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There are some people who say that the whole Bible condones, and even endorses, slavery - in which they refer to the modern definition of it. When people do read the Old Testament and they see Scripture verses that refer to slaves, we automatically think of all the slavery of the past 500 years. Although the New Testament is certainly an improvement, it still seems to fall far short of the human rights we would expect in the 21st-century. There are no women among Jesus' 12 disciples, and Christian masters do have 'slaves' working for them.

So how should we deal with this issue?

Before we begin, it is vitally important that we need to understand this in the proper exegetical, theological, political, historical and cultural contexts in which the Old Testament narrative (and the Bible's metanarrative ) unfolds. The explanation below will be a mixture of them together.

This is [again] a further extension of a previous journal entry I've done, which is about the Old Testament Law vs. New Covenant Grace . You can click there, or go here:
Old Testament Law vs. New Covenant GraceThis, of course, is from a Christian/Biblical worldview, and so does not reflect the views of the Jewish believers who don't believe Jesus was the Messiah; despite the evidence to the contrary (such as Isiah 53, and the sceptre departing from Israel after Jesus was born, etc.)

I wasn't sure whether to do this as an actual Deviation, or just consign it to being my latest journal - so I thought I'd choose the latter option. If anyone thinks this might be suited as a Deviation, do let me know (and if possible, what the reason would be) :thumbsup:

There has been many an attack by Atheists, critics, and the like concerning what the Bible teaches

I may add more to this if and when people find other verses/objections to the issue of slavery that I haven't yet dealt with.

So first of all, the Bible uses the Hebrew term eved (עבד ) and Greek doulos (δοῦλος ) to refer to slaves. Eved has a much wider meaning than the English term slave, and in many circumstances it is more accurately translated into English as servant or hired worker. In fact, even with passages such as Leviticus 25:44-46 , Exodus 21:2-6 , and Exodus 21:20-21 , slaves were actually to be treated as part of an extended family!
As WBrad99 has pointed out in his article, The Bible Condones Slavery? , two of the types of slavery we have are forced servitude and voluntary/indebted servitude.

With voluntary servitude (which, as he said, has disappeared entirely over the centuries) - to quote Brad:
Voluntary slavery was a widely practiced and entirely viable economic option. Men and women would intentionally sell themselves into slavery because of the different perks it carried as opposed to a regular occupation. Some freedom was lost, certainly, and people who chose to make a living this way volunteered themselves to be bartered or sold like a mule. But the benefits of having food, shelter, and protection provided for them were a worthy trade off for many people. If one couldn't hold a job or had just lost all his crops to a disaster, he had a way out; slaves were always in demand. And in cultures that followed the Bible, slaves were treated justly as individual human beings, not simply livestock to be branded and beaten.
As for the issue of foreign slaves that the Israelites were allowed to purchase: First, there are no chains around necks, no racism, and no being worked to death here. Also, such people had rights even if they ran away from their bosses.Deuteronomy 23:15-16
15You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. 16He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him- You can read the rest of it here .

So in the context of the above definition, here's an example of one of the verses, which I've put in bold the relevant parts:If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may plainly declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.’ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever. (Exodus 21:2-6 NLT)When you realise that this is closer to a hired worker, the issue disappears. The bold text which says "I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free" shows that they must have been treat well enough for the "slave" to want to live with them as part of their family.

"Hebrew law was far superior to the codes of the pagan nations with reference to slaves. For example, there are some glaring contrasts between the law of Moses and the code of Hammurabi (a Babylonian ruler) with reference to slaves. Under the Babylonian regime, harboring a runaway slave incurred the death penalty. Under the Hebrew system, a runaway slave seeking refuge could not be returned to his master (Dt. 23:15)." ~source

The second point is this:

Slavery was permitted in the Bible because of sin in the world.
It was due to the hardness of ancient Israel’s heart, God tolerated (and regulated) some things under the Old Law that He did not endorse. But even while many nations treated their slaves very badly, the Bible gave many rights and privileges to slaves to which others didn't have (as the verses suggest). So, even though it isn't the best way to deal with people because God has allowed man freedom, slavery then exists. You also need to remember that the Hebrews themselves were once in slavery - as true slaves like you think of them:

Exodus 1:11-14
11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.
And they were enslaved to the Egyptians for 400 years!

So also in the context of above, this next Scripture quote shows God's grace to them with the preface specifically as a reminder that the Lord saved them from their bondage of slavery in Egypt:

Leviticus 25:38–46

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee. And then he shall depart from you—he and his children with him—and shall return to his own family. He shall return to the possession of his fathers. For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. You shall not rule over him with rigor, but you shall fear your God. And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have—from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves. Moreover you may buy the children of the strangers who dwell among you, and their families who are with you, which they beget in your land; and they shall become your property . And you may take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them as a possession; they shall be your permanent slaves. But regarding your brethren, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over one another with rigor.

Notice that it doesn’t say to seek them out or have forced slavery. Thus, it is not giving an approval of seeking new slaves or encouraging the slave trade.

Many skeptics will point to Exodus 21:20-21 and imagine this means God approves the beating of slaves - as long as they don't die. This is absolutely wrong, so pay close attention.
The verse nowhere approves of hitting people or abusing them, but rather, the ENTIRE Bible is consistent on how we should treat people. Any skeptic who tries to isolate this verse to “prove” that God condones beating a slave just reveals their own sheer desperation. The Israelites who had slaves would have known God’s holy laws, and they knew better than to mistreat people.

For a full explanation for this passage above (and below), I will provide you with the link below the next section about this.

In short (and in other words), the text does not condone the beating of the slave at all. Rather, the text is describing what the punishment is *for* beating one’s slave to death. That is, the text actually *condemns* beating a slave to death. In the one case, the slave owner is punished by being put to death. In the other case, which is an unintentional death by beating, the slave owner is punished in terms of his own financial loss from having beaten his slave to death. The implication is that he did not intend to kill his slave, but was still wrong in beating the slave. Otherwise, there would be no mention of punishment in either case. But as it is, there is a punishment in both cases here for beating a slave to death. In the first case of intentionally beating a slave to death, the slave owner is likewise to be put to death. In the second case of unintentionally beating a slave to death, the slave owner’s own foolish financial loss serves as his punishment.

So as you can see, that wasn't what the verse says at all. I’ve already posted one verse above, but I’ll post a couple more to give you the sense of how God feels about it (for the God of the Old Testament is the same as the New):
Colossians 4:1
Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Ephesians 6:9
And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
The verses above, taken from the New Testament, show us how God expects those with slaves under their care to act. They are to be fair and treat them right, and not be harsh with them. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
Secondly (as I have been saying) some compare it to a social class, and with good reason: A person who was financially broke could become a “slave” for a set period of time, and work to pay off debt, or to have guaranteed housing and care. This was actually a good thing, and it did wonders to keep the “homeless” population under control. If you were broke, no problem–just go be a servant for a while.
For a full explanation for these passages above, have a read through here: Bible Says It’s Okay to Beat Your Slave, As Long As They Don’t Die?

As for the New Testament, apart from the fact that there were people in those days who were still slaves (and cannot do anything about it), does NOT mean that slavery was encouraged.
Also – particularly in the New Testament - there's a whole spiritual dimention to do with everyone being a slave to something – in more ways than one (and it can be bang up to date, like being a 'slave' to social pressures, or a 'slave' to opinions of others). Apart from that, here are some verses which talk about being slaves to sin:
Romans 6:16-23
16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[b ] Christ Jesus our Lord.
Galatians 4:1-11
1What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces[a ] of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.[b ]6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[c ] Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces[d ]? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
But ultimately, what the New Testament teaches, is in Galatians 3:
Galatians 3:26-29
26So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Now, as for the recent history of modern-day slavery,
Scholars in Cultural Anthropology are sensitive to this, and point out that New World slavery was quite unique, historically:

"Scholars do not agree on a definition of "slavery." The term has been used at various times for a wide range of institutions, including plantation slavery, forced labor, the drudgery of factories and sweatshops, child labor, semivoluntary prostitution, bride-price marriage, child adoption for payment, and paid-for surrogate motherhood. Somewhere within this range, the literal meaning of "slavery" shifts into metaphorical meaning, but it is not entirely clear at what point. A similar problem arises when we look at other cultures. The reason is that the term "Slavery" is evocative rather than analytical, calling to mind a loose bundle of diagnostic features. These features are mainly derived from the most recent direct Western experience with slavery, that of the southern United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The present Western image of slavery has been haphazardly constructed out of the representations of that experience in nineteenth-century abolitionist literature, and later novels, textbooks, and films...From a global cross-cultural and historical perspective, however, New World slavery was a unique conjunction of features...In brief, most varieties of slavery did not exhibit the three elements that were dominant in the New World: slaves as property and commodities; their use exclusively as labor; and their lack of freedom..."

~ Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology (4 vols), David Levinson and Melvin Ember (eds), HenryHolt:1996.
Just because they owned slaves – and was the “social norm” at that time in history - doesn't make it right, nor does it mean the Bible encourages it.

You also need to understand that the slavery in the Bible is not the same as the slavery in American history.
A) It wasn't racially based
B) It occurred in one of two context 1. spoils of war or 2. indentured service

Secondly, the slavery this is referring to – as during the slave trade of the 1700s – Scripture certainly speaks against, because many Africans were stolen into slavery (to which Exodus 21:16 commands against - “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.” [ps. the death penalty in this context no longer applies, as I've shown in my other journal entry ]).

And this brings into play perhaps the most overt anti-slavery verse in the Bible, I Timothy 1:10 , which classes "menstealers" as gross sinners along with murderers and "whoremongers" (KJV). Most have understood menstealers to be slave traders, especially those who steal people away to sell them as slaves. Some early modern slaves in the Americas were taken as war captives, too, but large numbers were simply captured and taken away from their families.

That sin, repeated thousands of times over, fatally corrupted slavery in the Americas.
You can read more information about it here: Slavery and the Bible

As I said, it is, of course, sad that slave ownership – and its idea of it – had been ignored for so long. The pro-slavery interpretation of the Bible was limited to certain parts of the world, namely the parts that had slave-economies. This was a dark period in American history (and also the West in general), but let's not forget those who fought to abolish slavery, primarily of course William Wilberforce.

DesertFox088 has also done a video on the Bible and Slavery, which is very useful!

~Gareth †