Posted by David Carroll
My nephew Hal has a web site and a blog where there is a page of links and my site is included. I was perusing it the other day and noticed he had put a comment next to my name saying "My uncle David is, in fact, pro-slavery." A statement like that, although potentially libelous, is at least provocative and perhaps even serves me and my site well by sending people here who would not have come otherwise. So I thought I would return the favor and perhaps send some folks to Hal's site.
Anyway, I write this to defend myself. I recall a conversation we were having last summer in a family gathering about some interesting political and religious topics. Hal made a comment that Jesus was wrong to have never spoken against slavery. I forget what I said but I am sure it was something to the effect that slavery wasn't so bad back during that day. We'll the conversation went downhill after that and the rest of the family interceded to ban any further discussion on such subjects.
Allow me to explain my complete thoughts on the subject.
Jesus did not come to set men free from slavery to men; rather he came to set men free from slavery to sin. Had he taken up the worthy cause of social reform, he would not have been able to preach his message of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Eternal salvation is infinitely more beneficial to the human soul than freedom from slavery. In fact, by focusing his message on what truly counts and on the only thing that can reform men's hearts, he was effectively establishing a church that would one day lead the way in abolishing slavery. Thank God for Christians like William Wilberforce who saw his God-given goal in life as that of the abolition of slave trade in England.
In the Roman world of that day, the master/slave relationship was more likely to be similar to employer/employee relationship. While certainly not affirming slavery as something good, it is noteworthy to realize that many slaves were treated as well as other members of the family. Besides, such a campaign to abolish slavery in that day would have been futile given the social and governmental climate of the time.
In the church, which by the way Jesus established and also heads, members included both slaves and slave owners and they were treated equally. This is not just historical fact but according to God's plan:
Galatians 3:26-28 (NKJV)
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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.
Notice that it is not just slaves and masters who are equal but male and female too. That was quite a forward thinking idea for that time! I think that I probably mentioned to Hal that the Bible says that slaves should be obedient to their masters. But also consider that the Bible admonishes masters to be good to slaves as well:
Ephesians 6:5-9 (NKJV)
Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
Finally, I hope I said something about the fact that we are all ultimately slaves to something, either to sin or to righteousness.
Romans 6:16 (NKJV)
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?