But doesn’t the Bible condone slavery?

Those are the words of author and philosopher, Sam Harris, from an online conversation with Ben Shapiro. His words voice the concern that many people have about Christianity, and about Christian speaking about the issue of slavery in the world today. Doesn’t the Bible condone slavery?

It is a sad fact that people have used the Bible, and Christianity, to justify owning slaves and treating people as property. Richard Fuller was an American baptist minister in the nineteenth century, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and co-founder of the Southern Baptist movement. He wrote a book entitled ‘Domestic Slavery considered as a Scriptural institution’. He argued:

The preacher, George Whitefield, was an influential force in evangelicalism both in the UK and the US, being part of the eighteenth century ‘Great Awakening’. He was also an advocate for slavery, owning slaves himself and campaigning for the reinstatement of slavery in the state of Georgia after it was abolished in 1751. Whitefield said of the institution of slavery:

It seems that Fuller and Whitefield would agree with Sam Harris that slavery is endorsed in the Bible and expected by Christians. But is that really the case? What does the Bible actually say about slavery?

The Bible certainly does talk about slavery, which should not surprise us, since freedom from slavery in Egypt was the defining moment for the people of Israel. The religious feasts and festival that God’s people were to repeat each year were to take them back regularly the reality of slavery and God’s rescue from the Egyptians. Passover, for instance, would rehearse the experience of slavery and the way in which God brought his people freedom with his mighty arm.

Slavery, and freedom from it, would become characteristics of the way the Israelites saw themselves. Frequently in the book of Deuteronomy, God through Moses gives the rationale for commandments with these words: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this” (Deuteronomy 24:18). Release from slavery is written across the narrative of the Bible.

Writing about slavery in the Bible is also not surprising because slavery was a common practice in the ancient world. Slavery existed among the nations around God’s people, and it is clear that some within Israel also practiced slavery. We are told that King Solomon conscripted slaves to build his palace (1 Kings 9:21).

While slavery did exist within Israel, there is a difference between something being allowed and something being approved of. Peter J. Williams, president of the Bible research centre, Tyndale House, notes that: “Often the Old Testament Law is a matter of permitting or regulating something, rather than saying that it is good.”

This is important when considering the way slavery is dealt with in books like Exodus and Leviticus. Leviticus chapter 25, for example, contains these instructions:

At first glance, this would seem to be instructing the Israelites to take slaves. But rather than a command, this law is actually a restriction. If slavery were to happen among the Israelites, they were not to enslave their own people. If the people of Israel were to be a light to the nations, an example of what it meant to live in relationship with God, then they should not enslave one another. The law restricts sinful actions in order to point toward the ideal that God desires.

Compare these commands about slavery to other commands in the Law about divorce. Deuteronomy 24:1–4 talks about the possibility of a husband issuing his wife with a certificate of divorce. It is clear from the rest of the Bible that God’s ideal is for marriage to be a lifelong, exclusive commitment between one man and one woman. Jesus affirms this in the New Testament and says that Moses’ command here is “because your hearts were hard” (Matthew 19:8). The law about divorce restricts the way a husband can treat his wife. It does not condone divorce, or promote it, but regulates it while recognising that lifelong marriage is still the ideal.

Both the Old and New Testaments talk about ‘servants’ and ‘slaves’, two words that overlap in meaning in various ways. Peter J. Williams comments about the way the Hebrew word ‘ebed, translated as servant or slave, would be used in the Bible:

This dual meaning is important as we consider a second, longer passage about slavery in Exodus 21:2–11. This section deals with Hebrew servants (’ebed, the same word used for ‘slaves’ in Leviticus 25), both male and female. These are not slaves, since we know from Leviticus that an Israelite cannot take a fellow Israelite as a slave. But these are servants, who perhaps have sold themselves into servitude because of a debt. The male servants will be free after six years of service, unless they volunteer to stay with the family they serve. The female servants have the ability to be redeemed or be married and enjoy the full status of a married woman. While the line between slave and servant is blurred, these servants have aspects of freedom and choice, so are distinct from slaves.

When we consider what the Old Testament says about slaves, there are a couple of places that seem to consider slaves as ‘property’. In Exodus 21:21, for example, it refers to a person’s slave as “their property”. Yet as we examine this verse in the light of the whole Bible a different picture becomes clear. Peter J. Williams explains:

The Law in the Old Testament recognises the reality of slavery in the ancient world, and seeks to restrict and restrain it. The rest of the Old Testament is clear that people are made in God’s image, and the people of Israel are meant to be a light to the nations, displaying God’s ideal and not taking one another as slaves.

As we turn to the New Testament, we find that both Peter and Paul teach about the relationship between slaves and masters. (Despite what Sam Harris said at the start of this article, Jesus did not teach about slaves and masters, although he did use servants in his parables and as an example of living in God’s kingdom.)

There are a number of passages that speak to both slaves and masters, such Ephesians 6:5–9, Colossians 3:22–4:1, Titus 2:9–10, and 1 Peter 2:18–20. What connects these passages is the idea of living as a disciple of Jesus Christ, whether a slave or a master. The gospel changes the way that both slaves and masters behave, since both are under the lordship of Jesus. It is not just slaves who are told to obey their directions, but masters who are told to treat those under them with kindness and respect.

These verses are not acting as a theological argument against slavery, but as guidance for new Christians to know how to act in line with their new-found faith. A slave who has become a Christian might act out against their master, knowing their freedom in Christ. But this is likely to cause harm for the slave and bring the gospel into disrepute. Better, says the New Testament, to submit to your master and serve with diligence so that they see the effect of the gospel on your life.

Some slaves who become Christians might have harsh masters and are unable to leave their slavery. Peter’s words in 1 Peter 2 encourage the slave that they are following Jesus’ example in enduring under unjust punishment. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:1-2 to speak to slaves who might act differently to their masters because both they and their masters belong to the same church. In this case, the slaves should work hard for their masters as fellow believers.

All of these passages help slaves and masters navigate what it looks like to live for Jesus once they have become Christians. Their directions do not give a theological basis for continued slavery but practical discipleship for the here and now. As Wayne Grudem comments:

Perhaps one of the most telling verses addressing slaves comes in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians:

It might seem strange to hear Paul say “don’t let it trouble you” if you are a slave, but his argument here is that our earthly condition (slave or free) is not nearly as important as our spiritual condition (being in Christ). From the perspective of eternity our relationship with God matters far more than our situation here and now.

But that does not mean we are unconcerned about our present situation, or that of others. See what Paul is saying here: “if you can gain your freedom, do so.” It is clear that Paul considers being free and not in slavery to be the default and desirable state. If you have the choice, don’t choose to be a slave! Slavery is not the logical result for any person, but part of a broken and fallen society.

We see this further if we follow the implications of the Christian gospel as spelled out in the New Testament. When Paul writes to the Galatians, he tells them: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). God’s intent is for us to be free. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free from slavery to sin and death. It is unfathomable, therefore, to take steps back into slavery again. That is what the Galatians were doing when it came to religious laws and customs. It is not hard to see how this same gospel argument moves us away from slavery as a more general idea. For the Christian, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

While Paul writes to Timothy to encourage slaves to act appropriately toward their masters in 1 Timothy 6, he also tells Timothy:

‘Slave traders’ are one of the practices that Paul lists as contrary to the gospel and marks out the ungodly and sinful. The word that Paul uses, which is sometimes translated ‘enslavers’ or ‘man-stealers,’ comes from the root words for ‘man’ and ‘foot’. It denotes a person who forces someone to be at the feet of another, someone who makes another person a slave. It is these enslavers who Paul puts into the same category as liars and murderers.

While the New Testament gives directions for slaves and masters about how to live as followers of Jesus, the trajectory of the gospel is toward freedom. We see this most clearly in the example of Onesimus.

The book of Philemon is one of the shortest in the New Testament (only John’s second and third letters are shorter) but contains important teaching. Just as important is the setting of this remarkable letter.

Paul writes to Philemon, a wealthy member of the church in Colossae, and his letter was likely delivered with the letters to the Colossian church and the one in nearby Ephesus. One of those delivering Paul’s letter was Onesimus, a former slave of Philemon who had run away and subsequently become a Christian through Paul’s ministry. Onesimus has worked alongside Paul in his ministry and now Paul is sending him back to Philemon.

Paul writes to Philemon to encourage him, and to help him understand how to treat Onesimus as he returns. Paul could have chosen to keep Onesimus with him to continue the work of ministry. But he chooses to reconcile Philemon and Onesimus, and to help them navigate what it means to be a Christian in a world where slavery exists.

Paul says of Onesimus:

Paul is aware of Onesimus’ status as a slave, but sees him as much more than that. Paul refers to him as “my very heart” and as someone “who became my son while I was in chains” (Philemon 1:10). He even jokes about Onesimus’ name (which means ‘profitable’ or ‘helpful’), saying that “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me” (Philemon 1:11).

Paul would much rather keep Onesimus with him as a co-worked for the gospel. But he does not want to force a decision on Philemon, but to help him see what the right thing to do as a follower of Jesus. Paul tells Philemon “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). So Paul says:

Paul’s expectation of Philemon is clear. He is no longer to consider Onesimus as a slave, but as a dear brother in the Lord Jesus. He is not a piece of property but a fellow man and part of the family of God.

Paul urges Philemon to “welcome him as you would welcome me”, putting this former slave on par with the apostle. He is not ignorant of the economic impact of freeing a slave either, telling Philemon that if Onesimus “owes you anything, charge it to me” (Philemon 1:18).

Perhaps most telling are Paul’s final words on the subject: “Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask” (Philemon 1:21). Paul has directed Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a fellow believer and a son rather than a slave. He is not only confident that Philemon will do this, he expects him to do even more. The implication of these verses is that Paul expects Philemon to free Onesimus.

The letter to Philemon shows the witness of the New Testament put into action. A slave is not property but a brother or sister and fellow human being. The freedom that God gives through the gospel is demonstrated by freedom from slavery. For a Christian, slavery is in no way acceptable.

Sam Harris’s claim was that the Bible endorsed slavery, and slavery was expected by God. Examining the passages that speak about slavery, and the broad sweep of the Bible’s narrative, we find a different conclusion. The Bible argues not for an endorsement of slavery but the elimination of it.

Francis Wayland was a baptist minister and president of Brown University in the United States in the nineteenth century. He opposed the arguments of Richard Fuller we saw at the beginning, seeing that the Bible has a different story about slavery. He wrote:

The Bible does not give ‘immediate proclamation’ of the end of slavery, but the principles of the gospel cannot be applied to culture without seeing the extermination of slavery as the logical conclusion.

It is true that some people used the Bible to try and justify owning slaves. Many more, however, saw God’s word directing them to bring and end to slavery altogether. Wayne Grudem comments:

Those who attempted to use the BIble to justify slavery were influenced more by the culture around them than by a right understanding of Scripture. Andrew Fuller (no relation to Richard Fuller) once wrote to John Newton in 1802 about the slave trade, saying: “It is amazing to think how much we are influenced, even in our judgement of right and wrong, by general opinion, especially by the opinion and example of religious men”.

Only a superficial reading of Scripture could be used to justify slavery, and only a glance at the passages would lead someone to think that the Bible somehow endorsed slavery. Rather the Bible shows how we are created in the image of God, with inherent worth and value. Every person has this status and no person should be treated as property, and bought and sold.

Someone who saw the gap between a true understanding of the Bible and those who argued for slavery was Frederick Douglass. He himself escaped slavery in the nineteenth century and became a leading voice against slavery and for civil rights during that time. He wrote: