no time of their own and were acting for their Master, Christ; dependent upon Him and obedient to Him.