Commission-on-unalienable-rights

Please provide scripture to support your statement that the Bible teaches liberty is better than slavery.

 

Yes, Van, I have studied the scriptures on the subjects of slavery and liberty. What I have learned is this: Slavery or liberty is not the major question.

The major question, since we are all slaves, is who is our master?


[Rom 6:15-19 KJV] 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants G1401 to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.


The KJV translates Strong's G1401 in the following manner: servant (120x), bond (6x), bondman (1x).

a slave, bondman, man of servile condition

a slave

metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men

devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests

a servant, attendant



[Jhn 8:31-32 KJV] 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Do you think the Jews would be free from their tyrannical masters?

John 8:32
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

[Rom 7:23-25 KJV] 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver G4506 me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.


The KJV translates Strong's G4506 in the following manner: deliver (17x), Deliverer (1x).

to draw to one's self, to rescue, to deliver; the deliverer

Van, as you can see, Strong’s does not translate the Greek as meaning “free”.

Rom 7:24
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?



[1Co 7:21-24 KJV] 21 Art thou called [being] a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use [it] rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, [being] a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, [being] free, is Christ's servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.


“care not for it”; Wes’s concordance: don’t sweat it, no big thing. But don’t pass up an opportunity to be free. You have been called and been declared free in the Lord.


1Corinthians 7:21
Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.




[Gal 5:1 KJV] 1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.


Free from the bondage of sin to be in bondage to Christ.


Galatians 5:1
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

I like the KJV better. More understandable to me.





[Phm 1:13-16 KJV] 13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel: 14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. G1595 G2596. 15 For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; 16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?



The KJV translates Strong's G1595 in the following manner: willingly (with G2596) (1x). voluntary





Philemon 1:14
but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.



[1Pe 2:16 KJV] 16 As free, and not using [your] liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

1Peter 2:16
Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

 

Continuing:

What is the Year of Jubilee? | GotQuestions.org

Question: "What is the Year of Jubilee?"

Answer: The word “jubilee”—literally, “ram’s horn” in Hebrew—is defined in Leviticus 25:9 as the sabbatical year after seven cycles of seven years (49 years). The fiftieth year was to be a time of celebration and rejoicing for the Israelites. The ram’s horn was blown on the tenth day of the seventh month to start the fiftieth year of universal redemption.

The Year of the Jubilee involved a year of release from indebtedness (Leviticus 25:23-38) and all types of bondage (vv. 39-55). All prisoners and captives were set free, all slaves were released, all debts were forgiven, and all property was returned to its original owners. In addition, all labor was to cease for one year, and those bound by labor contracts were released from them. One of the benefits of the Jubilee was that both the land and the people were able to rest.

The Jubilee presents a beautiful picture of the New Testament themes of redemption and forgiveness. Christ is the Redeemer who came to set free those who are slaves and prisoners to sin (Romans 8:2; Galatians 5:1; 3:22). The debt of sin we owe to God was paid on the cross as Jesus died on our behalf (Colossians 2:13-14), and we are forgiven the debt forever. We are no longer in bondage, no longer slaves to sin, having been freed by Christ, and we can truly enter the rest God provides as we cease laboring to make ourselves acceptable to God by our own works (Hebrews 4:9-10).



What is a bondservant / bond-servant? | GotQuestions.org

The Hebrew word for “bondservant,” ‘ebed, had a similar connotation. However, the Mosaic Law allowed an indentured servant to become a bondservant voluntarily: “If the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life” (Exodus 21:5-6).

Many prominent men of the Old Testament were referred to as servants. God spoke of Abraham as His servant (Genesis 26:24; Numbers 12:7). Joshua is called the servant of the Lord (Joshua 24:29), as are David (2 Samuel 7:5) and Isaiah (Isaiah 20:3). Even the Messiah is called God’s Servant (Isaiah 53:11). In all of these instances, the term servant carries the idea of humble nobility. Being God’s servant is an honorable position.


Throughout the New Testament, the word bondservant, slave, or servant is applied metaphorically to someone absolutely devoted to Jesus. Paul, Timothy, James, Peter, and Jude all describe themselves as “bondservants of Christ” (Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1, NKJV).

Believers today should still consider themselves bondservants or slaves of Christ (1 Corinthians 7:22; Ephesians 6:6; 2 Timothy 2:24). He is our Lord, and our allegiance is due to Him alone. As bondservants, we renounce other masters (Matthew 6:24) and give ourselves totally to Him (Matthew 16:24).

Being a bondservant of Christ is not drudgery. His “burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Also, we have this promise: “Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” (Romans 6:22).



Once again, ask: who is my master?

 

Definition of inalienable | Dictionary.com

inalienable: adjective, not transferable to another or not capable of being taken away or denied; not alienable:

By definition, if life is an inalienable right, it is not capable of being taken away or denied.

As Gen 9:6 clearly teaches, life is not inalienable.

 

So far, you have not provided scriptural reference(s).

Yes or no question. If I had to

Post #9

Still waiting for your response.

 

For the third time I am asking: Do you believe Adam and Eve were created equal?

 

This question, "Do you believe Adam and Eve were created equal?" is in keeping with the un-biblical statement made by the signers to the DOI that all men are created equal.

Do you consider this statement, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." in the DOI to rise to some level of divine revelation from "their creator"?

This statement indicates that there are other self-evident truths that are unknown since the ones listed were among them.

Do you have any insight as to what the other self-evident truths might be? If so, you could go down in history with these men who discovered these self-evident truths that no other men, throughout history, were aware of

I wonder if we will get to unalienable right of liberty and the unalienable right to pursuit of happiness? Not looking good!

By the way, have you been out to a restaurant with family and friends in the last few weeks? I doubt it.

What happened to our unalienable right of liberty?

 

Please edit the following statement as needed to allow us to continue. I, here and now, state that I will be in agreement.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men, from Adam and Eve onward, are created equal, that they are given the faculty, by their the God of the Bible with certain rights, which cannot be taken away or denied, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

 

I much appreciate your scholarly diagnosis of my attempt to continue to engage with you.

Bottom line: God is sovereign.

[Exo 33:19 KJV] 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

Arrogant mankind can attribute to God all the inalienable rights they want, but He does not change.