Does the Bible Condone Slavery?

Does the Bible Condone Slavery?

The answer is no. The Bible does not condone slavery. Slavery was a normal part of the ancient world and, as time has gone on, it has been condemned in various parts of the world. Slavery was not an institution birthed or instituted by God, but by man.

Slavery has been practiced by nearly all civilizations for different reasons, resulting in prisoners of war, chattel slaves, Helot slaves, or indentured servants. Chattel slaves were people treated like property with absolutely no legal rights. Indentured slavery was a form of voluntary enslavement to pay off a debt, and Helot slavery occurred when an entire population was subjugated into bondage.

During the Apostle Paul’s time, slavery was common under the Roman Empire. Approximately 25-30% of the Roman population were slaves. They faced harsh treatment, including working in extreme conditions and being forced to fight for sport in Gladiator games.

Many became slaves due to being born to an enslaved mother, being taken as war prisoners, or, in some cases, being kidnapped from faraway lands. As believers, we know that Christ died for us to walk in freedom. It is that cause of freedom that Paul contended for, along with a call for the equal and fair treatment of those within the slave culture.

Philemon and slavery in the Bible

This was clearly shown in the story of Onesimus. He was the slave of a believer named Philemon. Onesimus had run away after allegedly stealing from his master.

Somehow, he was brought to Paul and became a believer. Paul then makes a bold yet respectful case to Philemon to take Onesimus back into his home—not as a slave, but as a brother in Christ.

Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love.” – Philemon 1:8-9

Paul is essentially saying that seeing Onesimus as a brother and not a slave is God’s standard. He could have simply told him that slavery is not of God, but because it was so deeply ingrained in the culture, he chose instead to appeal to Philemon’s heart in love to do the right thing.

“Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever—no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.” – Philemon 1:15-16

Biblical view of Slavery

Paul is very specific in sharing that he wants Philemon to see Onesimus as a brother and not a slave. This is God’s standard. With slavery being so deeply ingrained within the culture, it was no easy feat to change minds and hearts regarding something that was entirely legal and viewed as normal.

Americans who are familiar with the history of slavery in the United States understand that it was no easy feat to dissolve the institution of slavery within our country, as it was also a legal part of our social construct.

The Bible Was Written to Reveal Jesus Christ, not as a Rule Book

While there are many corrections, laws, and commands for mankind, let’s recount the true purpose of the law of Moses. In scripture, the law exists to show mankind that we all fall short of God’s standard, and thus, we need Jesus as our Savior.

Jesus doesn’t follow us around with a paddle in one hand for when we do wrong. Instead, he invites us into a love relationship with him. This is where Christ changes our hearts—writing his laws on our hearts instead of only on scrolls to be read, remembered, and rigidly adhered to.

There is a much greater chance of adherence to God’s laws when they become a part of who we are. Thus, Christ being revealed—and the resulting salvation alongside the process of regeneration—produces people who submit to God’s standard willingly. This is exactly what Paul wanted Philemon to do. He wanted him to do what was right not simply because he was told to, but because it had become a core part of who he was in Christ.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

The above scripture describes what regeneration truly means. It means a dying to the old self and an aliveness to a new life in Christ. We come up higher in our relationship with Christ, moving closer to God’s standard.

Slavery as a result of the fall of man

Augustine, an early church father from Africa, argued that slavery is a direct result of the fall of man. I agree with Augustine, as the fall of man is the result of sin entering the human world. There are many sins that we deal with as a consequence of the fall, including feminism, patriarchy, polygamy, racism, and so much more.

Augustine argued in his book, The City of God, that God did not create humans to dominate each other. Instead, he believed humans were originally created equal and were only intended to rule over animals. He pointed out that the word “slave” never appeared in scripture until Noah used it as a punishment for his son’s sin. Consequently, he viewed existing slavery as a form of divine judgment.

Polygamy is another sin that was historically ingrained within ancient culture as normal. However, God shared his true standard in both the Old and New Testaments:

“He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.” – Deuteronomy 17:17 (NIV)

• • 1 Timothy 3:2: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;”
  • 1 Timothy 3:12: “Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.”
  • Titus 1:6: “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.”

Just as God called men higher regarding marriage and fidelity, the Apostle Paul called Philemon—and calls others—higher to release people from slavery and see them as equals. For those who chose to exist within the system of slavery until a systemic cultural shift could occur, scripture commanded them to treat others with kindness, and vice versa.

God is the one we see throughout scripture and history consistently interrupting the system of slavery. The infamous deliverance of the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage speaks for itself. Finally, we see the deliverance within America, which was largely garnered by Christian abolitionists, activists, and Quakers.

This includes figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, Fred Shuttlesworth, Ralph David Abernathy, Wyatt Tee Walker, Frederick Douglass, Howard Thurman, Ida B. Wells, and many, many more. If someone ever asks you if the Holy Bible supports slavery, be sure to know your history and confidently share that it does not.