Rev. Darwin Fish #fundie atruechurch.info

In America, slavery is illegal (13th Amendment). So, for anyone in America to practice slavery, it would be wrong. It would be a violation of Romans 13:1-5 and 1 Peter 2:13-14. But, is slavery evil in and of itself? Some think so.

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"Christians" of the past have argued both for and against slavery.1 Yet, Scripture is not unclear on this issue. Even atheists have caught the drift, and have therefore reviled the Word of God on this issue alone.

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So speaks the fool (Psalm 14:1). Yet, this fool knows what some "Christians" have not recognized, that is, that Scripture indeed accepts the practice of slavery.

For example, Alexander McLeod (1774-1833), pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of New York.

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This pastor was way off!

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Believers in the first century owned slaves (Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:2), and they were not instructed to let them go; but rather, to treat them with justice, as Colossians 4:1 says.

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In the past, some have bristled at the fact that slavery reduces a human being to "an article of property, a chattel personal" (Theodore Dwight, 1803-1895, The Bible Against Slavery). John Wesley wrote,

It cannot be, even setting Revelation aside. It cannot be, that either war, or contract, can give any man such a property in another as he has in his sheep and oxen. Much less is it possible, that any child of man should ever be born a slave. Liberty is the right of every human creature, as soon as he breathes the vital air; and no human law can deprive him of that right which he derives from the law of nature. (http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/thoughtsuponslavery.stm)

Wesley did indeed set revelation aside. Because, the revelation of God reveals no such "law of nature," but rather the law of God

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In Exodus 21, the Lord reveals that a slave, as the property of the slave owner, does not have the same status a free man has, even when it came to killing a man. Exodus 21:12 says,

He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.

Yet, later in the chapter, the Lord gives this instruction regarding slaves.

And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished. Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his property. (Exodus 21:20-21)

Note, if the slave lived a day or two, and then died, there would be no punishment at all, and the reason given is because "he is his property."

The slave owner had the right to correct his slaves, as Proverbs 26:3 states,

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the fool's back. (see also Proverbs 10:13; 29:19)

This does not mean it was right to inflict undue harm upon a slave (Micah 6:8; Colossians 4:1). But it does mean that a slave owner could render correction when needed.

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An evil man may very well encourage slaves to rebel against their masters (Proverbs 17:11), but Scripture teaches just the opposite.

The Lord does not instruct slaves to run away and claim their freedom. Instead, the Lord instructs them to stay where they are and be good slaves, as the Lord instructed Abraham's slave, Hagar.

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Here Hagar was free. She had run away from her mistress (Genesis 16:4-6) and had freed herself from harsh treatment. Yet, even in the context of being treated harshly, the Lord told her to go back and submit herself to Sarai.

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Although slavery at times can be a curse (Deuteronomy 28:68; Joshua 9:23; Proverbs 12:24; Lamentations 1:1; Joel 3:8), it can also be good (e.g. Deuteronomy 15:12-17; Joshua 9:24).

[Bolding, italics and hyperlinks in original; removed some quotes]

31 comments

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