Does the Bible Condone Slavery?
Amid the protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, the old tired argument by secularists and atheists is that Christianity supports slavery. Before we examine that, let me say at the outset that Christianity does not support, encourage, or promote hate, oppression, or enslavement of anybody.
If there was any evidence of a time when context matters, it is in this topic. When you study any ancient book of antiquity, you must understand the culture, the times, the audience, and message being conveyed. We also must understand that certain words and languages change over time. These rules help us understand the verses in proper context and help us refute those persons that would misinterpret them to support a certain agenda.
First, we must understand that Scripture presents life in the ancient world as it was. It never sugar-coats or glosses over sin, bad behavior, moral problems, etc. It is the straight forward acknowledgement of human failure by man and ancient Israel in the Old Testament that testifies to its reliability.
Second, we need to understand the word slave and what it meant during ancient times (the Old Testament). Most of these verses are in Exodus and deal with the Mosaic Law and ancient Israel. The word “slave” does not mean the same thing as it does in the 21st century. The term in Hebrew was also interpreted “servant.” It also wasn’t an inherently negative context. It had a meaning with work in mind. Men and women sometimes would sell themselves as servants to pay debts that were owed. Paul Copan describes the word, in context, as a debtor to a master or owner. In ancient Israel, work was done by the total household and/or servants/slaves. We use that same term to describe our civil servants in government today. Nobody would describe them as slaves today. In ancient times, this meant that persons would have a contractual relationship with the master to work for either money or a payment of a debt. It is not the same pre-Civil War idea of slavery.
Third, in a commentary by Peter Williams, the word slave (ebed) was used to describe the Egyptians serving Pharaoh in Egypt. That same context was used by the Israelites in Exodus. The Israelites were not so much freed from the bondage of slavery in Egypt but to serve the living God. God freed His people to serve Him and to establish His covenant with them.
Fourth, to those that would argue Paul and or Peter endorsed or promoted slavery need to understand slavery in Rome. Freeing slaves or going against the Roman government would mean death. Paul admonished those that were in slavery to do their best in those circumstances to reflect the love of Christ (See 2 Peter 2:18-26).
Finally, forcing someone into slavery was prohibited in the Old and New Testaments (See Exodus 21:6 and Ephesians 6:9). In fact, Scripture admonishes the master or owner on what not to do and not to treat any servant harshly. Mistreatment was taken seriously.
Let us remember to always be a servant to the one and true living God.
S. Montgomery