Thanks to the influence of the Christian faith, slavery was abolished in cultures throughout the world. The seeds of this idea were planted in the New Testament. Remember that slavery in the Roman empire was not the same as slavery in the New World. Slaves did the jobs of professionals today–teachers, actors, secretaries, and the like. In addition, freedom could be earned through reward or purchased through money. Slaves at this time received a small subsistence allowance. (See Acts 22:22-29, 1 Corinthians 7:20-24, and Philemon 12-21 for examples of these ways to earn freedom.) It was not a lifelong institution that people associate with the pre-Civil War South.
In Ephesians 6:5-8 and Colossians 3:22-25, slaves were commanded to remember their Ultimate Master in heaven, God. Because of God, they were to obey their earthly masters with respect, fear, and sincerity. Slaves were also commanded to work hard even when unsupervised. Yet these books also have directives for masters.
In Ephesians 6:9 and Colossians 4:1, masters are not to threaten their slaves and are to provide fairly for them. Both of these commands come in light of the authority of God. But even more freedom than the Roman empire provided was found in the Christian Church.
Paul says that are “neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free…for you are all one in Christ” in Galatians 3:28. Contrast this attitude of slaves as worthy of respect as a fellow believer in Christ with Aristotle (384-322 BC): “a slave is a living tool…there can be no friendship with a slave as a slave.” Because of the Bible’s teaching that all are one in Christ, the 2nd & 3rd century Christians freed their slaves. However, some didn’t either through ignorance or influence of the greater Roman culture.
Due to the growth of the Christian church and its influence in culture, soon others would free slaves. More on that in the next blog.
Learn how to defend your Christian Faith
Big Questions Biblical Answers Supplemental Materials
by Brad Alles
- November 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
Comments are closed.