The Bible And Slavery
Old Testament Slavery
If you confront a Christian about Old Testament slavery, most of the time, they have been told it was more like indentured servitude, designed to give the poor food and board. This is true in itself, but is only half the truth: Hebrew slaves were to serve as hired servants, but the foreign slaves were kept much like the chattel slavery of recent history.
Here is the main passage:
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. “ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property of their ancestors. Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. "
~Leviticus 25:38-43 (NIV)
That certainly describes indentured servitude, rather than chattel slavery. It says directly: "do not make them work as slaves", but that "they are to be treated as hired workers...". However, this only applied to the fellow Israelites. Notice how it is prefaced with a reminder of the Israelites' slavery in Egypt. However, for the foreign bought slaves, things were much more resembling of chattel slavery, as in shown in the verses that directly follow:
“‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly."
~ Leviticus 25:44-46 (NIV)
There appears to be a distinction between Hebrews and foreigners. Although the same Hebrew word is used for the Hebrew and foreign subjects respectively, the context for both is quite different: The Hebrew slaves were to be freed after seven years on the year of the Jubilee, or after six years of service, as shown in this parallel scripture in Exodus:
“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free. “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life."
~Exodus 21:2-6 (NIV) (see also Deuteronomy 15:12-16)
Here, they could choose to serve for life if the wanted to, but it was up to the servant themselves. However, for the foreign slaves, they were not granted freedom, but were to serve for life, as we saw in Leviticus 25:44-46. It appears the Hebrew servants were not true slaves, but the foreign slaves were truly chattel slaves.
Furthermore, in verse Leviticus 25:46, it says "do not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthessly", which seems to mark a contrast between this more brutal slavery for foreigners, and more humane indentured servitude for fellow Israelites. As we see in Leviticus 25:44, it appears to say slaves are only to be bought from foreign lands to serve for life, indicating that Hebrews servants are not really slaves like foreigners, but indentured servants. Let us look again at the two contrasting categories in Leviticus 25:38-46 in full to see this distinction:
Indentured servitude for Hebrews
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. “ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property of their ancestors. Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. "
~Leviticus 25:38-43 (NIV)
Lifelong slavery for foreigners
“‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly."
~ Leviticus 25:44-46 (NIV)
So it appears the Hebrew subjects were not slaves, but merely indentured servants. However, foreign people were treated as chattel slaves for life. Foreigners were not always enslaved in Israel, but could live there with dignified treatment (Leviticus 19:33-34), but as Leviticus 25:45 shows, slaves could be brought from among these foreign clans.
In addition to the more harsh treatment of foreign slaves, is the infamous verse about slave punishment in Exodus 21:
“Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property."
~Exodus 21:20-21 (NIV)
It is unclear whether Hebrew slaves could be beaten in this fashion, but this verse certainly permits the brutal punishment of slaves. The slave owner would only be punished if the slave died, but no penalty was meted out if the slave survived after days of being close to death, following a severe beating. This verse seems to defend a slave's life, but to our modern day sensibilities, permitting beatings at all in this fashion seems deplorable. Thus, slavery in the Old Testament really was slavery: they were property that could be treated with brutal force in order to ensure they comply.
Further to this biblical rule permitting the brutalising of slaves, it appears this was the sentiment of the wider Jewish Old Testament culture, as we see in these words from the apocryphal book of Sirach, written by the grandson of the Jew Jesus Ben Sira, dating from the second century B.C.E:
“On the other hand, it is possible to sin by giving in to other people too much. Here are some things you should not be ashamed of:
... beating a disloyal slave until the blood flows."
~Sirach 42:1, 5 (Good News Translation)
This certainly shows that the Jews were emboldened to violently abuse slaves by the regulations in the Law of Moses. These are not supposed to be inspired words, but as the writer of Sirach says, they are based on his grandfather, Jesus Ben Sira's meditations upon the scriptures:
"The Law, the Prophets, and the later writers have left us a wealth of valuable teachings, and we should praise Israel for the instruction and wisdom they provide...
...That is why my grandfather Jesus devoted himself to reading the Law, the Prophets, and the other books of our ancestors. After he had mastered them, he was led to write a book of his own in order to share his wisdom and learning with others, so that anyone who shared his love for learning should have his book available as well, and be all the more able to live according to the Law."
~Foreword to Sirach (Good News Translation)
So we have established Old Testament slavery really was oppressive slavery, especially for the foreign slaves. My conclusion on the matter is that it seems more likely these passages reflect the thoughts of ancient Jewish scribes, rather than being the inspired words of a being perfect in love. These rules are consistent with the culture that produced these texts, but for them to be God's words would certainly cast a moral question mark over his character. A modern day reader ought to be appalled at these passages, but to an ancient Israelite, slavery was an everyday part of society. However, God transcends time, and is supposedly never changing. So it would seem rational to say that God would always know that to treat another human being in this fashion is wrong. It seems then that these are not the words of such a moral entity, but more likely those of ancient people. Here the Bible is uninspired!!
As I said in the introduction though, many Christians will try to integrate these passages as supposedly God's words, and convince themselves that slavery is not as bad as it sounds. This is the problem with assuming every word of the Bible is inspired, without honestly evaluating them first. If we are tempted to think these Bible verses aren't so bad, we are underestimating the true horrors of being kept in captivity to work endlessly without pay or freedom- and to be beaten ruthlessly if we take a stand! Slavery is horrific. These verses are obviously inhumane and do not fit well with the perfect morality we should expect from God. If they appear wrong to us, then we should be bold to trust our God-given intellect that they are wrong, rather than fear to question the Bible.
The late Christian scholar Dr Michael Heiser propounded that these aspects of the Old Testament were allowed by God because he was accommodating an ancient people, without at the time attempting to change them. The purpose of the Jewish people was said to be to bring forth the Messiah, who would change everything. Therefore, God need not radically change ancient Jewish culture, but could allow them to continue with these practices, allowing them but not endorsing them.
The problem I find with this thesis is that if the Bible really were supernaturally conveyed to the ancient Israelites, they would have taken God seriously if he had forbidden slavery. The fact that the Old Testament never really condemns the practice seems like a big indicator that these are the words of ancient men and not of a God that transcends time and culture. It seems more plausible these passages reflect the cultural mores of the time and are much more human in nature than divine. In fact, many of the laws in the Pentateuch (the first five books in the Old Testament, or the "Five Books of Moses") appear similar to the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi (1755-1750 B.C.E), which predate the Pentateuch (of which the earliest extant fragments date to the late third or early second century B.C.E.). It is even likely the Israelites picked up some of these laws from their exile in Babylon. Let us look at these similarities:
Indentured servitude for poor citizens
"117. If any one fail to meet a claim for debt, and sell himself, his wife, his son, and daughter for money or give them away to forced labor: they shall work for three years in the house of the man who bought them, or the proprietor, and in the fourth year they shall be set free."
~Code of Hammurabi 117
“ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee."
~Leviticus 25:39-40 (NIV)
http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1015-87582016000200014
If you confront a Christian about Old Testament slavery, most of the time, they have been told it was more like indentured servitude, designed to give the poor food and board. This is true in itself, but is only half the truth: Hebrew slaves were to serve as hired servants, but the foreign slaves were kept much like the chattel slavery of recent history.
Here is the main passage:
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. “ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property of their ancestors. Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. "
~Leviticus 25:38-43 (NIV)
That certainly describes indentured servitude, rather than chattel slavery. It says directly: "do not make them work as slaves", but that "they are to be treated as hired workers...". However, this only applied to the fellow Israelites. Notice how it is prefaced with a reminder of the Israelites' slavery in Egypt. However, for the foreign bought slaves, things were much more resembling of chattel slavery, as in shown in the verses that directly follow:
“‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly."
~ Leviticus 25:44-46 (NIV)
There appears to be a distinction between Hebrews and foreigners. Although the same Hebrew word is used for the Hebrew and foreign subjects respectively, the context for both is quite different: The Hebrew slaves were to be freed after seven years on the year of the Jubilee, or after six years of service, as shown in this parallel scripture in Exodus:
“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free. “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life."
~Exodus 21:2-6 (NIV) (see also Deuteronomy 15:12-16)
Here, they could choose to serve for life if the wanted to, but it was up to the servant themselves. However, for the foreign slaves, they were not granted freedom, but were to serve for life, as we saw in Leviticus 25:44-46. It appears the Hebrew servants were not true slaves, but the foreign slaves were truly chattel slaves.
Furthermore, in verse Leviticus 25:46, it says "do not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthessly", which seems to mark a contrast between this more brutal slavery for foreigners, and more humane indentured servitude for fellow Israelites. As we see in Leviticus 25:44, it appears to say slaves are only to be bought from foreign lands to serve for life, indicating that Hebrews servants are not really slaves like foreigners, but indentured servants. Let us look again at the two contrasting categories in Leviticus 25:38-46 in full to see this distinction:
Indentured servitude for Hebrews
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. “ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property of their ancestors. Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. "
~Leviticus 25:38-43 (NIV)
Lifelong slavery for foreigners
“‘Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly."
~ Leviticus 25:44-46 (NIV)
So it appears the Hebrew subjects were not slaves, but merely indentured servants. However, foreign people were treated as chattel slaves for life. Foreigners were not always enslaved in Israel, but could live there with dignified treatment (Leviticus 19:33-34), but as Leviticus 25:45 shows, slaves could be brought from among these foreign clans.
In addition to the more harsh treatment of foreign slaves, is the infamous verse about slave punishment in Exodus 21:
“Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property."
~Exodus 21:20-21 (NIV)
It is unclear whether Hebrew slaves could be beaten in this fashion, but this verse certainly permits the brutal punishment of slaves. The slave owner would only be punished if the slave died, but no penalty was meted out if the slave survived after days of being close to death, following a severe beating. This verse seems to defend a slave's life, but to our modern day sensibilities, permitting beatings at all in this fashion seems deplorable. Thus, slavery in the Old Testament really was slavery: they were property that could be treated with brutal force in order to ensure they comply.
Further to this biblical rule permitting the brutalising of slaves, it appears this was the sentiment of the wider Jewish Old Testament culture, as we see in these words from the apocryphal book of Sirach, written by the grandson of the Jew Jesus Ben Sira, dating from the second century B.C.E:
“On the other hand, it is possible to sin by giving in to other people too much. Here are some things you should not be ashamed of:
... beating a disloyal slave until the blood flows."
~Sirach 42:1, 5 (Good News Translation)
This certainly shows that the Jews were emboldened to violently abuse slaves by the regulations in the Law of Moses. These are not supposed to be inspired words, but as the writer of Sirach says, they are based on his grandfather, Jesus Ben Sira's meditations upon the scriptures:
"The Law, the Prophets, and the later writers have left us a wealth of valuable teachings, and we should praise Israel for the instruction and wisdom they provide...
...That is why my grandfather Jesus devoted himself to reading the Law, the Prophets, and the other books of our ancestors. After he had mastered them, he was led to write a book of his own in order to share his wisdom and learning with others, so that anyone who shared his love for learning should have his book available as well, and be all the more able to live according to the Law."
~Foreword to Sirach (Good News Translation)
So we have established Old Testament slavery really was oppressive slavery, especially for the foreign slaves. My conclusion on the matter is that it seems more likely these passages reflect the thoughts of ancient Jewish scribes, rather than being the inspired words of a being perfect in love. These rules are consistent with the culture that produced these texts, but for them to be God's words would certainly cast a moral question mark over his character. A modern day reader ought to be appalled at these passages, but to an ancient Israelite, slavery was an everyday part of society. However, God transcends time, and is supposedly never changing. So it would seem rational to say that God would always know that to treat another human being in this fashion is wrong. It seems then that these are not the words of such a moral entity, but more likely those of ancient people. Here the Bible is uninspired!!
As I said in the introduction though, many Christians will try to integrate these passages as supposedly God's words, and convince themselves that slavery is not as bad as it sounds. This is the problem with assuming every word of the Bible is inspired, without honestly evaluating them first. If we are tempted to think these Bible verses aren't so bad, we are underestimating the true horrors of being kept in captivity to work endlessly without pay or freedom- and to be beaten ruthlessly if we take a stand! Slavery is horrific. These verses are obviously inhumane and do not fit well with the perfect morality we should expect from God. If they appear wrong to us, then we should be bold to trust our God-given intellect that they are wrong, rather than fear to question the Bible.
The late Christian scholar Dr Michael Heiser propounded that these aspects of the Old Testament were allowed by God because he was accommodating an ancient people, without at the time attempting to change them. The purpose of the Jewish people was said to be to bring forth the Messiah, who would change everything. Therefore, God need not radically change ancient Jewish culture, but could allow them to continue with these practices, allowing them but not endorsing them.
The problem I find with this thesis is that if the Bible really were supernaturally conveyed to the ancient Israelites, they would have taken God seriously if he had forbidden slavery. The fact that the Old Testament never really condemns the practice seems like a big indicator that these are the words of ancient men and not of a God that transcends time and culture. It seems more plausible these passages reflect the cultural mores of the time and are much more human in nature than divine. In fact, many of the laws in the Pentateuch (the first five books in the Old Testament, or the "Five Books of Moses") appear similar to the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi (1755-1750 B.C.E), which predate the Pentateuch (of which the earliest extant fragments date to the late third or early second century B.C.E.). It is even likely the Israelites picked up some of these laws from their exile in Babylon. Let us look at these similarities:
Indentured servitude for poor citizens
"117. If any one fail to meet a claim for debt, and sell himself, his wife, his son, and daughter for money or give them away to forced labor: they shall work for three years in the house of the man who bought them, or the proprietor, and in the fourth year they shall be set free."
~Code of Hammurabi 117
“ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee."
~Leviticus 25:39-40 (NIV)
Indentured servants to be freed after a season of service
"117. If any one fail to meet a claim for debt, and sell himself, his wife, his son, and daughter for money or give them away to forced labor: they shall work for three years in the house of the man who bought them, or the proprietor, and in the fourth year they shall be set free."
~Code of Hammurabi 117
"If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free."
~Exodus 21:2 (NIV)
"If any of your people- Hebrew men or women- sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year, you must let them go free."
~Deuteronomy 15:12 (NIV)
Runaway slaves
"17. If any one find runaway male or female slaves in the open country and bring them to their masters, the master of the slaves shall pay him two shekels of silver.
18. If the slave will not give the name of the master, the finder shall bring him to the palace; a further investigation must follow, and the slave shall be returned to his master."
~Code of Hammurabi 17-18
" If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand them over to their master."
~Deuteronomy 23:15 (NIV)
Selling a relative due to debt
"117. If any one fail to meet a claim for debt, and sell himself, his wife, his son, and daughter for money or give them away to forced labor: they shall work for three years in the house of the man who bought them, or the proprietor, and in the fourth year they shall be set free."
~Code of Hammurabi 117
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. “ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property of their ancestors. Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. "
~Leviticus 25:38-43 (NIV)
Here, notice, some of Israel’s laws appears more humane than the Babylonian laws. This perhaps could be that because of their captivity in Babylon, they wanted to show themselves higher than their oppressors. This depends on whether the Law of Moses predates the exile to Babylon- but the earliest extant fragments of Pentateuch are dated from the third to second century B.C.E.
New Testament Slavery
The New Testament appears softer on slavery. The book of Philemon shows how Paul was true to his words in Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free.. for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (see also Colossians 3:11). In Philemon, Paul exhorts a slave owner to take back a runaway slave, and fellow believer, as a free man and equal in Christ. This is certainly commendable for the time and cultural systems in effect in the first century. In Paul's day, the Roman Stoics were beginning to defend the humanity of slaves, since they reasoned that all people had god's spirit or pneuma within them, and so were ultimately equal. This may have complimented early Christianity. However, there are still many verses which seem to further accommodate the practice of slavery:
"Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God."
~1 Peter 2:18-20 (NIV)
Here the writer of First Peter exhorts slaves to submit to the hand of harsh masters in the name of suffering for God. This may serve as a coping strategy if you are trapped in the thraldom of slavery with no option, but it also seems avoid speaking with authority about the evil of not only keeping another person in bondage against their will, but treating them harshly on top of that! However, with fairness, this is intended to comfort a slave in knowing that they can turn their bad lot into something that will ultimately reward them in heaven. This reminds me somewhat of the Stoic notion that a person could not change their lot, but only how they respond to it, since all events are predetermined by God.
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free."
~Ephesians 6:5-8 (NIV)
"Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive."
~Titus 2:9-10 (NIV)
Here Paul bolsters the sentiment of righteous stoicism in the face of slavery, in order to make the gospel appealing to their masters.
Lastly, in the gospels there is this parable, which I have always felt smacked of inhumanity and spoiled the image of Christ:
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’"
~Matthew 25:14-30
In these verses, we see no real abrogation of the practice of slavery as inhumane by God: it is never directly forbidden (although slave trade is in 1 Timothy 1:10). We see in Revelation 6:15 that slaves were subject to the same judgement of all the unbelieving, so God appears to show little sympathy to their awful lot. Surely, if God was against slavery in the New Testament- which is supposed to be the final, exclusive words of God- then slavery would be directly proscribed somewhere.
The fact that it is not (and likewise in the Old Testament), seems to indicate that these passages are more humanly inspired than divine. It certainly appears that the writers had more in mind their cultural mores than a higher ideal that descended from heaven. Slavery was part of their world, and so it was factored in. However, I strongly contest that if God was the primary author, the institution of slavery should have been condemned outright. Again, I state that the true God would know that slavery was wrong as a rudimentary principle of human conduct. It would not hesitate to say this even to the most primitive culture. However, this is not the flavour of the New Testament either, and so I believe it is not a perfectly divine work. It appears to be more reflective of morally aspiring people, within a more primitive and brutal time and culture.
In addition to these tenets of the New Testament, the writings of the early church fathers show that the early church- with few exceptions- encouraged the practice of slavery, and encouraged their corporal punishment.
See this article for a more detailed look at this early church subject.
So to conclude, the Bible's endorsement and regulations for slavery much more likely originate from the ancient culture that produced these texts, rather than from a transcendent, timeless, perfect moral entity.
"117. If any one fail to meet a claim for debt, and sell himself, his wife, his son, and daughter for money or give them away to forced labor: they shall work for three years in the house of the man who bought them, or the proprietor, and in the fourth year they shall be set free."
~Code of Hammurabi 117
"If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free."
~Exodus 21:2 (NIV)
"If any of your people- Hebrew men or women- sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year, you must let them go free."
~Deuteronomy 15:12 (NIV)
Runaway slaves
"17. If any one find runaway male or female slaves in the open country and bring them to their masters, the master of the slaves shall pay him two shekels of silver.
18. If the slave will not give the name of the master, the finder shall bring him to the palace; a further investigation must follow, and the slave shall be returned to his master."
~Code of Hammurabi 17-18
" If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand them over to their master."
~Deuteronomy 23:15 (NIV)
Selling a relative due to debt
"117. If any one fail to meet a claim for debt, and sell himself, his wife, his son, and daughter for money or give them away to forced labor: they shall work for three years in the house of the man who bought them, or the proprietor, and in the fourth year they shall be set free."
~Code of Hammurabi 117
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. “ ‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property of their ancestors. Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. "
~Leviticus 25:38-43 (NIV)
Here, notice, some of Israel’s laws appears more humane than the Babylonian laws. This perhaps could be that because of their captivity in Babylon, they wanted to show themselves higher than their oppressors. This depends on whether the Law of Moses predates the exile to Babylon- but the earliest extant fragments of Pentateuch are dated from the third to second century B.C.E.
New Testament Slavery
The New Testament appears softer on slavery. The book of Philemon shows how Paul was true to his words in Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free.. for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (see also Colossians 3:11). In Philemon, Paul exhorts a slave owner to take back a runaway slave, and fellow believer, as a free man and equal in Christ. This is certainly commendable for the time and cultural systems in effect in the first century. In Paul's day, the Roman Stoics were beginning to defend the humanity of slaves, since they reasoned that all people had god's spirit or pneuma within them, and so were ultimately equal. This may have complimented early Christianity. However, there are still many verses which seem to further accommodate the practice of slavery:
"Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God."
~1 Peter 2:18-20 (NIV)
Here the writer of First Peter exhorts slaves to submit to the hand of harsh masters in the name of suffering for God. This may serve as a coping strategy if you are trapped in the thraldom of slavery with no option, but it also seems avoid speaking with authority about the evil of not only keeping another person in bondage against their will, but treating them harshly on top of that! However, with fairness, this is intended to comfort a slave in knowing that they can turn their bad lot into something that will ultimately reward them in heaven. This reminds me somewhat of the Stoic notion that a person could not change their lot, but only how they respond to it, since all events are predetermined by God.
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free."
~Ephesians 6:5-8 (NIV)
"Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive."
~Titus 2:9-10 (NIV)
Here Paul bolsters the sentiment of righteous stoicism in the face of slavery, in order to make the gospel appealing to their masters.
Lastly, in the gospels there is this parable, which I have always felt smacked of inhumanity and spoiled the image of Christ:
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’"
~Matthew 25:14-30
In these verses, we see no real abrogation of the practice of slavery as inhumane by God: it is never directly forbidden (although slave trade is in 1 Timothy 1:10). We see in Revelation 6:15 that slaves were subject to the same judgement of all the unbelieving, so God appears to show little sympathy to their awful lot. Surely, if God was against slavery in the New Testament- which is supposed to be the final, exclusive words of God- then slavery would be directly proscribed somewhere.
The fact that it is not (and likewise in the Old Testament), seems to indicate that these passages are more humanly inspired than divine. It certainly appears that the writers had more in mind their cultural mores than a higher ideal that descended from heaven. Slavery was part of their world, and so it was factored in. However, I strongly contest that if God was the primary author, the institution of slavery should have been condemned outright. Again, I state that the true God would know that slavery was wrong as a rudimentary principle of human conduct. It would not hesitate to say this even to the most primitive culture. However, this is not the flavour of the New Testament either, and so I believe it is not a perfectly divine work. It appears to be more reflective of morally aspiring people, within a more primitive and brutal time and culture.
In addition to these tenets of the New Testament, the writings of the early church fathers show that the early church- with few exceptions- encouraged the practice of slavery, and encouraged their corporal punishment.
See this article for a more detailed look at this early church subject.
So to conclude, the Bible's endorsement and regulations for slavery much more likely originate from the ancient culture that produced these texts, rather than from a transcendent, timeless, perfect moral entity.
References:
Early Church fathers on the punishment of slaves:
The Punishment Of Slaves In Early Christianity: The Views Of Some Selected Church Fathers, 2016http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1015-87582016000200014
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