Slavery: What Does The Bible Say? (Part One) -Northwest Bible Fellowship-1/22/23

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 How to have a relationship with God

www.northwestbiblefellowship.com



Listen to the sermon 1 Peter 2:18

Slavery: Does the Bible endorse it? Does the Bible condemn it? We think of 18th and 19th century Pre Civil War, Trans Atlantic slave trade (is this the same as slavery that occurs in Biblical times? 


Modern slavery/human trafficking and the 18th and 19th century Pre Civil War, Trans Atlantic slave trade (American South)

  1. Based on race, 

  2. Motivated by free labor 

  1. Involuntary (you are forced into it) 

  2. Permanent (you’re a slave forever unless you escape against your master’s 

  3. Poor and horrible treatment, people viewed as sub-human property, people exploited 


In The Ancient World (before and during Old Testament times): 

  1. Based on class/social status/power

  2. Both Involuntary and voluntary 

    1. Many were prisoners of war (involuntary)

    2. Some were slaves as punishment for crime (involuntary) 

    3. Some were debt slaves who sold themselves or their children into slavery to pay off a debt (voluntary)

  3. Motivated by various things depending upon what type of slavery 

    1. Cheap labor and mutiny prevention (prisoners of war)

    2. Crime prevention 

    3. Financial security and safety (debt slaves who sell themselves into slavery)

  4. Sometimes permanent and sometimes temporary

  5. Mostly poor treatment 

    1. Prisoners of war and criminals were treated poorly, Government owned mining slaves treated worse  

    2. Household slaves were treated better than the others 


In the Graeco-Roman World (during New Testament times): (the setting of 1 Peter 2)

  1. Based on social class/social status/power

  2. Both Involuntary and voluntary

    1. Prisoners of war (involuntary)

    2. Debt slaves (voluntary) 

    3. Household slaves (voluntary)...in many cases similar to employment in our day

  3. Motivated by various things depending upon what type of slavery 

    1. Cheap labor and mutiny prevention (prisoners of war)

    2. Financial security and safety (debt slaves who sell themselves into slavery)

    3. Economic security and household/estate care (in household slavery…economic security for the servant, household/estate care for the owner of the house/estate

  4. Sometimes permanent and sometimes temporary

    1. Could purchase your way out in many cases 

  5. Treatment varied…

    1. (1 Peter 2:18 tells us there are ”good and gentle” masters and “unjust” masters) 


  1. poor treatment in many cases

    1. No legal rights, possessions, no justice or recourse

    2. Sometimes oppressed and not paid (Malachi 3:5, James 5:4) 

  2. Fair treatment in some cases, especially for household slaves 

    1. Sometimes well fed and provided for (Lk 15:17)

    2. Household slaves often were well educated and held important roles such as doctors, nurses,teachers, etc)


What The Bible Says   

The Bible’s instruction about slavery and how slaves were to be treated was countercultural at the time it was written (during the Ancient times in the East and during the Graeco-Roman period) 

  1. Slavery in Bible times was based on social class, not race. (most Christians were slaves 1 Cor 1:26) 

    1. Bible teaches that God man in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and promotes dignity for all people as the ideal 

    2. Bible calls for us to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19: 17-18, Matthew 22:35-40) 

    3. Bible calls us to treat others the way that we would like to be treated (Mt 7:12, Lk 6:31)

  2. Was both voluntary or involuntary

Involuntary:  

  1. Captives that were taken after conquering God’s enemies, in which case, such as in DT 20, God is bringing nations under judgment after being given chances to acknowledge God. Even when the people become “forced labor,” biblical standards of humane treatment and caring for the welfare of slaves apply.) 

  2. Slavery was a punishment for crime (Gen 43:18, Ex 22:3)

  3. Some were enslaved for unpaid debts (Lev 25:39, Matthew 18:25)

Voluntary: 

  1. Some sold themselves to pay off a debt (Lev 25:47)

  2. Some were hired and acted as employees (Lk 15:17)

  3. You are not to kidnap and sell anyone (Exodus 21:16) 

  1. Motivated by various things depending upon what type of slavery

    1. Keeping war captives from dangerous and deadly revolt 

    2. The welfare of the poor 

      1. A “safety net” to make sure that no one is overlooked as they slowly starve to death…a means of protection and provision when done by God’s standards. 

      2. Often a safe place and a place of employment for those who would otherwise not have one 

      3. Ideally, one could entrust themselves to the safety and provision of their master

  2. Was temporary in most cases 

    1. 6 year limit for Israelites (Exodus 21:2-3, Deut 15:12-18)

    2. Release in the year of Jubilee (Lev 25:39-41)

    3. Israelites sold to foreigners could be redeemed by nearest of kin (Lev 25:47-55)

    4. To be well furnished at the completion of their service (Deut 15:13-14)

    5. Freedom given to slaves maimed or injured by their masters (Ex 21:26-27)

    6. Non Israelite slaves could be kept permanently and passed down to children (Lev 25:44-46)...

    7. A slave could choose to permanently entrust himself to his master (Deut 15:12-18)

  3. Bible legislates fair and just treatment of slaves

(look to how Abraham’s servant speaks of Abraham in Genesis 24) 

  1. Kidnapping forbidden (Deut 21:10-14, 24:7, 1 Timothy 1:10)

  2. Do not oppress (Dt 24:14)

  3. Do not return a fugitive slave (Deut 23:15-16)

  4. To be given Sabbath rest (Ex 20:10, Lev 25:6)

  5. Rights are given to those born in slavery

    1. Right to circumcision (entrance into covenant with God -Genesis 17:13-27)

    2. Right to enjoy some of the religious activity of the master’s house (Dt 12:12,18)

    3. Allowed to participate in national celebrations (Deut 12:18, 16:11, 14)

    4. Right to “sonship” (Prov 29:21)

  6. Kindness to slaves is commanded (Lev 25:43, Eph 6:5-9) 

  7. Hired servants to were to be paid quickly (Lev 19:13, Deut 24:15)

  8. Punishment for killing a slave (Ex 21:20-21)

  9. Freedom given to slaves maimed or injured by their masters (Ex 21:26-27)

  10. Sometimes married into master’s family (1 Chron 2:34-35)



The message of the Bible regarding slavery was extremely countercultural at the time it was written…

  1. Culture says slaves are merely property

  2. Bible says slaves are human beings and are to be treated justly


But why does the Bible not just outright condemn and outlaw slavery? 

  1. The Master/Subordinate relationship is not necessarily sinful... 

    1. God has instituted certain social orders and structures, that, when operating according to God’s standards, are for the good of mankind 

      1. Christ/Husband/Wife/Child is not sinful 

      2. Leader/follower is not sinful

      3. Employer/employee is not sinful

      4. Master/subordinate is not sinful

(all of these easily become sinful when sinners attempt to operate within these systems...such as turning a master/subordinate relationship into oppressive, abusive, or violent slavery)

  1. The Bible’s intent is not primarily social reform, but spiritual transformation

    1. Outlawing something does not stop it due to man’s sinful heart

    2. Thus, God regulates it like He does other sin in order to protect people

  2. The Bible’s intent is not uprising, overthrowing, and revolt against sinful social circumstance, but changed hearts coming to the knowledge of Jesus Christ…

    1. obedience from a changed heart is the change that will last 

  3. The Bible assumes and states that unjust treatment of others is sin …The Bible intends to teach us how to live in an unjust world, not to discern whether or not slavery is sin 

    1. The Bible’s teaching makes clear the many, many aspects of slavery that are sinful. It is assumed as you read the text

  4. God is patient and willing that none would perish and that all would be saved (2 Peter 3:9)

  5. The Bible does affirm the value of every person 

    1. Made in the image of God (Gen 1:27)

    2. One in Christ, no distinctions (Galatians 3:26-28)

  6. The Bible provides instruction about the ethics of human interaction and the example in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:18)

    1. Bible teaches that God man in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and promotes dignity for all people as the ideal 

      1. Frank Turek points out that this comes before slave legislation in the Scriptures..a fact that was noticed by slaves in the American South. This showed them that humans were on equal footing first and foremost in the image of God) 

    2. Bible calls for us to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19: 17-18, Matthew 22:35-40) 

    3. Bible calls us to treat others the way that we would like to be treated (Mt 7:12, Lk 6:31)

  7. The Bible establishes God’s guidelines about slavery

    1. Slaves will be held accountable for how they obey serve their masters (Eph 6:5-8)

    2. Masters will be held accountable for how they treat slaves (Eph 6:9) 

  8. Does God use human slavery to illustrate our need for God?

    1. Israel freed from Egyptian slavery to serve God (Ex 7:16)

    2. Followers of Christ freed from the bondage of sin and death to live to righteousness and serve the Living God (Romans 6:19, 7:23,  8:2-4, 2 Cor 5:21)

    3. Scripture is filled with slave/bondservant/servant/imagery that illustrates our relationship with Christ and others (Phil 2:7-8) (1 Cor 6:20)

  9. Does God use human slavery to drive people to Himself? 

  10. Many slaves in the American south saw God as their champion of freedom because of His guidelines about slavery (Turek) 

  11. Slavery in different parts of the world was eventually abolished because of the Bible’s teaching about it

    1. The Abolitionist movement in the 1800’s was fueled by Christ followers 


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