A major sticking point for many people today is over what Scripture says about slavery. Throughout history, Christians have argued both for and against slavery by appealing to the Bible’s statements regarding it. Some will use the allowance of it for the Jews and all the regulations given for the practice with no explicit condemnation of it as a whole as a way to dismiss the Bible and Christianity all together or to call into question what the Bible teaches on other topics which are viewed as old fashioned or out of date in our modern culture such as homosexuality and the different roles of men and women both in the home and in the church. They claim that if the Bible supports slavery which is recognized as being wrong today, it must also be wrong in presenting homosexuality as a sinful relationship and women not serving as the head of the home or as prominent leaders in the church as well. And when a Christian is asked to explain how the Bible can seem to have any positive view of slavery in light of what we know about it today, a good number frankly don’t know how to respond. My aim in this article for this month is to set the record straight on slavery in Scripture so to speak. To help clear through the fog on this matter so that we can better know how to answer the “but what about slavery in the Bible?” question from the skeptics and not be so confused about the issue as much ourselves.
The first thing we need to recognize when it comes to how the Bible addresses slavery is that the slavery it speaks of is not the same slavery as that which typically comes to our mind whenever we hear the word. There are a number of major differences between the kind of slavery that characterized our nation’s past as part of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and that which was practiced and regulated by the law for the Jews. For one thing, the slavery we read about in the Bible was not based on race or ethnicity. In fact, most were fellow Jews who either had fallen on hard times and decided to sell themselves to someone to be their slave for their own livelihood or who wound up selling themselves into slavery to someone to pay a debt they owed to them but didn’t have the money for (Leviticus 25:39, 47). This condition of slavery was not to be permanent for any of the Jews either. They were only to serve as such for at most six years and then be set free on the seventh (Deuteronomy 15:12). All Hebrew slaves were to be set free every 50 years for the year of Jubilee to return to their family and the family’s land (Leviticus 25:40-41). There was also an opportunity for redemption of the slave to have their freedom purchased before this year of Jubilee by a near relative or if the slave was able to raise up the money himself, he could buy back his own freedom (vv. 48-49). Their time of service to their master would be temporary.
This type of slavery was also much more humane in contrast with the slavery which marred our country’s history. Slaves were to be viewed and treated as persons and not just property. If a slave was struck to death by his or her master, that master was to be punished (Exodus 21:20). If the master severely injured the slave in any way, such as wounding their eye or knocking out one of their teeth, the slave was to be set free (vv. 26-27). Twice the people were reminded that they were not to have dominion over their slaves “with brutality” (Leviticus 25:43, 46), always remembering how they themselves had served as slaves in Egypt but God mercifully and kindly redeeming them out of such bondage (Deuteronomy 15:15). They were not even to treat their fellow Jewish slaves as slaves but more like hired hands or employees (Leviticus 25:39-40). When it came time to release the slave at the seventh year, the master was required to send him or her off with a generous amount of provisions for him or her to be able to live on their own (Deuteronomy 15:13-14). If a man purchased a slave to serve as a wife for his son, he was to treat her as he would his daughter (Exodus 21:9). And if the son decides to choose another woman in place of that slave, he was forbidden from reducing the slave’s food, clothes, or marital relations (v. 10). And if he did do such, the slave was to be set free without any price given for her freedom. All of these regulations ensured that the slaves were seen as persons made in God’s image and protected their dignity and worth. Even with the case of foreign slaves captured by war which were not subject to the Jubilee provision and were permanent being seen as slaves, the practice could still be said to be merciful as this saved the individual from being killed and provided for them (Leviticus 25:44-46).
Some slaves may have had such a good experience with their master that they desired to remain their slave and forfeit the freedom which could be theirs. On account of this, a provision was even made for a slave to stay his master’s slave if he wanted to (Exodus 21:5-6; Deuteronomy 15:16-17). And the kidnapping and selling of persons which was so much a part of the trans-Atlantic slave trade back in the 1800s was prohibited for the Jews and even punishable by the death penalty (Exodus 21:16). There really is no comparison between the slavery discussed in the Bible and that which was practiced in our nation’s past.
It should be pointed out that nowhere does God ever command for the Israelites to have slaves or take slaves for themselves. The law simply regulated the institution of slavery which had already been in practice at the time and goes all the way back to at least Abraham, possibly from his pagan days before the Lord called him out of such to serve Him as seen with the presence of Eliezer and Hagar serving as his and his wife’s slaves (Genesis 15-16). It never created or called for the institution of such. This is similar to the situation of divorce which clearly goes against God’s good and wise design for a man to leave his father and mother and cleave to his one wife until death parts the two of them (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 7:2-3; 1 Corinthians 7:10). Such was only granted on account of the hardness of man’s heart (Matthew 19:8; Mark 10:5) It was never prescribed or commanded by God for a couple to get divorced. But since it sometimes occurs due to sin, God provided laws to prevent widespread divorce for any and every reason and to govern it so it wouldn’t become out of control which was bound to happen if people are left to themselves. Slavery was an institution which God never expressly designed for man but which He regulated so as to prevent abuses and unfair treatment of those who bear His image.
When we come to the New Testament, we find that the concern with slavery is not over the moral right or wrongness of it or even the abolishment of the system but how the gospel brings about a transformation of the individuals within it. The authors are more concerned with the way the Christian master is now to view and relate to his slave or the Christian slave his master in light of the new identity he or she presently has in Christ (Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-25; 1 Peter 2:18). Also, in how both slave and free are equal in status in Christ and should be treated as such in the church (Galatians 3:28). Paul even pleads with Philemon regarding his runaway slave Onesimus, who had then become a Christian, to receive him back as not just a slave but as a brother in the Lord as well (Philemon 10-17).
Instead of calling for believing slaves to revolt or believing masters to release all of their slaves, Paul says that each person should remain in the place they were when the Lord had called them to salvation (1 Corinthians 7:20, 24). If they were free, not to sell themselves into slavery (vv. 22-23). If they were a slave, not to worry about it. Though, he does add that if they do have the opportunity given to them to become free, that they should take advantage of that (v. 21).
The reason why no instructions are given for the church to seek an end to the practice of slavery is because the job of the church is not to change or reform society but to proclaim the gospel by which men and women are saved. Any social transformation which would take place is a byproduct of that work. As more people become Christians in any area, there is bound to be significant changes resulting from the difference in perspective and practice which comes from the Holy Spirit making someone new. This is exactly what we see happen with the early church as recorded in the book of Acts. The church focused on preaching the gospel and devoted itself to that work. They did not attempt to change the earthly government or its laws. There was no call for the church to strive to put idol shops out of business or to do away with fortune telling. Yet, some idol makers did wind up losing business as a number of people no longer went to them to purchase one of their fake gods since they had “turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9) (Acts 19:24-27). Those dealing with selling witchcraft books would have taken a hit with new believers giving up their practicing of magic, burning their books and not purchasing any more (v. 19). We need to keep in mind that while it was Christians such as William Wilberforce who led to the abolishment of slavery, they were a product of a church which was concerned with preaching and teaching the gospel and not attacking and overturning the social ills of the day. He served faithfully where the Lord had providentially placed him with the new character and perspective the new birth had given him as a result of the gospel being proclaimed.
Even though slavery has such a negative connotation for us today due to our association of it with the type of slavery which characterized our nation’s past, the Bible uses such as an analogy for our relationship with the Lord. Back in the law in Leviticus 25, the Jews are considered to be God’s slaves (vv. 42, 55). Paul, Peter, James, and Jude had no problem referring themselves and other believers as a “slave” or “slaves” “of Christ” (Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 7:22; Galatians 1:10; Ephesians 6:6; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 4:12; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 1 Peter 2:16; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1; Revelation 1:1). Most of our English translations try to soften this by using “servant” in these cases but the actual Greek word means “slave.” This causes us to miss the tremendous truth of what it even means to be a Christian. A Christian is Christ’s slave in the sense that he or she belongs to Him. He or she has given up the rights to himself or herself no longer to do whatever he or she wants. Jesus now serves as their Master whom they owe their full and complete obedience. He has bought their freedom from being slaves to sin at the cost of His very life in order to make them His slaves. The reason why Paul reminded the Corinthians that they were not free to sleep with whomever they chose was because “you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
In a sense, everyone is a slave. The question really is who is your master?. Is it sin which rules over you and whose desires you follow or Jesus? As Paul told the Romans, a Christian has been saved from being a slave to sin to be freed to become a slave of righteousness (6:18). And this designation of being Christ’s slave should not scare us or make us uncomfortable. After all, it is the greatest privilege to be His slave and have Him as our Master. In ancient times, slaves of royal dignitaries typically had the same status of their master. They weren’t just seen as any ordinary slave but the king’s slaves belonging to Him! Keep in mind that we couldn’t have any better, greater, or kinder Master who takes such wonderful care of us providing for us all of our needs. In light of Who He is and all He has done for us, why wouldn’t we want to be entirely devoted to Him as His slave? And we are even more than His slave!. Scripture tells us that He also counts us as His friends and part of His family (John 15:15; Galatians 4:7)! It was very rare for any slave ever to be adopted into the master’s family and given the master’s inheritance or even to be known as the master’s friend. However, that is exactly what God has done with those who are united to His Son by faith. So, let’s be sure to explain to our friends the negative aspects of slavery the Bible condemns all the while talking about the slavery to sin we all have experienced and need freed from as well as the blessed privilege and joy of being Christ’s slave by His grace through faith in Jesus.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Lee
