Millsom on Paul on 1st Century slavery

When you use a metaphor, you're not meant to apply all aspects of the object being used as the metaphor to the subject. Ie, Rodney is a machine! Rodney's not actually a mechanical device, but there are aspects of a machine which are very similar to Rodney. So when we read about Paul as

So when Jesus died and rose, we were bought with a price. So we are owned by God as slaves. And yet, Paul also describes us in Romans 8 as no longer operating under a spirit of fear as slaves would, but in a Spirit of Sonship. The dynamic is not identical to a typical 1st Century slave-owner fear and domination relationship. So not all aspects of the metaphor apply.

And yet, we are owned by God. His slaves.

This is as true as our intimacy with God.