The Bible abolishes slavery
We point out that the Bible abolishes and reforms slavery.
In the Old Testament, God clearly intends in Israel’s law code to abolish/reform slavery. God takes the concept of slavery, which the entire ancient world practiced, and adjusts it. Effectively turning slaves into employees. Before we get too far, slavery in this context was not based on ethnicity.
Look at God’s intention in these verses. Just check out the job description of the messiah in Isaiah 61:1.
The Spirit of the Lord [a]God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me
To bring good news to the [b]afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And [c]freedom to prisoners;
It clearly isn’t God’s intention for slaves. Jesus’ job description was to bring liberty to captives. Granted, this was the jail system of the old world and it wouldn't be right to leave murderers, rapists and etc free to continue to hurt others. In a sense, God abolished slavery because he created a path where only those in debt/crime would be functioning in this relationship. This would provide them with shelter, food, and occupation as they were being restored.
Even though Jesus created a path for freedom not everyone takes it. He emancipates everyone but people have to accept the provided freedom. Some still want to be in excessive debt or commit crimes. They would say they didn't choose it but their actions say differently. The Bible tries to create a place where people are only enslaved by their own choices not the choices of others. If you want God to babyproof your life so you can’t do wrong. Forget about it!
However, if we lean on God he empowers us to live righteously by The Spirit. We won't have to fall into traps of debt and sin.
What’s the primary difference between a slave and an employee?
In slavery, a slave has no power; the master has all the power.
But in employment/work, the employee has power. The worker could leave if He wasn’t finding healthy work conditions.
The employee is free to walk out the door and find a different life, which gives them power over their boss. No employee can be forced to work; they have the freedom to choose. If anyone was not treated fairly they were able to escape and did not have to return to the abusive owner.
That’s what God grants every worker in Israel:
"You must not return an escaped slave to his master when he has run away to you. Indeed, he may live among you in any place he chooses, in whichever of your villages he prefers; you must not oppress him."
(Deuteronomy 23:15-16)
In other words: if a slave ever leaves his master, the master is forbidden from getting that slave back. Each worker in Israel is free to leave his place of work, just as a modern-day employee is free to walk out the doors of a bad work situation. They were not “stuck” in unfair situations.
This command alone shatters any idea that the Bible tolerates slavery. If a worker in Israel ever felt abused, he or she could simply walk away, and the master was forbidden by law to do anything to bring them back. The Bible erred on the side of freedom.
Further, wherever that worker decides to live now, the residents there cannot oppress him. They must respect him and let him live among them. They could not shunt these people into ghettos or make them second-class citizens. The Law forced everyone to accept these workers as equals.
Take this new definition with you everywhere you go in the Old Testament. God's people are commanded to treat their workers as human beings, not as lesser people.
Further examples:
Slavery in other countries was permanent, but God didn’t allow Israel to do this. All workers were released every seven years. (Exodus 21:2). Slavery was used as a civil system of correction for debt and wrongdoing.
Workers were protected by law. If a master killed a worker, the master was punished for taking a human life. (Exodus 21:20). Be kind to your workers.
All workers had a mandatory day of rest every week, just like everyone else. (Exodus 20:10). Setting the stage for the first day off. If you like days off, thank the scriptures.
All workers were to be treated as hired hands who will be released in a few years, not as human property. (Leviticus 25:39-43). The terms of service were short and only applied until the next year of jubilee.
If a master permanently injured a worker, that worker was immediately set free. The permanent injury could be as small as knocking out a tooth. (Exodus 21:26-27). Setting the expectation for fairness in work. Do not treat your workers unethically.
This relationship was not based on race, ethnicity, or culture. It was based on debt and created a path for food, shelter, and work in the middle of the challenges.
The New Testament is even more explicit:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
In other words: there are no sub-classes. Every human being is equal in Christ.
No one is lesser or greater than you. All are equal in Christ because all become one in Christ.
Thus, Christian apologists don’t defend slavery at all. We acknowledge the purpose of the ancient jail system (especially in a time of underdeveloped governments and undeveloped civilization) and its ability to provide food, lodging, payment for the debt (didn't have to pay anything else after freedom is acquired) in their hard times. Today, a crippling financial situation can stick with you for a lot more than 7 years. The amount of debt in the average US household is certainly a different type of slavery.
While the new testament does not explicitly ban slavery due to it being the jail system of the ancient world. We know Paul encourages slaves to become free if they can but if they cannot, to make the best of the current situation until they get the opportunity for freedom. Paul also warns to treat any workers fairly and most likely would have advised believers to set each other free when the year of Jubilee arrives.
The world is still trying to catch up to the fairness displayed in the scriptures.
-Jorge Valenzuela
