The Bible and slavery

To all, these are mutually opposed realities. They should never be paired in the same phrase most would say. But, does the Bible condone slavery in any way? The answer is yes. Bible translators uses the word servant in place of slave because of the negative connation the word slave has. The word servant contains several meanings. Two of those meanings in the Greek language are: doulos, meaning “in bondage”. It also means to be in subjection without bondage. The verb form of doulos is douloo which means “to enslave to bring into bondage”

Because of the horrendous, evil slave trade enterprise of blacks by whites, the Trans Atlantic Slave trade/Middle Passage of the last few centuries along with the inhumane treatment of blacks slaves by white slave masters in America, the reality of slavery in the Bible is abhorrent by all people. That is why many people do not believe the Bible because they automatically assume the slavery that was permitted in scripture was the same harsh servitude that occurred against our black ancestors centuries ago and as recently as last century; the early 1900’s.

The Bible has never condoned harsh treatment of any innocent human beings. It has never endorsed human trafficking. It definitely hates racial slavery. The Bible has never approved of subjugation of a race because of their ethnicity or skin color. God indeed made all men equal. For we are all made in His image (Genesis 1:26).

                        

  

                          What the Bible says about the master-slave relationship

Exodus 21:2-6 says: When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh year he shall go out free, for nothing. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

Deuteronomy 15:12-18 says: “If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year, you shall let him go free from you. And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today. But if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household since he is well-off with you, then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant forever.

This Deuteronomy passage is a recitation of the Exodus 22 passage before it.

Leviticus 25:39-43 says, “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: he shall be with you as a hired servant and as a sojourner (italics mine). He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers. For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. You shall not rule over him ruthlessly but shall fear your God (italics are mine).

When someone became destitute and was not able to meet their financial obligations, they would sell themselves with their family (if they had one) to someone with means. The purchaser was not to treat his own countrymen like a slave but as a hired servant.  In the seventh year, they were allowed to go free with resources from their master.

Proverbs 17:2 says, “A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

Here we see that a wise slave would be treated as well as a member of his master’s own family.

Deuteronomy 24:7 “If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”

Kidnapping, human trafficking was a violation of Hebrew law; punishable by death. It was forbidden to sell a brother or sister as a slave and gain a profit.

In Matthew 20:25-28 Jesus, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus, in essence, is saying the way to the top is humility, serving God and your fellow man willingly. That’s when a person gains praiseworthy recognition. Not for who he/she is, but what he/she does that is righteous.

Colossians 4:1 declares this, “Masters grant your slaves justice and fairness knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

Ephesians 6:5-9 is dealing with the employer-employee relationship, “Slaves be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ; not by way of eye service as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart. With goodwill render service as to the Lord and not to men knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord whether slave or free. And masters do the same things to them and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours are in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”

Both parties are required to be faithful in their roles for both have a Master in heaven to whom they must give an account.

I Peter 2:18 says, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.”

Romans 6:16-18 says, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

What the Apostle Paul is declaring here is that in this sense-regarding good and evil, the whole world is in slavery no matter your status in life. You are either a slave to sin or to righteousness. Whichever one you serve is your master. No one alive can escape this reality.

                                                               

                                               Conclusion

The aforementioned proves without any doubt that the slavery mentioned in the Bible was under the providence of God almighty. Nothing like the inhumane slavery that was allowed here in America and other countries where blacks and others were treated worse than a beast of burden. As a matter of fact, scripture says salvifically we are all one in Christ Jesus whether one is a slave or free (Galatians 3:28).

When the Bible commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves, that would include those who were hired servants and slaves (Leviticus 19:18; John 13:35; I John 3:11; 4:7).

Jesus God incarnate humbled Himself and became a servant doing only what pleased the Father. For Jesus said, “for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me (John 6:38)”. Jesus willingly submitted himself as a slave. Like or not, we must do the same. The question is, “who or what are you going to serve?” Remember what or whoever you obey, is who you are a slave to.