Most of us have an extremely difficult time believing that churches or Christian denominations could actually promote slavery, racism or segregation. But they did! And this leads us to the accusation some skeptics make that the Bible promotes slavery! So, does the Bible endorse slavery?
δοῦλος doulos / עבד ‘ ebed
δοῦλος doulos, covers an extremely broad spectrum.
#1 Slave – This person served involuntarily. He was considered property.
#2 Serf was a was a laborer who was paid and housed by his master.
#3 Servant was similar to an employee, who was paid for his services.
Hebrew and Roman Slaves
The Bible defines servitude differently than we might define it today.
Most slaves in ancient Israel were Hebrew servants. Lev 25:39
Debtor Slaves were only supposed to work for six years. Ex 21:2–4
Few foreign slaves were bought, but they also were debtors. Ex 21:16
Slavery was abolished at the Babylonian Captivity. Jer 34:9-10
In the New Testament, Slavery was regulated by Rome.
The church lived within the law & challenged slavery from the bottom.
Slaves flocked to Christianity in droves because it gave them hope!
The Old Testament on Slavery
Slave Traders received the death penalty – Ex 21:16
Return of fugitive slaves was illegal – Deut 23:15–16
Most or all “slaves” were debtors – Lev 25:39
Debtors were released after a term – Ex 21:1-3
The greatest release of slaves was the Exodus in chapter 14
God is not an enslaver; he is the one who freed the slaves!
The New Testament on Slavery
Slave and free are considered equal – Gal 3:28
Slave traders are considered lawbreakers – 1 Tim 1:10
Slaves are encouraged to be set free – 1 Cor 7:21
Jesus preached liberty to captives – Lk 4:18-21
Christians are to stand fast in liberty – Gal 5:1
Does the Bible Endorse Slavery?
Slavery was regulated by the Bible, not endorsed.
The Bible inhibits slavery from cover to cover
OT Slaves were more like a hired servant than slave
The New Testament never tolerates slavery.
Service to Men 22
Serve sincerely because you are an example.
The exception to obedience is if their directive violates the Word of God.
Do the job when no one’s watching
Do the job because God is watching
Service to God 23-24
The Christian work ethic means we work for the Lord!
When we get to heaven, we will receive an eternal reward.
If you minimize eternal rewards, you severely underestimate their value.
Leading Men 4:1
A leader should lead like a servant because God is watching.
The Christian leader should be firm, but fair.
The Christian leaders should treat people “equitably.”
Like the servant, we are all accountable to God. God is the ultimate master. We are the ultimate example of servants. We love the term servant. Christianity elevated the term servant to a place of power! We are servants of Christ! This is the number one rule of leadership! Leaders serve, and all other Christians do to! Lord help me to be the servant that you can be pleased with!
In 1845 The denomination of Northern Baptists ruled that men who owned slaves were no longer permitted to serve as missionaries, and slaveholding Baptists decided to form their own group in protest. The Southern Baptist Convention was founded to safeguard the institution of slavery. Founders of the new organization claimed that, according to the Bible, slavery was “an institution of heaven.” They pushed the idea that Black people were descended from the Biblical figure Ham, Noah’s cursed son, and that their subjugation was therefore divinely ordained. They almost called themselves the ‘Confederate Baptist Convention,’[i]
The S.B.C. has a long and painful history around race, and even though they have worked at reconciliation, their history still haunts them today. Those of us who are west coasties or Northerners, have an extremely difficult time believing that churches or Christian denominations could actually promote slavery, racism or segregation. But they did!
And this leads us to the accusation which you may have heard leveled at Christians; some skeptics make the accusation that the Bible is racist, and that it promotes slavery! So, that’s the difficult question we are going to tackle today: Does the Bible endorse slavery.
δοῦλος doulos / עבד ‘ ebed
The first word in verse 22 of Colossians 3 in the New King James is “bondservants.” Other translations render this word SERVANTS, or SLAVES. The Greek word here is δοῦλος doulos, meaning a slave, serf, subservient, servant, or attendant. In the Hebrew, the word for slave is עבד ‘ ebed, and it means essentially the same thing.
These two terms, one for the Old Testament, and the other for the New Testament describe and define slavery in the Bible. Similar words, similar concepts.
But please know this, the word doulos covers an extremely broad spectrum, all the way from a bondman to a freeman. All the way from involuntary servitude to voluntary labor. Let’s look at three types of individuals who could be called doulos, or servants.
#1 Slave – This person served involuntarily. He was bought and sold and put to forced labor. He was considered the property of his master, and most slaves were unpaid.
But, wait, there is a second set of servants that had a little more freedom. For sake of understanding, I’ll call them “serfs,” though that word is nowhere used in the Bible, it is certainly described there.
#2 Serf was a servant. He was laborer who was paid a wage, and housed by his master. But he too could be bought and sold.
#3 Servant – This word also describes a servant who was paid a wage, They got time off for the Sabbath, and sometimes had other benefits. And they might have their own place of lodging. This group of servants was more like a modern employee, rather than a slave.
The only groups of people not defined by the word Doulos are the self employed, the employer, or the slave owner. For those of us today who work for someone else, we are doulos. We are paid to serve others.
Hebrew and Roman Slaves
The Bible defines servitude differently than we might define it today. In the Old Testament, God gave rules on how to regulate slavery. There were basically two kinds of slaves that were held by the Hebrews.
Most slaves in ancient Israel were Hebrew – thus by definition, they were servants. They were not allowed to enslave fellow Hebrews. “’If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them serve as slaves.” Leviticus 25:39
Debtor servants/slaves were only supposed to perform for a specific term, and they had to be paid for their service. That was how they paid their debts. All servants/slaves were only to serve a maximum of 7 years. “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, but in the seventh he shall go out a free person, without debt.” Exodus 21:2–4
There were foreign slaves, but they were a minority, and to be clear, foreigners were also debtor slaves who chose to sell themselves to pay off debt. Slaving was illegal. Exodus 21:16
Slavery was abolished by the Babylonian Captivity. Jeremiah 34:9 called for an immediate release of all Hebrew slaves, without regard to how long they had been enrolled. And more dramatically, it provided that “No one should hold another Judean in slavery…. so that they would not be enslaved again” (Jer. 34:9-10). In other words, it was the abolition of slavery
When we come to the New Testament, Slavery was not regulated by Israel, but by Rome. The church had to live within the law. It is very interesting and instructive that instead of leading slave revolts, Christians worked from the bottom up to free slaves. Slaves flocked to Christianity in droves because it gave them hope of spiritual equality and an eternal status in Jesus Christ!
The Old Testament on Slavery
Let’s quickly look at slavery in the Old Testament. And you tell me whether you think that these verses endorse slavery or work against it!
Slave Traders received the death penalty – Ex 21:16 “He who kidnaps someone and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.”
Return of fugitive slaves was illegal – Deut 23:15–16 “You shall not give back to his master the slave who has escaped from his master to you. 16 He may dwell with you in your midst, in the place which he chooses within one of your gates, where it seems best to him!”
Most or all “slaves” were debtors – Lev 25:39 “if one of you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave.” The slavery introduced here was never meant to be. God promises in Deuteronomy 15:4 But there will be no poor among you; for the LORD will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess— 5 if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD 7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor… you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
Debtors were released after a term – Ex 21:1-3 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.”
The greatest release of slaves was the Exodus as related in chapter 14. God is not an enslaver, he is the one who released the slaves! That’s one of the big stories of the Old Testament!
The New Testament on Slavery
The New Testament not only does not endorse slavery, but the majority of references set the stage for the demise of slavery in the western world.
Slave and free considered equal – Gal 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Slavers are considered lawbreakers – 1 Tim 1:10 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 murderers… 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers (menstealers)… and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine
Slaves are encouraged to be set free – 1 Cor 7:21 “Were you called to Christ while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, do it!”
Jesus preached liberty to captives – Lk 4:18-21 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives!”
Christians are to stand fast in liberty – Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Does the Bible Endorse Slavery?
Slavery was regulated by the Bible, not endorsed, any more than the Bible endorses polygamy.
The Bible inhibits slavery from cover to cover
OT Slaves were more like a hired servant than slave
The New Testament never tolerates slavery and its principles demand slavery’s demise.
Service to Men
So let’s get into it! In order to be a good servant, attendant or employee you need to render your best service to those in charge because you are an example of what a Christian should be!
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God
The point is that you should serve sincerely!
The Bible says to obey in all things. It says the same thing about women submitting to their husbands, and children obeying their parents. But there is one, often unspoken, yet understood exception to this rule. Do it as long as it doesn’t violate either the will of God or the law of the land.
You don’t have to be a genius to figure this out. Children are to obey, as unto the Lord. Wives are to submit as unto the Lord. And lawbreaking is prohibited for Christians. But if there is anything else your boss asks of you, if it is ethical, legal, and moral, just do it. You don’t have to agree with him. You don’t have to like his methods. Perhaps there is a better, faster, smarter way to do it. It doesn’t matter. You can suggest it, but if you’re asked to do the job, do the job you were asked to do.
And do the job even when no one is watching. Not with eye service, but in sincerity. Other people may slack off, but that person is not you. You set the example of what It means to be a Christian worker.
Because, after all, God is watching. That’s what it means to fear God. It means that you have reached the place in your life that you have an awareness of God at all times. Since Christ is in you. Since the Holy Spirit indwells you. Since the Father is with you. Do the job well.
Service to God
But that’s not all! We don’t do a good job to make brownie points. We don’t do a good job to just to move up the ladder. We don’t even do a good job so we can get a raise. We do the best job we can to in order to please Jesus.
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
One of the characteristics of a Christian work ethic is that we expect our people to work heartily. This literally means that your work should come from your heart! In other words put a little bit of love into your job! If you cook, cook with love! If you stock shelves, stock them with love, if you work with people, love them! If you push paper, push it with most love you can muster!
Because we are doing it for the Lord! That is the true Christian ethic. I can tell if you have Christianized your job or not, if I can just find out who your real boss is! If you do everything for Jesus, that’s what it’s all about.
And may I say at this point that some of you envy full time Christian workers like pastors and missionaries who get to serve God all day long. I have a news flash for you! You also serve God full time! No matter your job, you should do it for Jesus!
And when you get to heaven, you will receive an eternal reward. Now I have mentioned the topic of rewards to numerous people over the years and have often gotten a puzzling response. “I don’t care about eternal rewards, heaven is enough for me!”
Let me tell you, if you don’t care about eternal rewards, you have severely underestimated their value. It would be a mistake of colossal proportions to ignore eternal rewards! It would be like working without a expecting a paycheck. It would be like making payments on your car and never driving it. It would be like getting married and living separate lives in separate homes. It would be like having family, but never getting to see them!
Whatever your eternal rewards turn out to be, you want to invest in them, and that means you want to serve Jesus whole heartedly! And look! God is so good that he even gives eternal rewards for doing your secular job well! Work hard for Jesus!
Leading Men
And finally we get to the boss man. How should you as a leader lead. You should lead fairly, honestly, leading the best that you can, as a servant, because God is watching.
Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
The Christian boss should be honest and fair! Don’t show partiality. Don’t play favorites. Do right by your people! That’s what “just” means. It means to do right as much as you are able. You owe it to those you serve to do your best.
You should also be firm, but fair. This is a word that means “equitable.” It means that you give everyone the chance they deserve, that you do your best to see that they have the information, tools and training they need to do the job.
Why? Because like the servant, we are accountable to God. God is the ultimate master. We are the ultimate example of servants. We love the term servant. Christianity elevated the term servant! We are servants of Christ! But there is one warning to both servant and master found in verse 25:
He who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
We are told that there will be blessing if we are good servants, and good bosses! But there is also a penalty for the slacker, for the lazy man or woman, for the disobedient, the cruel, the harsh, and the unruly servant.
God is the master, and we are the servant! This is the number one rule of leadership! Leaders serve, and all other Christians do to! Lord help me to be the servant that you can be pleased with!
[i] https://www.newyorker.com/news/on-religion/the-fight-for-the-heart-of-the-southern-baptist-convention#:~:text=The%20Southern%20Baptist%20Convention%20was,their%20own%20group%20in%20protest.
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