Servant is obviously from the verb “to serve.” Our word serve is ramified through Old English, serven, through Old French, servir, and from Latin, servire, which is in turn from servus, a slave. The word is used in almost every area of life: sports (a tennis “serve”); law (to “serve” a writ or summons); war (we say he “served” in the military); politics (a public “servant”) and economics (goods and “services”). In the Greek it is usually the word diakoneo, from which we get the word “deacon.” A form of the Greek word is often translated “minister” but never with a capital M. Service is what Christianity is all about. He who does not serve does not love. He who does not serve is not the disciple of Jesus. And he who does it with a capital M serves only himself.

Bowman, D. (1997). That’s Life. In Christianity Magazine: January 1997, Volume 14, Number 1 (23). Jacksonville, FL: Christianity Magazine.