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(3)
Diakonos.
If this word be derived from dioko to pursue, it would
emphasize the alacrity and diligence of the service rendered. It is of
course the origin of our `deacon'.
(4)
Oiketes. A domestic servant, oikos meaning `house'.
(5)
Huperetes.
An under-rower, with reference to the galley slaves who
worked at the oars.
(6)
Therapon.
Ministering care. In English, therapy means the medical
treatment of disease.
There is only one word for `servant' in Galatians, it is doulos `a slave' (1: 10; 4: 1, 7).
There is only one word for `serve' in Galatians, it is douleuo `to serve as a slave' (5: 13),
and there is but one word for `service' in this epistle namely douleuo `do service' (4: 8).
When the Apostle linked the words `serve' and `son' together in Phil. 2: 22, "As a
son with a father, he hath served with me in the gospel", or in the epistles to Timothy
(I Tim. 1: 18; II Tim. 2: 1) where he exhorts his `son' in the faith to service, Paul uses
the affectionate term teknon or `bairn'. Here in Galatians, he places the `slave' in strong
contrast with the `son', and as this word `son' is of great importance to the understanding
of the argument of Galatians, we must devote some time in becoming acquainted with its
meaning and usage. The Greek word translated `son' in the sentence "Wherefore thou art
no more a servant but a son" in Gal. 4: 7, is the Greek word huios. Four of the
occurrences of huios in Galatians refer to Christ Himself.
"When it pleased God . . . . . to reveal His Son in me" (Gal. 1: 15, 16).
"I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me" (2: 20).
"When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son" (4: 4).
"God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father" (4: 6).
The rest of the occurrences refer to men, either believers `because ye are sons' (4: 6),
or to the sons of Sarah and Hagar (4: 22-30). The English reader should note that two
passages are wrongly translated `children' in the A.V. which the Revisers were careful to
alter. They are:
"They which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." This should read
"sons of Abraham" (3: 7).
"Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." This should read "sons of
God" (3: 26).
When the Apostle wished to speak of the Galatians as `little children' he had a suitable
word at his command:
"My little children" teknion, the diminutive of teknon (Gal. 4: 19).
Or where he wished to speak simply of children, he used teknon (4: 25, 27, 28, 31),
and where he wanted to introduce the figure of a babe, he used nepios, which occurs in
Gal. 4: 1 and 3. It is therefore a great pity that we slur over these distinctions, especially
when the very argument of Galatians turns upon the meaning of huios a `son', as distinct
from teknon or nepios `children'.