The Bible Says Slavery Is Okay?

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Let's just put this out there, the Bible does not permit slavery. In 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul says that those who enslave others are lawless, disobedient, ungodly sinners who practice what is contrary to scripture.

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So there you go. But wait, didn't he also tell slaves to submit to their earthly masters and masters to treat their slaves with fairness?

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Yes, but that's not permitting slavery. Paul wanted to systematically dismantle such an unjust institution.

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Slaves in Roman colonies made up as much as a third of the population, and in some cases, slaves, better described as bondservants, were actually considered family.

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This is why Paul's instructions to bondservants and masters in, say, Ephesians 6, were written in the context of family.

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Still, bondservants had few rights and were vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Abolishing slavery meant changing the social attitude about slavery.

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He told Christian slaves and their Christian masters to consider each other brothers and sisters in Christ, rather than owners and property.

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When society viewed servants and slaves as being of least importance, Jesus turned that structure on its head by teaching that the greatest in God's kingdom are servants of all.

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As for Old Testament laws regarding slavery, that's a lengthy explanation. Just know that some laws existed to ensure that all members of the theocracy were provided for.

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As with us, they were to consider themselves set free from slavery, never to return. With a word on modern slavery, talking about human trafficking and the sex trade, if we even want to make a dent in abolishing it.

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Two things need to be made scarce or completely eradicated, abortion and porn, practices as godless as slavery, when we understand the text.