The Bible and Slavery: Lies Exposed!

If you would prefer to read this investigative study rather than watch the YouTube video, I have provided the words below.

I had once received a message from an aggressive atheist who pridefully proclaimed himself as part of an “atheist round table” group. Attacking the Bible, he said, “Exodus 21:20-21 says we can beat our slaves all we want without punishment as long as they survive for a couple days. Why care what the Bible says?”

Well, let’s examine what’s actually written and then investigate the matter:

(Exodus 21:20-21)
“²⁰ If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished. ²¹ If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.”

Now, at first glance, these two verses under examination certainly do seem awful when understood at a surface level through a modern mindset. For the people who are either new to the Christian faith or weak in their faith, these isolated verses about slavery might become the enemy’s torpedo that causes the Christian’s ship of devotion to sink. Such a detonation of doubt can lead someone to abandon ship and swim for “safety.” Deciding to no longer sail in the name of the Savior, these uninformed and disoriented defectors typically choose to either never sail in the sea of salvation again or they join the enemy who blasted their belief in GOD. For the apostates who decide to join the enemy’s army, the demons lower down to them a lifeboat of deconstructionism. After the capsized and now-compromised converts crawl inside like cockroaches, the demons bring them on board the Devil’s Dinghy, and ironically, they become slaves to Satan even though they believe they’re sailors who are safe and sound on a better boat.

The enemy often uses isolated verses without proper context as claims for sufficient reasons to reject GOD’s Word and mock Christianity. However, the purported claim the enemy presents as “incriminating” evidence also presents the Christian with a good opportunity to destroy speculations and strongholds raised up against the knowledge of GOD while taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ in order to expose the devil’s lies by presenting the Truth (2Corinthians 10:4-5).

Proverbs 18:17 says, “The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him.”

While it is perfectly acceptable to question the Bible, it is unacceptable to accept lies about the Bible due to neglect of properly pursuing the answers to the questions asked. If the critic is to use the Bible as an argument against the Bible, the critic should know what the Bible says and understand what is written in proper context. Thus, while this investigative study will serve to address the perceived problem of the Bible endorsing slavery, it will also answer the critic’s question as to why we should care about what the Bible says. For if the critic plans to use the Bible as an argument against the Bible, the critic should care if his/her quoted text actually supports his/her argument. But as I will showcase exhaustively in this investigative study, all of the critics’ claims regarding the Bible endorsing slavery are due to ignorance of ancient Near East culture and an inability to perform unbiased textual criticism with integrity.

The critics clearly fail to understand ancient Near East culture (ca 1445-1406 B.C.). If ancient text is read and attempted to be understood with a modern mindset, it will most likely be misunderstood. For example, in many nations, Israel being one, it is customary to greet someone with a kiss on both cheeks. Thus, this expression of welcome was particularly practiced when a guest entered a home. The master of the house would greet his guest, then seal it with a welcome kiss, first on the right cheek, then on the left. However, many people in our modern society here in the United States would immediately file for a sexual harassment lawsuit if they got kissed when greeted. And though slavery seems too immoral to be associated with any culture’s approval, it is a fact that there were different types of “slavery” that existed. In fact, slavery still exists today in our modern society even if you’re unaware of it. In fact, you might be even be a slave without even knowing it.

So in this study, I’m going to explain the bigger picture of the entire biblical story, investigate the Old Testament, investigate the New Testament, and then reveal all the available evidence against the backdrop of the bigger biblical story picture.

The Big Picture:

First and foremost, when investigating the Bible with integrity, one needs to understand the ancient Near East culture. Second, one needs to understand the entire biblical story as a whole so as to better understand specific incidents under microscopic examination. As with anything under a microscope, things look fairly chaotic and scary. Have you ever examined the microscopic mites that live at the base of your eyelashes? They seem terrifying under a microscope; however, they’re normal and harmless. Unless you have too many of them. But this is why it’s important to zoom out and see the bigger picture. When seeing the bigger picture, it’s evident that the magnified microscopic fear is not terrifying, nor is it actually harmful. Likewise, when critics zoom in on one isolated verse under a microscope, they’re oblivious to the bigger picture. And sadly, they don’t even understand the microscopic image they’re examining.

GOD raised up a covenant nation and gave the people laws to live by; He helped to create a culture for them. In doing so, He adapted His ideals to a people whose attitudes and actions were influenced by deeply flawed structures. These Old Testament laws were not the permanent, divine ideal for all people in all places for all time. In fact, GOD informed His people that a new, enduring covenant would be necessary (Jeremiah 31; Ezekiel 36). By the Old Testament’s own admission, the Mosaic Law was inferior to GOD’s future plans He had for His children. The Law of Moses was never intended to be enduring. It looked forward to a new and better covenant. In fact, Galatians 3:24 informs us that the Law was a mere “tutor” for Israel in order to prepare the way for Christ. The word “tutor” is the English translation of the Greek word παιδαγωγός [G3807] paidagōgos (pahee-dag-o-gos’), which means a trainer or overseer, someone who was authorized to train up a child by administering direction and discipline in order to achieve the desired development. So, in other words, the Mosaic Law was Bootcamp basic training. Therefore, the Old Testament highlighted sin and showcased humanity’s inability to save themselves from sin. The Old Testament highlighted human depravity and their tendency to rebel due to hardened hearts and depraved minds. But as Acts 17:30 says, GOD had previously overlooked the times of ignorance; however, because Christ fulfilled the Law, there is now a new expectation for all people to repent and to place their faith in Christ. It is for this reason it is written in 1Corinthians 10 that the Israelites were ungrateful and mutinous children full of stubbornness and treachery. In fact, all of their blunders were documented as examples for our benefit, written down so that we might learn from their mistakes so that we will not also fall into the same sins.

The problem arises with the critics when they fail to distinguish between what the Bible describes and what GOD prescribes; what is, and what ought to be; what actions GOD allowed, and what actions GOD approves.

And so, like two sides of the same coin, we have human hard-heartedness and divine forbearance. GOD met people where they were at while seeking to show them a higher standard. Just as a human adult father has different stages of expectations and degrees of discipline for his children depending upon their age, maturity, and ability for understanding, it is the same in the bigger biblical salvation picture with humans in general. It is for this reason the Israelites went through different stages of development themselves. They were slaves in Egypt, they were set free yet still had the slavery mentality, they became a free people in their own land, they had judges, they had kings; meanwhile, they all struggled to abide by GOD’s Laws. What needs to be understood is that GOD’s ideal had always been the Garden of Eden. And so the entire biblical story is GOD’s salvation story of restoring this ideal relationship. In the bigger picture, GOD allowed a type of slavery so that we would learn something extremely important regarding right actions that GOD approves. So, what did GOD want us to learn?

Old Testament Investigation:

Critics make the mistake of associating the servanthood of the Old Testament with antebellum (prewar) chattel slavery of the American South. However, Hebrew [debt] servanthood was to contract themselves out in order to pay off debt. An Israelite might become an indentured servant to pay off his debt to a אָדֹן [H113] ‘āḏôn (aw-done’), which means a lord, a master, someone who was in charge. In other words, someone would work for a “boss” or “employer.” Calling the “boss” a “master” is often a misunderstood concept by uninformed critics who view ancient Near East culture with a modern mindset. The simple truth of this word, ‘āḏôn, is that it was a title, often used to express respect for someone of a higher social ranking. In fact, this word was used when referring to kings, prophets, those in government positions of authority, or even GOD; therefore, this word expressed general recognition of superiority as far as titles were concerned. It is for this reason that Joseph had acquired the title of ‘āḏôn even though Pharoah was his ‘āḏôn (Genesis 41:40-44; 42:30; 45:8). So, how can a slave be a master at the same time? In our modern society, it’s equivalent to a Manager being “master” over multiple employees, yet the Regional Manager would be “master” over the Manger and the President of the company would be “master” over the Regional Manager.

Likewise, the term עֶבֶד [H5650] ʿeḇeḏ (eh’-bed), which means “servant,” typically should not be translated “slave.” It comes from the word עָבַד [H5647] ʿāḇaḏ (aw-bad’), which means one who works, labors, or serves. In fact, both Abraham and Moses used the word ʿeḇeḏ to humbly describe themselves in order to honor the Lord (Genesis 18:3; Exodus 4:10). However, even the Messiah is described by this word in that He will willingly serve the people and become the suffering servant (Isaiah 42:1-7; 49:1-7; 50:4-10; 52:13-53:12). Again, how can the Master also be a servant? Simply put, the master/servant relationship described in the Bible is not the slavery modern people believe it to be.

Even when the terms “buy,” “sell”, or “acquire” are used of servants/employees, they don’t mean the person in question is mere property and without any value. Think of a sports player today who gets “traded” to another team, to which he “belongs.” Yes, teams have “owners,” but we’re hardly talking about antebellum chattel slavery. Rather, these are formal contractual agreements, which is what we find in the Old Testament servanthood/employee arrangements. One example of this contracted employer/employee relationship was Jacob’s working for Laban for seven years so that he might marry his daughter, Rachel (Genesis 29:20).

In Israel, becoming a voluntary servant was commonly a starvation-prevention measure; a person had no collateral other than himself. Credit cards didn’t exist back then. And if credit cards didn’t exist today, you would be forced to do something similar to Old Testament servanthood in order to work off your debt. Like it or not, but the vast majority of Americans are in debt and are currently working off their debts as servants to society in contractual agreements. And so contrary to the critics’ claims, this servanthood wasn’t much different experientially from paid employment in a cash economy in our modern society. And this is why we see something like Leviticus 25:47, which describes someone becoming poor and then willingly selling himself into servanthood. If his kinfolk didn’t “redeem” him (pay off his debt), then he would work as a debt-servant until he was released on the seventh year (Deuteronomy 15:1,12). Thus, this servanthood was not a lifetime experience. In reality, GOD commanding that people be released from their servanthood on the seventh year is more loving and merciful than what we experience today in our modern society. The sad truth is that many people in our modern society work until the day they die as servants to society, never paying off their debts. So, which one would you prefer? Being released from all debt on the seventh year or working until the day you die, never paying off your debt? Nowadays, people are unable to pay off debt because they get overwhelmed by unfair interest; in stark contrast, GOD commanded in Exodus 22:25, “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest” (see also, Leviticus 25:36-37; Deuteronomy 23:19). Now, Deuteronomy 23:20 states that Israelites could charge interest to foreigners, but I’ll expound upon foreigners later in this study.

If you examine Jeremiah 34:12-22, we see that, later on, when inhabitants of Judah took back Hebrew servants they had already released, GOD condemned them for violating the Law of Moses and for forgetting that they had once been slaves in Egypt. And so yet again, the Bible describes the hardness of man’s heart, but GOD never prescribed those actions. The critic fails to distinguish between what GOD allows to happen due to free will and what actions GOD approves. GOD allowed much evil to happen in order to honor free will, yet GOD never approved of those evil actions.

Once a servant had been released, he was free to pursue his own livelihood without any further obligations to the one he had once served. In other words, he returned to being a full participant in Israelite society. Becoming an indentured servant meant a slight step down the social ladder, but a person could climb back up as a full citizen once the debt was paid or he was released in the seventh year (or in the fiftieth year of the Jubilee, whichever came first- Leviticus 25). The release year was to serve as a reminder to the Israelites that poverty-induced servanthood was not an ideal social arrangement. In fact, servanthood only existed in Israel because poverty existed. However, what did GOD think of people being in poverty? GOD commanded that the poor were to be given opportunities to glean so that they could find food (Leviticus 19:9-10; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:20-21). Also, fellow Israelites were commanded to lend freely to the poor (Deuteronomy 15:7-8), who were not to be charged interest (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 36-37). GOD’s desire is for there to never be any poor in the land (Deuteronomy 15:4); however, because He knows the wickedness of man’s heart (Jeremiah 17:9), GOD said that there would always be poor in the land (Deuteronomy 15:11). Therefore, poverty-induced servanthood only existed because the Israelites hardened their hearts and did not obey what GOD commanded in that they should love their neighbors as they would love themselves (Leviticus 19:18).

Job, defending his innocence, declared that he always treated his servants right because he believed them to be equal with him as a creation of GOD from the womb (Job 31:13-15). It is for this reason we see in Exodus 21:5-6 that some servants loved their “master” so much that they desired to remain with him for life and become part of his family. In fact, in 1Chronicles 2:34-35, Caleb’s descendant, Sheshan, gave his daughter in marriage to his Egyptian servant, Jarha. If Jarha was truly a slave without value, why would Sheshan give his daughter in marriage to him? Whereas all other surrounding nations of the ancient Near East were unloving toward their slaves, GOD commanded the Israelites that if they happened to seriously injure their servants, then they must release them on account of the injury inflicted (Exodus 21:26-27). In addition, GOD clearly commanded that if anyone kidnaps someone in order to place or sell that person into slavery, the kidnapper should be put to death because evil needed to be purged from the community (Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7). And this is why Paul also condemns kidnapping in 1Timothy 1:10. Not only that, but Israel was commanded to offer safe harbor to foreign runaway slaves (Deuteronomy 23:15-16). In stark contrast, the Code of Hammurabi demanded the death penalty for those helping runaway slaves. The main takeaway from GOD’s commandments is clearly evident: GOD applied a much higher moral standard to the Israelites than all other surrounding ancient Near East cultures. And it is for this reason GOD told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 18:9, “When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations.”

Deuteronomy 23:15-16 says, “You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one of your towns where it pleases him; you shall not mistreat him.”

Now, some critics claim that this runaway slave isn’t a foreigner but is a fellow Israelite; however, there are plenty of reasons to reject that claim. Not only is there no mention of the word brother or neighbor, but according to Leviticus 25, Israelites weren’t allowed to enslave fellow Israelites. Also, the foreign fugitive slave could freely choose a place to live in Israel, unlike the rest of the Israelites, who had to stay put on the land allotted to clans (cf. Numbers, Joshua). Thus, those who benefited weren’t society’s elites but all of the vulnerable, marginalized foreign people in the midst of a completely different society. Furthermore, Israelites entered servitude voluntarily whereas runaway slaves would likely have become slaves against their will (and that’s why they ran away). So, if alien slaves received protection from harsh matters, how much more would this be so for Israelites? I believe an obvious conclusion from all available evidence is that if the three plainly stated laws of the Old Testament had been followed in the American South – that is, the anti-kidnapping, anti-harm, and anti-slave return regulations in Exodus 21:16,20,26-27 and Deuteronomy 23:15-16; 24:7 – then antebellum chattel slavery would not have happened in America. Slavery based on skin color didn’t happen in America because of the Bible; in stark contrast, it happened because wicked people either ignored the Bible or twisted Scripture for their own evil agendas. In Old Testament law, though there was a social distinction between a servant and a free person, a servant was most certainly protected by the Law.

The Israelites were always to remember that they themselves had been the victims of this evil practice for an extended time (Genesis 37:28,36; Exodus 1:8-14) as slaves in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:15; 15:15; 16:12; 24:18,22). Accordingly, Israelite masters were to treat their servants in a fair and charitable manner. The servants were to be given a day of rest every week just like all other Israelites (Exodus 20:10) and, as beings created in the image of GOD, were expected to attend worship festivals (Deuteronomy 12:12,18; 16:11). Israelites who were debt-servants were to be treated with special benevolence and to be released after six years (Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12) or in the Year of the Jubilee (Leviticus 25:40-41), whichever came first. Female servants who became wives to their owners or owner’s sons were to be treated with all the respect and rights of a regular wife (Exodus 21:8-11). When an Israelite’s term of servanthood had ended, he was to be given a gift so as not to leave empty-handed (Deuteronomy 15:13-14). If servants were physically abused by their owners, they were to be granted immediate freedom (Exodus 21:26-27) and, unlike animals, the killing of a servant constituted a crime (Exodus 21:20). Further, the expectation for how Israelites were to treat one another (and particularly those who were typically oppressed or overlooked) is indicated in the repeated statements at the end of this section of laws: “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him” (Exodus 22:21-24; 23:6-9).

In that ancient time when slavery was the normal human practice, GOD wanted to teach the Israelites a better and more loving way of handling day-to-day life. GOD initiated change slowly from the Old Testament times, to the New Testament times, up to this present day, in order to help humans integrate the absolute moral standard in such a way as to achieve that goal. Any deep-sea diver will testify to the fact that immediate change of pressure creates too much shock and that is why they must rise to the surface slowly. Likewise, the Israelites lived as slaves under Pharaoh’s rule for a long time and that slave/owner mentality was all they knew. Thus, GOD had to provide them with boundaries.

Leviticus 18:1-5 says, “¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “I am the Lord your God. ³ You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. ⁴ You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the Lord your God. ⁵ So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord.” ’ ”

The boundaries GOD established for the Israelites were the bare minimum of acceptable behaviors. That’s exactly what the Ten Commandments were: the bare minimum (Exodus 20)! And this evident by everything Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:20-48 when He told His disciples that they must now live by a higher standard. In essence, the Lord raised the bar again, revealing that the people had it set too low. 

So, returning to GOD’s original design and ideal of the Garden of Eden, we see that GOD desires for all humans to be equal, not working for each other; rather, each person should be under GOD’s authority and care in order to be his/her own “master,” sitting under his/her own vine and fig tree (1Kings 4:25; Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10). Slavery has never been biblically endorsed as GOD’s ideal.

Overcoming Objections:

Exodus 21:20-21 says, “If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished. If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.”

First and foremost, any “what-if” scenario that’s presented as an argument only calls attention to the critic’s ignorance of the proper context. Any time you see a “what-if” scenario, it is an example of case law, which begins with specific examples that don’t necessarily present best-case scenarios. Again, case laws describe scenarios where humans deviate from GOD’s perfect loving design in order to act in accordance with their hardened hearts and wicked desires. So, from the very first word of “if” we already know that this is an undesirable scenario. And the proper context reveals to us that these are case laws regarding unwarranted abuse; therefore, this scenario is highlighted as being something bad, not good.

Second, as I’ve already mentioned, the word translated as “slave” does not mean a slave as a modern person would understand the term. This is an indentured servant who is working off debt.

Third, when it says that the person shall be punished, the word “punished” is the English translation of the Hebrew word נָקַם [H5358] naqam (naw-kam’), which means to avenge. This verb always involves the death penalty in the Old Testament – the implication is that judicial vengeance is the result. This theme is reinforced by the mention of taking “life for life” (Exodus 21:23-25), which immediately follows the passage under examination. This confirms that the servant was to be treated as a human being with dignity, not as property. Anyone who kills his servant will be killed, life for life. This makes it clear that all human lives are equal in value.

Fourth, when the verse says that the servant is “property,” that is the Hebrew word כֶּסֶף [H3701] keseph (keh’-sef), which literally means “money.” Not only that, but the Old Testament clearly affirms the full personhood of these debt-servants (Genesis 1:26-27; Job 31:13-15; Deuteronomy 15:1-8), and this passage under examination is no exception. The servant/employee came into the master’s/employer’s house to get out of debt. So, the employer stood to lose money if he mistreated his employee; his treatment toward the employee had a direct impact on his income. Don’t forget that even though the employer might not receive capital punishment for murder, the servant would be released if he received any type of permanent injury (Exodus 21:26-27). Therefore, it would be the employer’s loss, either with the loss of his own life due to someone avenging the servant or the loss of his servant being released, which would negatively impact his income.

In conclusion, everything GOD commanded the Israelites to do regarding servants is an extraordinarily different treatment compared to other ancient Near East laws in this regard. For example, the Code of Hammurabi insisted that payment went to the master for such injuries to a slave. Therefore, the protection of servants from maltreatment by their masters is found nowhere else in the entire existing corpus of ancient Near Eastern legislation.

Exodus 21:2-6 says, “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.”

Again, the first word “if” informs us that this is yet another case law. Deuteronomy 15 makes explicit that this scenario applied to a woman as well. In this passage under examination, the man cannot simply leave with his wife if the employer gave her to him. Why not? Because they both would have been servants. Again, consider the employee/employer scenario. In this case of debt-servitude, the employer’s family would engage in marriage negotiations. By taking the servants into his home, the employer made an investment. If the man took the female servant with him just because his time ended, the employer would suffer loss from his female investment. For this scenario, think in terms of military service. When someone signs up to serve for three or four years, he still owes the military, even if he gets married during this time. Therefore, the man had three options:

1. He could wait for his wife and kids to finish their term of service while he worked elsewhere. His wife and kids weren’t stuck in the employer’s home the rest of their lives. They would also be released on the seventh or fiftieth year, whichever came first. Yet if the now-free man worked elsewhere, this would mean (a) he would be separated from his family, and (b) his previous “master” would no longer supply him with food, clothing, and shelter. So, where would he go, how would he survive, and how would he be able to communicate with his family? We must remember that travel was not easy back then and there didn’t exist any technology that would enable the man to communicate with his family via a great distance. On the other hand, if he lived with his family after release, he’d still have to pay for room and board if he remained on that employer’s property. So, this scenario created its own set of financial challenges.
2. He could get a decent job elsewhere and save up in order to “purchase” his wife and kids from the employer, releasing them from their contractual obligations. However, it would be seemingly impossible for a newly free man to earn enough to support himself and purchase the release of his family.
3. He could commit himself to working permanently for his employer. If he did this, he could not only stay with his family, but he didn’t have to worry about finding new work or where he would live and how to see his family.

Leviticus 25:44-46 says, “⁴⁴ As for your male and female slaves whom you may have—you may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you. ⁴⁵ Then, too, it is out of the sons of the sojourners who live as aliens among you that you may gain acquisition, and out of their families who are with you, whom they will have produced in your land; they also may become your possession. ⁴⁶ You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to receive as a possession; you can use them as permanent slaves. But in respect to your countrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity over one another.”

Now, does this passage describe slavery? Yes. It does. But is it the antebellum chattel slavery of the American South? No. It’s not. In the ancient Near East, the Israelites were surrounded by nations of wicked people. Sometimes, when Israel conquered wicked people, they subjugated them as workers rather than killing them. This would have been GOD’s just judgment upon a wicked people. This had absolutely nothing to do with the color of skin; rather, it had everything to do with the content of character. Again, this was just judgment upon a wicked people. For example, under kings David and Solomon, both Ammonites and Canaanites engaged in such forced labor because they were wicked (2Samuel 12:31; 1Kings 9:15,20-22; cf. Judges 1:28-35). In cases where Israel’s captured enemies (especially the males) didn’t care to abide by the “laws of the land” and posed an internal threat to Israel’s safety (Numbers 21-22; 25; 31), servanthood was one way of subduing or controlling this menace.

Now, to better understand this concept, think of how Israel played the role of harlot against GOD and rebelled against GOD’s laws (Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 3:1-3; Ezekiel 16; Hosea 4; cf. Luke 13:34). When Israel became the wicked nation, GOD used Babylon as just judgment against Israel. And this is showcased in the book of Daniel. Babylon took Daniel and others, subjugating them as workers rather than killing them. Believe it or not, in the ancient Near East, some people preferred to remain alive as foreign workers in a foreign land rather than being killed. Why? As long as you’re alive, you’re able to repent and your life could possibly change for the better. As long as you’re alive, there’s always hope for redemption and restoration. Regardless, the point is that this specific punishment was appointed to wicked people. In the case of Daniel, however, he received GOD’s blessing and favor because he wasn’t actually wicked, he just happened to get caught up in Israel’s judgment. But GOD placed His hedge of protection around Daniel. And GOD always does this with the people who are righteous and desire to align themselves with GOD’s will. That’s why Ruth, as an alien subject to Israel’s laws, got redeemed by Boaz (Ruth 4:9-10). Ruth was righteous and so she had GOD’s blessings and favor upon her.

Now, let’s return to Deuteronomy 23:20 which states that a foreigner could be charged interest. Why? Were the Israelites “xenophobes” as modern liberals would declare? No. Again, the surrounding nations were wicked. Simply put, it doesn’t pay to be wicked; in fact, it will cost you. In that verse, the word “foreigner” is the English translation of the Hebrew word נָכְרִי [H5237] noḵrî (nok-ree’), which means “strange.” The implication of this strangeness often refers to an adulterous people who create unexpected calamity. Similar to noḵrî, a תּוֹשָׁב [H8453] toshab (to-shawb’) is a sojourner. Although a sojourner is also a foreigner, this type of foreigner was not wicked and only desired to reside in the land temporarily, most likely with intentions of using the land as a rest stop toward his ultimate destination. A גֵּ֥ר [H1616] gêr (gare) is a term referring to a sojourner who resides in the land of Israel as an alien “client,” who would have been subject to Israel’s laws (Leviticus 19:33-34; 24:22). And so this is most likely the sojourner who decided to stay in Israel rather than continuing to wherever he had previously planned to go; either that, or he had intentionally traveled to Israel to live there for a time in order to conduct business with them. Under the Mosaic Law, aliens were not slaves but were usually in the service of some Israelite whose protection they enjoyed (Deuteronomy 24:14). This, however, was not always the case. Sometimes an alien client was wealthy and an Israelite would be in his service (Leviticus 25:47).

The established foreigners were those who had embraced the worship of GOD and willingly abided by GOD’s laws. However, a significant presence of apparently resentful and hostile foreigners required stricter measures than those for cooperative aliens who were willing to follow Israel’s laws. If they were unwilling to follow Israel’s laws, persisting in wickedness, then they would have been persuaded to abide by GOD’s laws by means of discipline (forced labor). Only Israelites were allowed to own land (which ultimately belonged to GOD – Leviticus 25:23; Joshua 22:19). Strangers in the land could, if they chose, not only be released, but potentially become people of means. However, for poor foreigners wanting to live in Israel, voluntary servitude was pretty much the only option. Therefore, there were only two types of foreigners: they either embraced GOD and willingly abided by His laws or they were wicked and were forced into labor. The wicked who were noncompliant did not receive the same treatment as the foreigners who were compliant. But for the righteous, GOD commanded the Israelites in Deuteronomy 10:19, “So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” And these righteous resident aliens were proselytes or converts to the religion of Israel. In fact, the term gêr is typically translated as προσήλυτος [G4339] prosēlytos (pros-ay’-loo-tos) in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament). In the New Testament, this word describes converts to Judaism, or foreign converts to the Jewish religion (Matthew 23:15; Acts 2:10; 6:5; 13:43).

Therefore, slavery in the Old Testament was reserved for the wicked people; however, servanthood provided Israelites and compliant foreigners with a way to work off their debts. Hebrew servants took part in the religious festivals and even rested on the Sabbath (Exodus 12:48-49; Leviticus 25:6).

Leviticus 25:35 says, “Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you.”

Well, this leads us to a curious question: how did the Israelites treat strangers or sojourners? 

Exodus 22:21 says, “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

Exodus 23:9 says, “You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

Leviticus 19:9-10 says, “Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.”

Leviticus 19:33-34 says, “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.”

Zechariah 7:10 says, “do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.”

Therefore, if sojourners or alien residents were to be treated exceptionally well, then obviously the Israelites did not enslave them. So, who then were the slaves? Again, slavery was reserved for wicked people as judgment against their wickedness; however, servanthood was for righteous and compliant people who needed to work off debt under someone who had been able to care for that person. 

And let’s not forget that Exodus 21:16 says, “He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.”

Therefore, a slave was not a random stranger an Israelite decided to kidnap and force into slavery. Slaves were wicked people under judgment. A servant, however, was someone who needed to be under the umbrella of someone else due to his/her inability to care for him/herself. And the Israelites were commanded to care for the servant humanely. In fact, the servants of Hebrews had freedom that slaves in other nations did not have. And it is for this reason that some servants decided to remain with the Israelites out from loyalty and love (Exodus 21:5-6). Evidently, some servants chose not to go out as free men because their lives were actually better as servants to their masters than they would have been as free men in a different place.

New Testament Investigation:

Rome (unlike Old Testament legislation) sought to institutionalize not merely servanthood, but (chattel) slavery. Because Rome did not operate by GOD’s laws, slaves were considered their master’s property. However, slaves of Rome did have quite a range of other rights and privileges, including the possibility of starting a business to earn potentially large sums of money, the capability of purchasing their freedom, and the right to own property (known as the peculium). So, in some regard, slavery wasn’t unkind to all slaves in the Roman Empire.

Examine the book of Philemon: Written around A.D. 60 while imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote to Philemon and the church who met in his home to intercede on behalf of Philemon’s servant, Onesimus, who had run away. Somehow, Onesimus ended up meeting Paul and became a Christian (1:10; cf. Colossians 4:9). Though Paul wanted Onesimus to stay with him (1:13), he sent Onesimus back to Philemon because it was the right thing to do (1:14). Paul appealed to Philemon to accept Onesimus back — not as a slave — but as a brother in Christ (1:16) on the basis of love (1:9), even as Philemon would welcome the apostle himself (1:17). This is a heartfelt letter from one brother to another in hope of gaining another brother. The message plays out Paul’s claim that “there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28; see also Colossians 3:11). The two main messages of this letter are family [of Christ] and reconciliation (see 2Corinthians 5:17-21). In this story, we see how Paul reflects the love and grace of Jesus by his willingness to absorb the cost of another’s sin in order to make things right (1:18-19) and set that person free.

The book of Philemon alone should be enough to refute the claim that the New Testament endorses slavery, but there’s more! We know that the New Testament does not endorse slavery because GOD is love (1John 4:8,16) and GOD’s absolute moral standard reflects GOD’s nature, which is love. GOD’s focus is the heart and He prioritizes the soul over the body (Matthew 10:28; Romans 8:35-39). GOD demands love (Matthew 22:36-40; John 13:34-35) — that’s what His absolute moral standard is all about! Who needs a doctor except the person who is sick (Matthew 9:12; Mark 2:17)? Jesus is the One who can heal and as our Great Physician, He prescribed to us Himself — the Bread of Life (John 6:35)! Once we absorb Christ, we absorb the Cure. Evil is both incompatible and inconceivable when we are in alignment with GOD’s will. If any person condones antebellum chattel slavery, that person is not in alignment with GOD’s will and is not a true Christian. It is important to remember that anyone can claim to be a Christian (Matthew 7:21-23), but Christ-followers are known by their fruits, which all boil down to our obedience to walk in GOD’s will of loving GOD and loving others as we would love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40; Galatians 5: 22-26; Ephesians 5:9). It is for this reason Paul wrote to the believers in Colossae, “Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1). And it is for this reason Paul called himself and other believers bond-servants of the Lord (Romans 1:1; 2Corinthians 4:5; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 4:7). And it is for this reason James, Peter, Jude, and John all referred to themselves as bond-servants of the Lord as well (James 1:1; 2Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1; Revelation 1:1).

Examination of 1Peter 2:18-25 — Submission of Slaves to Masters:

“18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”

I highlighted specific words in red that I want you to place your focus on. If a slave endures what is unreasonable with fear and grief and sorrow while suffering unjustly, slavery is obviously unjust. If our suffering is compared with the suffering of Christ and we know evil causes the suffering, we know that slavery is evil. How can that which causes unjust suffering be good? How can that which is considered unjust be endorsed? It cannot be endorsed, only endured. Slavery was not invented by the GOD who is good and Holy and commands love; rather, slavery was invented by wicked humans who desired to exploit others in order to possess power and control. In Revelation 18:11-13, doomed Babylon stands condemned because she had treated humans as “cargo,” having trafficked in “slaves [literally ‘bodies’] and human lives.” This repudiation of treating humans as cargo reflects how all humans are created in the image of GOD (Genesis 1:27).

In Philippians 2:7, we are instructed to imitate Christ Jesus who “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant.” Again, it all culminated in Christ’s example of servitude and that all children of GOD should be servants. Christ Jesus told His disciples (and us) in Mark 9:35 that “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” The Lord also told us that those who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first (Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30). The Lord is not as concerned with our physical lives here on this earth as He is with our spiritual condition and eternal salvation. In the big picture of GOD’s salvation story, GOD allowed everything we don’t want so that we would be humbled and grateful in the new glorified life to come. Why? Because with humility and gratitude, there will never be prideful rebellion.

John 8:34-36 says, “34 Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

In this life we are all slaves to sin because we were born as slaves to sin and thus inherited the destiny of a slave, which is no inheritance at all. The only way to freedom is through Christ Jesus – the King! It is written that Jesus was the propitiation for our sins. In 1John 2:2; 4:10, the word “propitiation” is the English translation of the Greek word ἱλασμός [G2434] hilasmos (hil-as-mos’), which means an offering to appease an angry or offended party. In other words, a sacrifice was made in order to make right the wrong so that the sin was covered and remitted. Christ Jesus was the sacrifice that covered our sins and appeased the wrath of GOD. In Hebrews 2:17, the word translated as “propitiation” is the Greek word ἱλάσκομαι [G2433] hilaskomai (hil-as’-kom-ahee); however, in Luke 18:13, that same Greek word is translated into English as “merciful.” Why? Because it is GOD who provided the offering and thus showed an act of mercy to the sinner. The sinner had nothing to offer and so the King provided the offering on the slave’s behalf. It is for this reason it is written in John 19:30 that Jesus, while on the cross prior to His death, said, “It is finished!” That phrase in Greek is Τετέλεσται tetelestai (te-te-lest-ahee), which is the word τελέω [G5055] teleō (tel-eh’-o), which comes from the word τέλος [G5056] telos (tel’-os). Both of these words have a meaning to complete, bring to fulfillment, and conclude, but it can also have a meaning of making the required or final payment in order to satisfy a cost or debt such as in Matthew 17:24 and Romans 13:6 when teleō means paying or bringing fulfillment to the Roman tax requirement. Thus, not only did Jesus fulfill the command of the Father to be the offering that would appease the Father’s wrath, but Jesus fulfilled the payment necessary to purchase our freedom so that we are no longer slaves but free. And it is for this reason Mark 10:45 says Jesus came to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. That word “ransom” is the English translation of the Greek word λύτρον [G3083] lutron (loo’-tron), which is a redemption price. In the Old Testament, it’s always used to signify “equivalence.” Thus, a life for a life (Exodus 21:30). In Leviticus 19:20, it represents the redemption price of a slave in order to set that slave free. 1Timothy 2:6 also uses this Greek word to inform us that Christ died for all people. However, these passages make clear that the payment was universal, but only those who accept GOD’s gift receive the pardon and freedom. The root word for lutron is λύω [G3089] luō (loo’-o), which means to loosen, break apart, unbind, or release. So, in 1John 3:8 when it says that Jesus came to [luō] destroy the works of the devil, it means that Jesus came to set the captives free. It is for this reason it is written in Luke 13:16 that while rebuking the Pharisees, Jesus said, “And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been [luō] released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” Revelation 1:5 also uses this word when it says that Jesus loves us and [luō] released us from our sins. Therefore, slavery is evil and that is the lesson GOD wants all of humanity to know and understand. And because slavery is evil, Jesus came to set us free!

Again, John 8:34-36 says, “34 Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

That which you cannot walk away from has ownership over you. If you are unable to release your hatred toward others, you are a slave to sin. If you are incapable of walking away from drugs, alcohol, or pornography then you are a slave to those desires. Even if you are unable to walk away from something seemingly insignificant such as a cigarette, you are a slave to the desire. Or perhaps, like I’ve already mentioned, you might be a slave to society, working off your debt in contractual agreements that never end due to overwhelming interest charges. Slavery most certainly does exist in this modern day in which we all live; however, the person in bondage has usually enslaved him/herself. What have you allowed in your life that has enslaved you?

2Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 

So, if you understand the bigger spiritual picture, the image of slavery should disturb you on a spiritual level, not a physical level. Abraham was called GOD’s servant as well as friend (Isaiah 41:9; James 2:23). Jesus told His disciples that He no longer called them slaves but friends; in fact, Jesus Himself would lay down His life for His friends (John 15:13-15). The Son of Man, who Himself came to serve humankind (Mark 10:45), took on the form of a slave – GOD in the flesh serving and dying for humanity (Philippians 2:5-11).

In Romans 6:16-18,22, Paul said, “¹⁶ Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸ and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness…. ²²  But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

It is for this reason Paul said in Galatians 4:4-7, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”

It is written in Ephesians 2:19 that “you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.”

Conclusion:

Consider two main reasons why slavery was not abolished immediately:

1. GOD is concerned with the soul and focuses on the heart.
2. GOD’s timing is perfect.

An issue of the heart:

• GOD looks at the heart (1Samuel 16:7).
• The heart is the start and directs the deeds. A repentant person receives a changed heart; a changed person can change culture/society (Proverbs 28:14).
• Hearts can change. And when they do, priorities change (Ezekiel 11:18-20).
• When we desire for GOD’s will to be done, evil is incompatible and inconceivable (Luke 22:42).

All in GOD’s timing:

• Love is patient (1Corinthians 13:4).
• GOD is love (1John 4:8,16).
• GOD is patient. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (Ezekiel 18:21-23,32; 1Timothy 2:4; 2Peter 3:9).
• In GOD’s perfect timing, He will set things right and restore life back to the original design of the Garden of Eden (Isaiah 25:8; 65:17; 2Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1,4,27).

In conclusion, the atheist’s Bible-busting-bomb about slavery isn’t destructive at all to a Christian’s ship of devotion because the torpedo is a dud and completely ineffective against soldiers of Christ who are equipped with the full armor of GOD and enabled to accurately handle the Word of Truth (Ephesians 6:10-18; 2Timothy 2:15).

So, are you ready to submit your life to the absolute moral standard of the Lord and end the cycle of true slavery in your life? 

Understand this: if the evil version of slavery angers or upsets you, it only does so because it goes against the absolute moral standard of GOD, of which you are already aware even if you suppress this Truth (Romans 1:18-20; 2:12-16).

So, does the Bible endorse Slavery? Yes and no. If you choose to be a slave of righteousness, then the Bible endorses that right choice. However, if you choose to be a slave of sin, then the Bible does not endorse that choice; in fact, it condemns that choice. If you’re hung up on this topic, you truly need to consider the fact that Christians abolished slavery while everyone else generally stood by and watched. And it is for this reason slaves of the American South had been attracted to the Gospel and understood the deeper spiritual implications! Whoever the Son sets free is free indeed! The slaves understood Luke 12:4-5, which says, “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!”

Even Job, through his suffering, said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).

It is written in Psalm 111:7-10, “The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure. They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

If the critics had knowledge of the Holy One, they would know that the Lord provided a free gift of grace that enables slaves to become free adopted children of the King. If the critics had any understanding, they would humble themselves and gratefully accept the pardon they’ve been given from their eternal sentence to Hell. Yet like ungrateful dogs, the foolish critics bite the Hand that feeds them and they continue to harden their hearts, choosing to remain as slaves to sin. And so for all who choose to rely upon their own strength, the words of the sons of Korah in Psalm 49:20 shall come true for them in the end: “Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.”