Question to get your mind thinking...
In both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the specific issue of slavery is addressed. God in the Old Testament gives guidance to Israel (Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus), and in the New Testament, Jesus talks about the relationship of slaves and their masters (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Throughout the Bible, slavery is not condemned, but often spoken about. So why is this (grossly unfair institution, to our minds) never condemned?
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Our pastor just had a message on this kind of thing. He said that it's not condemned or condoned. Just talked about. I think at the time it was written culturally it was OK. So it's not a sin to have slavery, but can turn into one depending on how they're treated, etc. Hence the preaching on it in the NT.
ReplyDeleteBesides in their time it wasn't like the one race was putting another into slavery, like in American times of slavery. They were of the same race. So it wasn't exactly set up like we think of slaves (especially in the new testament). It was a bondservant, maybe working off a debt or in an apprenticeship or were paid in some way.
But like in our culture we have to apply the NT verses about slaves & their masters to workers & those in charge of them, ie:employees & employers.
I would definitely agree in the application of master/slave verses to employers and such. Much of slavery throughout history has been racially motivated however - I just would correct that. The Jews made slaves of other ethnic (Arabic) groups in Canaan against God's commands. The Jews prior to that (and afterward) were made slaves by the Egyptians and Babylonians. And these differences were every bit as bad a white/black here, we are just closer to the white/black issue.
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