Slavery

Back when the earth had been renewed by God and Adam an Eve were just created, all mankind was free.  But as the families of man began to forge themselves into civilizations they formed social, economic and legal institutions to maintain order and to insure the productive growth of their society.  One such institution was the institution of slavery.  In every civilization that has existed, whether small or great, that civilization has either enslaved another group of people or has been enslaved.

The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, has a great deal to say about slavery, you might be surprised to find.  Certainly the great civilization of Egypt, and what it left behind, relied heavily upon slave labor.  It used millions of people to build its cities and monuments to eternal life, what we know today as the pyramids. 

 Read Exodus 1:8-14:

vs 13  Some Jewish commentaries interpret this verse to mean because of Israel’s wiliness to serve the Egyptian, the Egyptian were encouraged to enslave them more until the conditions we read of in verse 14 was a fact of life.  Israel was oppressed with severe bondage.  And all because they were willing to do so.

When God freed Israel and brought them into the land of Cannon and established them as a nation, God gave to them an institution of slavery.  This institution of slavery was to serve a different purpose than what it served in Egypt, or other civilizations, it was primarily designed to make lazy people to not be lazy.  It was designed for people who were foolish with their money to not be foolish with how they spent their money.  The institution of slavery was as much a part of Israel’s culture as it was of the nations that surrounded Israel, again for different purposes.

In the first century AD when the Church was established and the New Testament (NT) that we have today was written, virtually the entire known world was under the dominion of the Roman Empire.  Slavery was wide spread.  In fact, the social structure and the Roman Empire were dependent upon both skilled and unskilled labor.

To put it crudely, but correctly, slaves were the machines of their day.  They were responsible for the empires rise and expansion to greatness.  As well, it was a element in the empires demise.

Slavery was a fact of life in the Roman Empire; it was something the people took for granted.  So much so that the most basis distinction in the Roman law of persons, was whether a person was free or not.

Unless you have lived in a time and place where slavery, or involuntary servitude, has touched your life in some way, it will be difficult for you to understand Israel’s experience in Egypt.  And it will be difficult for you to understand the numerous references to slavery in the NT.  Speaking for myself, living in this society and enjoying the many opportunities and privileges that I have been given, to do the many things that I have the ability to do, I have a hard time really understanding slavery.  Unless we have personally been effected, or come in to contact with slavery we will have a difficult time understanding slavery.

Yet the use of slavery as an instructional metaphor, and analogy in some cases, is a prominent part of scripture.  So prominent in fact, one name that God has chosen to call Himself, and has inspired for the reference of Christ, is the name Lord.  That term Lord has taken many different forms but one such form is Adoni and the relationship it implies is one of a bond slave to his master, one who has bought and paid for him.  So much so is slavery a part of scripture, especially the NT, many of the NT writers speak of themselves as slaves of Jesus Christ or slaves of God.

Paul speaking to the Church in Corinth, in I Cor 7: 22,  note “freed” man, not a free man.

In John 8: 34  Christ tells us that anyone that commits sin is a slave to sin.

The concept of slavery holds an important role in scripture; from Genesis to Revelation, but more importantly in the NT.  At this time as we prepare for the Passover and the days of Unleavened Bread  we need to seriously look at the subject of slavery and our personal relationship with Christ and God.  We need to ask ourselves some important questions:

What does it mean to be a slave?  As I stated earlier most of us will have a difficult time understanding it.

Why does the Bible use slavery as a metaphor to describe both a life of sin and a life of righteousness?   Seems odd doesn’t it?  But it does.

What did it means to those who were alive during the first century that heard and read the epistles from their authors?

What is it that we are missing when we go through and read the direct references to the institution of slavery?

I will not discuss all of these points (I give them as ideas for your own personal Bible study) at this time but for the purposes of this Note I would like for us go through a few scriptures and I would like for us to notice and come to grips with the stark and very realistic language used by Paul to describe this institution of slavery and how it relates to each of us personally.

For example, the book of Philemon was written about a slave and his master and the relationship; about diplomacy, tack and a whole host of other things.

Read Romans 7:14.

I Tim 2:14  Adam sold himself out willingly to sin.  Recall Israel’s willingness to serve the Egyptian, and the Egyptian afflicted them the more.  Adams sold us out and Paul confirms that fact he is “sold under sin”; Satan bought and paid for him; Satan owned him; Satan controlled him.  Just as he has controlled each and every one of us.

I Cor 5:1-5   This is a section often read during the Passover and feast of Unleavened Bread.

vs  4 to 5  Give him over to his master, Satan, and when this person is full of the control and dominion of Satan he may repent and save his soul.

This would be a very sad story if it ended there but it doesn’t.

I Cor 7:23  We have been bought back from the slavery that Adam sold us into.

I Cor 6:12   Paul going on an discussing the various problems of immorality and the selfishness of unrepentant sin were characterize the Corinthian people at this time.

vs 20  The point is, we were sold under sin, bought by Satan; we have been repurchased and bought again.  There is a different controlling element there and that’s good news.

Romans 6:16- 22  In the same way that Adam voluntarily sold himself into sin, Christ voluntarily gave Himself to buy us back.  It is very important that we understand that with the paying of this price we were released from the bondage of Satan and we have a responsibility to serve as slaves of God.  Slaves of righteousness.

These passages draw a very clear line, and that line is the most basic distinction in the law of our spiritual lives and our spiritual development.  And that basic distinction is that we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness.  There is no middle ground.  There is no other reality.

We also should note the voluntary nature of this servitude.  You will recall the example of Israel in Exodus 1, Israel was willing to yield itself to Egypt and Egypt oppressed them more.  We should compare that to the language Romans 6:19.  When we serve sin it oppresses us more.  Notice the word “present”, the voluntary nature it implies.  As well, the words “obey” in verses 16 and 17.

Who owns you?

Who do you serve?  Are we a slave of sin or a slave or righteousness?

Who bought you?  Who paid for you?

Who controls you?

Who owns you?

It is important that we each ask ourselves these questions as we approach the Passover.