There is something interesting about this bond-servant relationship that the residents of the city of Rome would particularly understand. Rome was the city where the Emperor resided, and the emperor’s slaves brought another context to the slave relationship. The emperor’s slaves were some of the highest ranking people in the empire. They had more status, authority, and freedom than most commoners.

Highlighting a Purposeful Tension –
Throughout Paul’s writings you can get what seems to be conflicting ideas. At one point, Paul is extremely humble pointing to Christ as everything and at himself as nothing. Other times you get a strong sense of Paul’s strong confidence and authority. The relationship of the bond-servant clearly captures both, and this ideas was not lost on the Romans. Paul was given fully to Christ. He was without rights and his life was no longer his own. At the same time, Paul realizes that what matters most about slavery is who you serve. Jesus was the Messiah, the Lord over everything, the Son of God, and He was the owner and master of Paul’s life. This gave Paul the rights and authority that come from his master. He was aware of his slavery as well as his spiritual authority. Each of these ideas resolves perfectly in his being a bond-servant to Christ.

Romans 1:1