To turn men from darkness to light

With reference to Acts 26:18—Paul reminds the Saints in Rome that they were all the servants of sin once; but thanks God in their behalf, that they had been freed from sin, and were now the servants of righteousness, "having obeyed from the heart A FORM OF TEACHING, (!greek!) tupon didaches, into which they were delivered" (Rom. 6:17). They obeyed a form of teaching which emancipated, liberated, or set them free, from the lordship of Sin. This was Paul's mission -- to invite men to a change of masters. He addressed himself to free men and slaves, all of whom, whatever their political or social position, were in bondage to the devil or sin. He did not invite slaves to abscond from their fleshly owners: on the contrary, he told men to remain in the several callings of life in which they were when they first heard the truth. "Let every man," says he, "abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called, being a slave? Care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather." As if he had said, 'Social or political liberty is a small matter in view of what men are called, or invited to, by the gospel of the kingdom. My mission is to "open men's eyes, to turn them from darkness [of mind] to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among the sanctified by faith [which leads] into Jesus"' (Acts 26:18). He invited Sin's servants to become Jehovah's [Yahweh's] servants upon the principle of purchase; so that, in addressing those who had abandoned the synagogue and temple for the house of Christ, he says to them, "Ye are bought with a price." They were "not their own," being bought bodily and spiritually; "therefore," said he, "glorify God with your body and with your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 7:23; 6:19,20). When a man's body and spirit become another's property, all property in himself is surrendered to the purchaser. All that he used to call his before he was sold, is transferred to his owner; and, if allowed to retain it, he must use it as the steward of his lord.