Matthew - 20:27



27 Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Matthew 20:27.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant:
And he that will be first among you, shall be your servant.
and whosoever will be first among you, let him be your bondman;
And whoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
And whoever has a desire to be first among you, let him take the lowest place:
And whoever desires to be first among you must be your bondservant,
And whoever will want to be first among you, he shall be your servant,
No, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to take the first place among you, must be your slave;

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

Your servant - Δουλος the lowest secular office, as deacon was the lowest ecclesiastical office: δουλος is often put for slave.
From these directions of our Lord, we may easily discern what sort of a spirit his ministers should be of.
1. A minister of Christ is not to consider himself a lord over Christ's flock.
2. He is not to conduct the concerns of the Church with an imperious spirit.
3. He is to reform the weak, after Christ's example, more by loving instruction than by reproof or censure.
4. He should consider that true apostolic greatness consists in serving the followers of Christ with all the powers and talents he possesses.
5. That he should be ready, if required, to give up his life unto death, to promote the salvation of men.

And whosoever will be chief among you,.... Or first, or have the pre-eminence, the first place in the kingdom of the Messiah,
let him be your servant; or, as in Mark,
shall be servant of all: not only a minister, but a servant; not a servant of some only, but of all. This was verified in the Apostle Paul, who became a servant to all men, though he was free, that he might gain some to Christ; and by so doing was the chief, though he reckoned himself the least of the apostles, yea, less than the least of all saints. The Jews have a saying somewhat like this, that (h).
"everyone that makes himself as a servant, for the words of the law in this world, shall be made free in the world to come.''
(h) T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 35. 2.

Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. In the church, the greatest one is he who serves most and best.

*More commentary available at chapter level.


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