So Is Slavery Justified By the Bible?

[General Mung Beans]

I actually found the forum for the first time in 2010 thanks to this: http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?t=24247

So is any form of slavery justified by the Bible? If so is Southern race-based slavery from the Civil War justified by the Bible? And by "justified" I mean morally sanctioned rather than just "even though slavery is immoral, slaves shouldn't revolt"?

 

[Scarlett O.]

Three things.
(1) An Old Testament teaching: Exodus 21:16 – “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.”

(2) A New Testament teaching: 1 Timothy 1:8-10 – “But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,…”

(3) A commentary on what Biblical slavery was about: from http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-slavery.html

The Bible does not specifically condemn the practice of slavery. It gives instructions on how slaves should be treated. Deuteronomy 15:12-15; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1), but does not outlaw slavery altogether. Many see this as the Bible condoning all forms of slavery. What many fail to understand is that slavery in biblical times was very different from the slavery that was practiced in the past few centuries in many parts of the world. The slavery in the Bible was not based exclusively on race. People were not enslaved because of their nationality or the color of their skin. In Bible times, slavery was more a matter of social status. People sold themselves as slaves when they could not pay their debts or provide for their families. In New Testament times, sometimes doctors, lawyers, and even politicians were slaves of someone else. Some people actually chose to be slaves so as to have all their needs provided for by their masters.

The slavery of the past few centuries was often based exclusively on skin color. In the United States, many black people were considered slaves because of their nationality; many slave owners truly believed black people to be inferior human beings. The Bible most definitely does condemn race-based slavery. Consider the slavery the Hebrews experienced when they were in Egypt. The Hebrews were slaves, not by choice, but because they were Hebrews (Exodus 13:14). The plagues God poured out on Egypt demonstrate how God feels about racial slavery (Exodus 7-11). So, yes, the Bible does condemn some forms of slavery. At the same time, the Bible does seem to allow for other forms. The key issue is that the slavery the Bible allowed for in no way resembled the racial slavery that plagued our world in the past few centuries.

 

[billwald]

"Justified" is a "fighting word" unique to the Christian religion. Other religions don't use it.

 

[HeirofSalvation]

Scarlett pretty much nailed it...a better term for the "slavery" of the OT would be what is called "indentured servitude"...I didn't see it mentioned in her post, but also all slaves were to be set free at the year of jubilee. That is, unless they prefered to stay.

 

[Bob Alkire]

Scarlett pretty much nailed it...a better term for the "slavery" of the OT would be what is called "indentured servitude"...I didn't see it mentioned in her post, but also all slaves were to be set free at the year of jubilee. That is, unless they prefered to stay.

True slaves were only the gentiles who were acquired and sold in the pagan world. These remained the perpetual property of the family, and were treated as slaves in the social sense of the word (Lev. 25:44-46).

You are correct about the Jewish folks who were called slaves.

 

[Melanie]

Ugh...what an ugly subject.....still exists in the world

The slavery of the past few centuries was often based exclusively on skin color.

Not totally correct.....during the Napleonic Wars, when the politcal map of Europe and North Africa was very different than it is today, the Musselman often had Christian slaves, used for working the galleys and other ardeous labour. Women went into the hareems of course.