Matthew 20:28

After this verse an early insertion is found in D and the Curetonian Syriac Version: the first words are ὑμεῖς δὲ ζητεῖτε ἐκ μικροῦ αὐξῆσαι καὶ ἐκ μείζονος ἔλαττον εἶναι, the rest reproduce to a great extent Luke 14:8-10. See Scrivener’s Introduction, pp. 8 and 500.

28. οὐκ ἦλθεν κ.τ.λ. ‘Came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,’ i.e. (as the parallelism shews) came not to be a μέγας, ‘a great one,’ but to be a servant (διάκονος), καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον�, a still further humiliation—to be a slave and render a slave’s supreme service—to die a slave’s death for others. This view, to which the poetical form of the whole paragraph points, brings the passage into close relation with St Paul’s words: μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν … ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ (Philippians 2:7-8). The conception of a redemption from the slavery of sin through Christ is enriched by that of a life sacrificed to win life for us.

The bearing of such passages as this on the alleviation of slavery in the ancient world should be considered. Their influence towards the abolition of slavery in modern times might have been still greater if the translators had used the word ‘slave’ rather than ‘servant’ in the E.V.

λύτρον only here and Mark 10:45 in the N.T., a ransom or price paid for the redemption of a captive from slavery. For the thought cp. Romans 3:24; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 1:19. The English word is derived through the French rançon from Lat. redemptionem. The act of redeeming is expressed by ἀπολύτρωσις, as δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι διὰ τῆς�, Romans 3:24; ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν�, Ephesians 1:7. See also 1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 1:19.

ἀντὶ πολλῶν. Cp. 1 Timothy 2:6, ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν�. The difference between the πολλῶν and the πάντων in these two passages must be explained by the difference between the offer of salvation and the acceptance of it. It is offered to all, accepted by many. The preposition ἀντὶ denotes the vicarious nature of Christ’s death.