Does the Bible condone slavery? In a desperate attempt to discredit the Bible, a lot of folks say that it
does. And, even if it doesn’t say slavery is a terrible thing, it does nothing to stop it. The Bible
recognizes slavery, but it never condones slavery. We must understand something important as we
discuss the issue. There were several kinds of what was referred to as slavery in Biblical times.
There was, of course, the brutal kidnapping of individuals. Many were prisoners of war. People would
sell themselves into slavery to get financial relief and people had been known to sell a child if they could
not afford to keep it. Unfortunately, widows and orphans had few alternatives to becoming servant
slaves.
The Bible does, indeed, forbid the kidnapping and selling of people. In both Deuteronomy and
Numbers, the penalty for doing that was death. That is a pretty serious condemnation of that type of
slavery, wouldn’t you say? As far the other types of slavery if many of them were released it would have
been devastating to those released as they would have nowhere to go, no income, nothing to eat. They
would be reduced to begging. And, can you imagine the effect of hundreds of people released into the
streets?
No, the New Testament doesn’t include God telling everyone to throw their slave/servants to the street.
What He did do was instruct any who had these types of slaves to treat them fairly, be kind to them, and
never abuse them. That may seem a little strange that He just didn’t throw out a blanket commandment
“Thou shall have no slaves” but remember it’s about God’s timing. When the time was right, it was
Godly ministers and Christians who were among the first to work to abolish slavery in our nation.
In no way does the Bible approve of, or encourage, the kidnapping and selling of human beings. It didn’t
then…it doesn’t now…it never will.
Say good things about your Savior.

 

Bro. Tony