The following quotes are taken from
evilbible.com:
"You would think that Jesus and
the New Testament would have a different view of slavery, but slavery is still
approved of in the New Testament, as the following passages show."
"Slaves, obey your
earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you
would serve Christ." (Ephesians 6:5 NLT)
"Christians who are
slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his
teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no
excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because
you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths,
Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them." (1 Timothy 6:1-2
NLT)
"In the following parable,
Jesus clearly approves of beating slaves even if they didn't know they were
doing anything wrong."
"The servant will be
severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it. But
people who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only
lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more
is required from those to whom much more is given." (Luke
12:47-48 NLT)
The
passage in the gospel of Luke quoted above is a parable. Jesus was comparing our relationship with God
to that of a master and servant. He was
exhorting his followers to keep watch in his absence, because he was about to
be crucified, resurrected and then ascend to heaven until his second
coming. In his absence, those who follow
him must take care to act appropriately.
"Who
then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his
servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the
master finds doing so when he returns. Truly
I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My
master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other
servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day
when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him
to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers" (Luke 12:42-46,
NIV). Jesus had a stern warning for
those who deliberately disobey him, and he used a parable that his audience
would have been familiar with - the relationship between a master and slave. Wise and prudent behavior was rewarded, while
lazy and abusive behavior was punished.
Slavery was still common practice
during the Roman Empire, when Jesus lived on earth. Slaves were either prisoners of war or, as
during the time period when the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) was written, were
those who were poor and in debt, who had voluntarily sold themselves and their
children into slavery in order to survive.
Slavery was a reality at the time the Bible was written. However, there are no statements in the Bible
that praise slavery or encourage people to own slaves. Rather, most of the verses in the Bible that
mention slavery are statements regarding how slaves were supposed to be
treated. Just as the verses above exhort
Christian slaves to be faithful and honest while working, masters were directed
to be good to their slaves. "And
masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you
know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no
favoritism with him" (Ephesians 6:9, NIV).
See
also:
"Why
was slavery allowed in the New Testament?"
