slavery – La Vista Church of Christ

Philemon, Onesimus, and Paul

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:02:31 +0000

by Hugh DeLong

How do you respond when you read something in the New Testament that you have trouble agreeing with, or that you're unsure whether you would, in that situation, obey? I will not give you my list, but over the years of learning and growing as a disciple, there have been such passages!

The book of Philemon is one such situation. This isn’t an article on the evils of slavery, but it is one about my reaction to it. Slavery had been a part of every, or at least almost every, government and nation from the beginning. It often comprised the major part of a nation's economy. Not every aspect resulted in the inhuman treatment of others, but some did. Thus, we look at the Roman Empire, where slavery existed. Any reading on this subject will show that the situation was not, in most respects, parallel to our American history of such. Yet, even in the best of scenarios, I would not want to be a slave.

So, now I read that this runaway slave has been converted and is told to return to his master or owner. (I started to put those words in italics, but that isn’t how the New Testament used them.) He went! He went not knowing the reception he would get. He went, even though we know there was a reason he ran away to begin with.

Can you think of instructions that Jesus or the Apostles gave that are difficult for you to imagine yourself obeying? When you don’t understand exactly why such instructions are given? When you find yourself being uncomfortable with such?

In the extreme, the goal is to deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Jesus – follow His teaching. Trust Him, even when such difficult instructions are ultimately for your good. I stand in awe of Onesimus's faith. I strive to meet his standard of discipleship! How about you?

Can you explain Leviticus 19:20 more?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 22:30:43 +0000

Question:

Does Leviticus 19:20 imply that if the slave woman was not betrothed, it was not a sin to sleep with her? What punishment would it have been? Is the primary sin harm of the owner's property or sexual sin in itself? Why is no monetary compensation paid, unlike Deuteronomy 22?

Thank you!

Answer:

"Now if a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave acquired for another man, but who has in no way been redeemed nor given her freedom, there shall be punishment; they shall not, however, be put to death, because she was not free. He shall bring his guilt offering to the LORD to the doorway of the tent of meeting, a ram for a guilt offering. The priest shall also make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the LORD for his sin which he has committed, and the sin which he has committed will be forgiven him" (Leviticus 19:20-22).

The situation involves a man having sex with a slave belonging to another person. In other words, she is a slave who has been married to another man (a concubine) or has been slated to be married by another man. Normally, having sex with a married woman or a betrothed woman carries the death penalty for both the man and the woman (Deuteronomy 22:22-24). However, it is recognized that because she is a slave, she was in a difficult situation. The man can't be forced to marry the slave woman because she belongs to another man (Deuteronomy 22:28-29).

The law does require a punishment of both the man and the woman, though not the death penalty. There is an implication that the punishment comes after an investigation, so the punishment would be set by a judge. The punishment is not stated, but some think it was scourging.

Even though a physical punishment is given, the man is still guilty of sin. He is required to bring a special offering of a ram. The priest is to use the ram as a guilt offering to atone for the man's sin. This offering is to God, not the owner of the slave.

The money in Deuteronomy 22:28-29 was for the violated woman's dowry, not in compensation for the crime. The man was expected to marry the woman, though the woman's father had the right to prevent the marriage; the dowry had to be paid regardless. In the case of the slave woman, there is no family to pay the dowry to.

Do Not Become Slaves Of Men

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 19:56:21 +0000

by Sewell Hall

“Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men” (I Corinthians 7:21-23).

At first glance, these words may seem to have no practical value for us. But look a little closer. The chief problem with being a slave was that it put you into a position in which it was difficult to be a Christian. There are many other circumstances, however, that might make it equally difficult. Paul’s teaching would apply in principle to any such circumstance.

If there is no honorable escape from the position, just make the best of it. If you are a slave, just be a better slave. “All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against” (I Timothy 6:1). If you are married to a non-Christian, “the wife shall not leave her husband…and…the husband shall not send his wife away” (I Corinthians 7:10-11) If one is under contract to those not Christians, the contract should be fulfilled so long as our action does not involve something wrong in itself. Under all circumstances, “We must obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29). But we do not have to sever the relationship.

If the relationship is such that it can be honorably terminated, the Christian should take advantage of the opportunity. “If you are able to become free, then do it.” If a job hinders you from being a Christian, quit it. If a school you are attending, if the company you are keeping, if the community in which you are living, if the places you are going, if any of these hinder your Christian service, make the changes that are necessary to free yourself of the bad influence. And do it regardless of how precious the thing may be to you. Jesus said, “If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell” (Mark 9:45). We cannot afford to remain at a spiritual disadvantage if we can honorably escape it.

Above all things, if you are free of entanglements or alliances that might hinder you, remain free. You have been bought with a price; you are Christ’s slave; He has first claim in you; do not allow yourself to be placed at any disadvantage in serving Him. Avoid any contract, any relationship, any companions, any came, any amusement, any sport, any job, and promotion — anything that would hinder.

Freedom in Christ (Bassford)

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 16:51:55 +0000

by Matthew W. Bassford

A few days ago, I posted a bulletin article about Galatians 3:23-25 and Paul’s proclamation that we are no longer under the Law of Moses. In particular, I applied this to the use of instrumental music in worship and explained that the use of the instrument in Psalms and elsewhere is not relevant to our practice today.

Not surprisingly, this generated a fair amount of spirited, though civil, discussion. I replied to most commenters in the thread, but there was one that I thought deserved a longer response. This commenter said, “Seems like strange logic to say ‘you are no longer under a guardian’, therefore you have these new restrictions (no instrumental music), even though those restrictions were never actually given. Being no longer under a guardian implies more freedom, not more restrictions.” I asked for and got permission from him to address his comment separately.

I think this comment gets to the heart of what it means to follow Christ instead of following Moses. Because we are justified by faith instead of justified by works, our motives for obedience are different.

Let’s start with the justification-by-works side first. Justification by works is necessarily minimum-seeking. If you agree to work for someone for eight hours to receive a given amount of money, you go home when your shift is over, and they pay you no more than they had promised. Everybody involved meets the standard (if they are just people), but no one exceeds it. To work longer or pay more would be an act of mercy, not justice.

Justification by faith is different. In the spiritual realm, none of us want what is due us! We don’t want justice. We want mercy, and we receive it through faith in Christ. He justified us when it was impossible for us to justify ourselves.

At this point, we encounter the rhetorical question of Romans 6:13. Should we sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? In other words, if my works are not contributing to my justification, why continue to work? In the remainder of the chapter, Paul replies that simply because we have been freed from the Law does not mean that we can do whatever we want. Rather, we have become slaves to righteousness.

However, the mode of slavery is different. We are not like the “wage slave” of the system of works. We don’t work because we want to earn our wages. Instead, we work because of the gift that has been given us. As per II Corinthians 5:14-15, the love of Christ compels us. He died for me, so I must live for Him.

This kind of slavery is far more profound than the other. When it comes to Jesus, I don’t ask, “How long must I work?” I ask, “How much can I give?” Nothing is too much for the One who rescued me from hell by a single transcendent act of mercy! Indeed, nothing is enough.

This transforms the way I read the Bible too. I don’t turn to the Scriptures to figure out what I can get away with. I turn to them to figure out everything that I can possibly do to please my Lord.

This makes the instrumental-music question easy. I know for certain that singing praises to Jesus pleases and honors Him. I don’t know that adding the instrument to my worship pleases and honors Him. There’s no evidence that it does.

At this point, I could lawyer and weasel and say, “Well, Jesus never told me not to!” That’s true, but it’s irrelevant. In real life, I’m not bringing in the instrument for Him (no evidence, remember?). I’m bringing it in for me. I’m taking the life that He bought and paid for, and I’m trying to reclaim some of that life for myself.

That’s not who I am. That person died in the waters of baptism, and I’m determined to make sure he stays dead!

So it is that in Christ, we are freed from the Law and the need to justify ourselves, yet we also are enslaved in the most complete bondage that a human being can experience. Every action, every word, and even every thought must be taken captive to the obedience of Christ. As part of that obedience, until somebody can show me that instrumental worship is about serving Jesus instead of serving the self, I’m not interested.

All Servanthood Is Not Equal

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 14:54:57 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

There is slavery by force, started by kidnapping (Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7). Thus, this slavery is not equal to the poor loaning themselves out voluntarily for 7 years or until the 50th (Jubilee) year in Israel to pay their debts. Slavery by force and kidnapping was forbidden in Israel, and therefore those who try to make the Bible God a cruel God that condoned harsh slavery have not properly read their Bible.

The word "slave" covers a lot of territories, various degrees of servanthood, from kind contractual agreement to harsh forced kidnapping and abuse. Hired, indentured service is like employment except committed around the clock. You enter it on agreement of work for reward, and in Israel, you had to treat your servants as you would want to be treated. God regulated servanthood so that the master did not mistreat and abuse his servant, treated the servant fairly and with kindness, and knew his obligation to release the debtor every seven years or until the 50th year, whichever came first at the time of making the agreement.

Some such servants would love their master so much that they would volunteer to serve him for life, in which case he would volunteer to be marked (an awl through his ear) for life (Deuteronomy 15:1-18). This was like marrying into the family for life. So, not all slavery was wrong, abusive, or dehumanizing.

The master was obligated to treat the servant with love, justice, fairness, and mercy (Job 31:13-15), putting himself in the shoes of his servant, remembering that he himself was a slave in Egypt (how he wanted to be treated and how his masters did not care).

Notice the regulations in the New Testament (Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-4:1). To compare this kind of servanthood to the kidnapped and abusive slavery depicted in Antebellum Southern culture is not only dishonest, but it brings prejudice and emotion to try to over-rule truth and close minds against the Bible as God's word. This will have terrible consequences for many people in the judgment. Many people "handle the word of God deceitfully" (II Corinthians 4:2). All kinds of servanthood are not equal. We (Christians) are "servants" and slaves of Jesus Christ (Romans 6) because we want to be His forever. It is beautiful, satisfying, and rewarding to our souls here and forever. He did not kidnap us, or force us. He made His Lordship so appealing when He laid down His own life for us. This loving relationship makes us desire to commit to Him for service.

Indeed every kind of slavery is not equal.

Is everything in the Bible applicable today?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 01:29:49 +0000

Question:

Would Jesus have advocated the disgusting torture that animals endure throughout their lives in present-day slaughterhouses? While you clearly say eating dead animals is okay by God and the Bible, the Bible also says slavery is fine and selling one's daughter is okay. So, is absolutely everything in the Bible truly applicable to present-day life?

Answer:

For a very good question, you ruined its presentation with inconsistencies and poorly framed reasoning. I wonder what it is with animal-rights activists that make so many of them sound like mindless hate mongers? I will happily accept the backhanded compliment that I was clear in proving that the Bible does allow men to eat meat.

You ask if Jesus would approve of modern slaughterhouses, but then question whether the Bible is useful. So what does it matter to you what Jesus would do if you doubt the book that tells us of Jesus?

Then there is the problem of your baseless assumptions. You assume that animals are tortured in slaughterhouses -- not just in the butchering, but you state the torture goes on their entire lives. A very blatant lie and an obviously false statement. Cows, chickens, hogs, and similar beasts are not raised in slaughterhouses, so, therefore, they could not be tortured in slaughterhouses their whole lives.

You question the practice of eating dead animals, does that mean you prefer people eating live animals? Yes, I'm being very sarcastic, but I'm dealing with thick-skulled people here.

The Bible does not say that all slavery is fine. The slave system described in the Bible has little to do when the slave system used in the United States in its early history. See articles on Slavery for a more accurate portrayal of what God did to regulate man's desires for slaves.

Similarly, the Bible doesn't give blanket approval to the selling of a person's children -- let alone his daughters. There was a debtor system where a man could place his family and himself into temporary indentureship to pay off his debts. But notice that the person did it to himself by placing his family into debt. Second, the term of service was clearly limited. Third, the person sold for debts was strongly protected by laws in regards to what could happen to him or her. And fourth, there were laws requiring near kinsmen to buy relatives out of their debt bondage if it was within their ability.

Thus, the presentation of your questions misrepresents the Bible's position. The comparison doesn't hold.

But let's skip all the silliness and address the one good question that you asked: "Is absolutely everything in the Bible applicable to today's life?" The answer is no. The Bible tells us what wicked people did and said. Just because these were recorded in the Bible, it doesn't mean they are there to follow. Quite the opposite. They are there as warnings. "Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted" (I Corinthians 10:6). The Bible also contains the advice of people who were not well informed. For example, the book of Job contains the ill-thought-out advice of three of Job's friends. They are recorded so that we can see why men often reason poorly, but they are not meant to be followed.

Then there is a need to understand the nature of the Bible. The Old Testament records the history of God's dealing with mankind. While we can learn principles and applications (Romans 15:4), it is not the law we live under. For example, Paul argues strongly that circumcision (a practice required by Israelites under the Old Law) is not applicable to Christians under the Law of Christ (Galatians 5:1-4). See "Why We Do Not Follow the Old Testament" for more details.

Peter states that the Bible contains everything we need to live righteously. "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue" (II Peter 1:3). But it doesn't mean that everything in the Bible is directly applicable to us. You have to use your head to "understand what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:17). It requires study. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15). Not that it is impossibly difficult. The Bible is understandable. But people who approach it as a means of justifying their preconceived notations are strongly motivated to distort the clear teaching to promote their false ideas. "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen" (II Peter 3:14-18).

Question:

I find it odd that you chose to attack my question rather than focusing on answering what I clearly meant to ask. Also, I was shocked at how hateful you were toward me for a pretty basic question. I never said that I didn't believe in God, Christ, or the Bible's teachings, nor that you were wrong in your interpretations. I simply wanted the opinion of someone more learned in the field of theology than I am. After reading your email, please don't sarcastically mock me, my eyes welled up with tears because I don't understand why you were so mean when all you know about me comes from a three-sentence email. I realize I was a little worked up and sarcastic in my email, and I apologize for that. But to imply that I'm unintelligent, or a "hate monger", is just wrong. I have a 4.2 GPA at the second toughest high school in _______ - I'm not completely dumb.

You may have had some unpleasant encounters with vegans in the past, but please keep in mind that not all vegans are crazy people who run around naked and throw red paint on fur. I've never been to a protest in my life and wouldn't think of telling a meat-eater how stupid or ignorant they are. In my email, I wasn't questioning the Bible's teachings - I simply wanted to know the church's argument for the consumption of meat.

Answer:

I'm glad to see that the strong approach opened your eyes to the wording of your prior message. Yes, I was well aware that you were "a little worked up and sarcastic." I answered as I did because Proverbs says, "Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes" (Proverbs 26:5). It is interesting that you enjoy dishing out sarcasm, but well up with tears when you are responded to in kind.

Despite your protest, you did not ask about arguments concerning the consumption of meat. You stated in your first note, "you clearly say eating dead animals is okay by God and the Bible," which implies you have read the arguments presented on this website. After scolding you for the framing of your question, I did answer your question about whether everything in the Bible is applicable today. As I said it was a good question even though it was presented poorly in your original note. If you are interested in what the Bible says about the eating of meat, please see the articles on vegetarianism.

Permitted Does Not Equate to Desired

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 23:33:00 +0000

by Doy Moyer

There is a difference between what God permitted to happen subsequent to sin entering the world and what God desired from the beginning and ultimately makes right in Christ.

Jesus illustrates this point:

"Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way" (Matthew 19:8).

There is a difference between the ideal that God made "from the beginning" and what He allowed and regulated after sin entered the picture.

From the beginning, God's desire for marriage was for there to be one man and one woman joined by Him. Sin came into the picture and corrupted this arrangement. Because of the hardness of men's hearts, God permitted and regulated divorce and polygamy. This is reversed in Christ. "Have you not read?"

I would argue that the same is true of slavery. God's intention from the beginning was not that people would own other people. Because of the curse of sin, slavery came into the picture and God regulated it (the first mention of slavery is in the context of a curse due to sin, Genesis 9:25).

The fact that God allowed and regulated these matters does not equate to God desiring them or intending for them to remain indefinitely. In fact, what we see in Christ is a reversal and renewal process. Jesus' argument in Matthew 19 gets back to the beginning for marriage (one man, one woman, no divorce), and the entire gist of the New Covenant is built around the idea that freedom (primarily from sin, but includes being owned by others) is what God ultimately wants (John 8:32; cf. I Corinthians 7:21; Philemon). To see this clearly, though, one needs to study through the contexts and the bigger picture of Scripture from the beginning to the end.

When people point to matters like slavery or polygamy as proof that the Bible teaches error, they are missing the point of why these things existed and what God's intentions were through Christ. Sin brought many consequences and God permitted certain situations to exist due to corruption, but His plan all along was to bring back His desire "from the beginning" through Christ.

To see what God wanted all along, go back to the beginning. When sin came along, see how the curse of sin changed everything. Then see how God brings reversal and renewal through Christ. What God desires is what is found "from the beginning" and made anew in Christ. What God permitted and regulated for the hardness of hearts, while now commanding all to repent (Acts 17:30-31), is not a fair representation of what God desires and sets straight through Jesus Christ.

Did the Egyptians keep Hebrew slaves?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 02:19:00 +0000

Question:

How can I prove to atheists that the Bible is true when some people claim that there were never records that the Egyptians kept Hebrew slaves? Why would there be no such records?

Answer:

See: Egyptian History and the Biblical Record - A Perfect Match

There is evidence of Semites being used as slaves in Egypt. The usual argument is that it wasn't happening in Egypt at the time the Bible mentions it. The thought that our timeline for Egypt's history might be off, doesn't usually occur to people.

If we are slaves to God, then aren’t we forced to obey Him?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 03:14:00 +0000

Question:

"And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ" (I Corinthians 7:22 NLT).

Does this mean that if you were a slave then you are the property of your owner and forced to obey them?

Answer:

Forced? No. There have always been slaves who rebelled against their masters. "Required to obey" would be a better way to put it. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love" (John 15:10).

"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? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:16-23).

But in a real sense, we all belong to God. "Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4). This is why those who choose to rebel and serve a different master (sin) are under a death sentence.

Slavery in the Bible

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:36:00 +0000

Slavery in the Bible - Part 1 Slavery in the Bible - Part 2

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Romans 6:15-23

I. At times you will run into people who attempt to discredit the Bible by stating that some aspect of its teaching was immoral or at least shady.

A. The idea is that if it was wrong about one concept, then it can be wrong about everything else.

1. That idea alone is a general fallacy, but God does claim that His law is perfect - II Timothy 3:16-17

2. It would be a strike against the authority of the Scriptures if it was proven to be morally wrong.

B. One issue that is raised is slavery. Slavery has been thoroughly rejected in the United States and in most of the world. But slavery existed in the Bible.

1. The argument is: What kind of moral code could the Bible have if supported slavery?

C. Beyond the defense of the Scriptures, we ought to understand the concept of slavery in biblical times because it is used to illustrate

1. The nature of sin and righteousness - Romans 6:16-18

2. The apostle’s view of their lives - Romans 1:1

3. Our relationship to God - Luke 17:10

4. And so much more

II. Slavery in the Old Testament

A. Classes

1. Israelite slaves

2. Gentile slaves

B. Causes of Slavery

1. Crimes

a. Some crimes carried monetary fines. If the person could not pay the fine, he was sold as a slave - Exodus 22:1-3

b. Thus instead of imprisonment as we have today were society support the criminal. The criminal pays off his debt to society through work.

2. Debt

a. Unable to pay bills, could voluntarily sell himself - Leviticus 25:39-41

b. Family members could be sold into slavery to pay off debt - Exodus 21:7

3. Slaves from other nations - Leviticus 25:44

4. Forced slavery was a crime - Exodus 21:16

C. Treatment of Slaves

1. Slave owners were restricted in their behavior - Leviticus 25:43

a. It was a situation where both benefitted - Job 31:13-15

(1) Notice the view that masters and slaves were equal in God’s sight.

(2) Notice that slaves had rights

2. Like everyone, slaves had a day off every week - Exodus 20:10

a. They also could participate in the feasts - Deuteronomy 16:9-12

3. An unruly slave could be beaten, but not put to death - Exodus 21:20-21

a. In those days there wasn’t sophisticated analysis of the cause of death. Thus judges were given a simple rule, if a slave was beaten and dies soon after, the slave owner was put to death as a murder.

b. If the slave lived for several days, then the assumption is the death was due to other causes and was a coincidence

c. But realize that people die of old age, disease, or unsuspected ailments. Such a law would give a slave owner reason to pause and act with restraint.

4. If a slave owner caused permanent injury, the slave was immediately freed - Exodus 21:26-27

a. This is likely in addition to the normal punishment inflicted on an abuser - Deuteronomy 19:21

5. A runaway slave could not be forced to return to his master - Deuteronomy 23:15-16

6. Slaves could inherit from a childless master - Genesis 15:2-3

7. Freed slaves were given provisions - Deuteronomy 15:12-14

D. Duration of Slavery

1. Slaves could be redeemed - Leviticus 25:47-49

2. An Israelites slave could only be held for six years - Exodus 21:2

a. In addition, every 50 years was the year of Jubilee where all Israelite slaves were set free regardless of their length of service - Leviticus 25:10, 39-41

b. They had the option of remaining with their current master permanently - Deuteronomy 15:16-17

(1) Slaves enjoyed many rights and were fed and clothed

(2) Life as a slave could be preferable to making it on your own.

3. Gentile slaves did not have rights to automatic freedom, but all other rights and protections remained.

III. The New Testament on Slavery

A. In Christianity, all people are equal - Galatians 3:28

1. We are all from one blood - Acts 17:26

B. Like the Old Testament, slave trading (kidnaping and selling people) was condemned - I Timothy 1:9-10

C. Roman slave laws were not a generous as the Law of Moses.

D. Slavery was seen as a fact of life and Christians were to live within the system and not fight it - I Corinthians 7:21-24

1. Don’t seek out slavery, and if you have an opportunity to be free, take it. But don’t force an exit either.

2. Give good service as if working for the Lord - Colossians 3:22; Ephesians 6:5-8

3. Quality of master doesn’t matter - I Peter 2:18-20

E. Masters were to treat their slaves well - Ephesians 6:9

IV. What about slavery in the United States in the past?

A. It was based on ethnic background. The laws were not applied equally to all people.

B. It was based on kidnaping and slave trading, something specifically condemned in the Bible.

C. It had no exit. It gave the slaves no rights. A slave could not leave if he wanted to do so.

V. It is important to understand the concept of slavery - Romans 15:4

A. Slavery hasn’t ended, it has just changed forms

1. We are still tied to our jobs

B. But there are people who enslave themselves with drugs, sex, and other sins

1. Like Old Testament slavery, it is voluntary

2. And it is something you can run away from, if you so choose

C. Jesus offers freedom from sin - John 8:31-36

D. Won’t you be free from the burden of sin?