Servants of Christ. The etymology for the Greek term “hyperetes, meant “servant” or “minister,” and is the same term for the rowers of warships who were mostly male slaves put to the strenuous work of the oars.

They were in the gallery, the lowest part of the craft, usually chained during their grueling and constant work that was unseen but fundamental.

These men were extremely subservient and had to row according to the drumbeats determined by the superiors. Corinth was a port city, specializing in the are of navigation. When Paul used this term, he knew that hey would grasp the Teaching well.

As a “servant of Christ,” the apostle perfectly understood his position as the servant of God. He sought neither recognition nor honor for himself.