SERMON: Slavery and the Bible? (Eph. 6:5)
Slavery
and the Bible? (Eph.
6:5)
Series: Ephesians: Building the Church Text: Ephesians 6:5
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: July 30, 2023
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: PM Service
I.
Introduction
Slavery is in the news again; this time,
because of curriculum in Florida prompting critics to allege excuses racism and
slavery. For instance, in Jacksonville,
Florida, Vice-President Kamala Harris claimed the curriculum teaches middle
school students that enslaved people “benefited from slavery,” a claim which
one CNN panelist called “fabricated.”[1] Christian commentator Samuel Sey — who I
strongly recommend — pointed out the controversial section of the curriculum and
wrote that
this shouldn't be controversial at all. If you read the entire curriculum fairly,
you'll see that it's actually a great overview of the history of black
Americans, including how slavery shaped the kind of jobs black Americans had
when slavery was abolished.
You can't analyze the jobs black Americans
had during Reconstruction without explaining that the kinds of jobs they had
were because of the kinds of skilled they developed through slavery.[2]
I present this recent news not for the commentary but as
evidence that slavery is still a contentious topic in America, filled with much
emotion. It seems like if anyone provides
any nuance to it, or if any dares to ignore it, there are those waiting with
accusations of racism and white supremacy.
I hope that you don’t have the same knee-jerk reactions.
Considering that there have been abuses of texts like this
one by American slavers, Scripture gets swept into such accusations. “Wait a minute!” the objection comes. “Slaves?!” Indeed, the word “slave” is the correct
translation of doulos, and yes, the Bible seems to permit it.
This fact has been a sore spot for generations of British
and American readers. In fact, we see
within the pages of Scripture an even more shocking truth: Christians participated
in the institution. Moreover, as
evidenced by this very passage, both slaves and their masters coexisted within
the Christian church.
Before we seek to understand it, however, let’s take a
moment to remember where we are in the book.
The first half of Ephesians is theological, whereas the second half is
practical. The Christian walk we’ve been
discussing in the latter half of Ephesians can only occur as the result of the
gospel of the first half. For instance,
because of the gospel, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit and can fulfil the
great command of 5:18, the imperative to “be filled with the Spirit.” We already have the Spirit, but we must let
Him permeate and control our lives through His Holy Word.
This filling affects our churches (vv. 19–21) as well as submission
unto the Lord in our households. We considered
wives and husbands from vv. 22–33. Last
time, we saw how the Holy Spirit affected the relationships of both children (6:1–3)
and parents (v. 4). In this text, we see
that slaves are in subjection to their own masters (6:5) and masters to their
slaves (v. 9). Yet, because of our
unique American context, having ousted a horrible form of slavery in the United
States, folks have difficulty hearing the good news of the gospel and its
effects in our lives when they come across the word “slave.”
Many struggle to understand how a loving God could allow any
kind of slavery. As such, we must answer
key questions for believers today before going any further. Next week, Lord willing, we’ll examine the
elements of the text, but for this evening, I’ve narrowed down three questions that
will serve as an outline. Why and
where did slavery exist? What
stipulations did the Bible place on slavery?
Why did God allow slavery to continue?
Let’s start with the first of these.
II.
First, why and where did slavery exist?
One of the difficulties we’re faced with is in understanding
how slavery operated in the ancient world.
This means that we must try and put aside our more recent history on the
matter. The reality of ancient slavery
wasn’t ideal either, but it was quite different.
First, slavery existed for many reasons. It’s true that many were unwilling
participants in the institution, and it’s further the case that many abuses
occurred. The Romans enslaved conquered
peoples, for instance, and abandoned children were used and abused by those
given over to their sin. Even so, many
willingly engaged in the practice, seeing it as a legal relationship providing
opportunities that would not otherwise exist.
For instance, many were well-educated and contributed to
their households and societies in substantial ways. A trained physician might seek out a home
with a large family, several properties, and many slaves — knowing that his
services as a slave of that household would ensure him continued employment. Slave owners likewise sought teachers for
their children and artisans for their home, paying them for their services in
addition to providing room and board.
Indeed, many slaves owned slaves of their own to help them
fulfill their duties.
This conflicts with our cultural understanding of slaves being
merely a subjugated class. Many were educated
and well-compensated for their services.
In fact, an inherent paternalism pervaded the practice, where
enterprising slaves could gain prestige and position through their masters as
if they were also their fathers. Even
when slaves were manumitted (set free), they continued to carry the name of the
households they served. Slavery was a
social ladder for many in ancient cultures, and when the slaves believed the
time was right, they could seek to become freemen (cf. 1 Cor. 7:21–22).
As such, the number of slaves far outpaced anything we know
in the modern world. As one commentary
notes, “It is noted for instance about Corinth that ‘at the peak of its power
and influence, the city probably had a free population of 200,000 in addition
to half a million slaves in its navy and in its many colonies’.”[3] Slaves numbered in the millions across the
Roman Empire.
Again, we should not idealize the system since abuses were
common and it implicitly (many times, explicitly) damaged human dignity; many
were not willing participants.
Even so, we should seek to understand why it existed and the
opportunities that it provided in societies without capitalistic-driven economies. In fact, this is the reason that, as Thomas
Sowell often points out, slavery has existed everywhere in the world —
including the biblical world.
This is why we don’t simply reject Christian authors who
owned slaves. For instance, many are
calling for us to cancel such towering figures as Jonathan Edwards and George
Whitefield from our histories because they had a history of owning slaves and arguing
for the institution. However, according
to one biographer of Edwards, blacks were allowed full membership in Jonathan
Edwards’ church[4]
and also opposed the slave trade.
Whitefield advocated for the opening of orphanages, spoke against the
slave trade, and urged masters to educate and evangelize their slaves. I’m not saying that either man held the ideal
position on chattel slavery in America (all the best men are men at best), but
they showed nuanced positions which would have been considered progressive at
the time, and they did so based on what Scripture argued.
This brings us to our next question.
III.
Second, what stipulations did the Bible place on
slavery?
Scripture permitted the practice of slavery even in Israel,
God’s holy nation. However, His Word
created laws unlike anywhere at the time.
Whereas other nations in the millennia before Christ treated slaves as
animals, He consistently calls Israel to treat them according to their human
worth.
First, God forbade the practice of manstealing (as
the KJV reads). He commanded the death
penalty for both the individual who kidnapped someone for enslavement and
the individual who purchased him; the Lord says, “He who kidnaps a man,
whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to
death” (Exod. 21:16). Indeed, in the New
Testament, the Lord notes He made the Law for such lawless individuals as those
who would engage in kidnapping (1 Tim. 1:10).
This point alone condemns much of the slave-trade of the ancient world
as well as the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Second, the Lord commanded the personal wellbeing of
slaves. For instance, He says that if
masters injured their slaves, the master must set them free. He says that just a couple of chapters later;
“If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he
shall let him go free on account of his eye.
And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let
him go free on account of his tooth” (Exod. 21:26–27). It is as if the Lord is saying the slave just
paid whatever debt he owes in full.
This is why He later commands a master not to “rule over him with
severity” but with reverence to God (Lev. 25:43).
Third, the Lord commanded protection for escaped slaves. The Lord 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” (Deut. 23:15–16).
In doing this, the Lord guards unfortunate souls who were being
mistreated by sinful masters. We can
imagine how the Lord’s words would have transformed slavery here in America, including
the next point.
Fourth, the Lord protected slaves against generational
servitude. On the Year of Jubilee, the
Lord said to set free slaves and forgive debts.
He commanded, “You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim
a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you
shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family”
(Lev. 25:10). Whereas human nature would
demand every red cent in repayment, even if it takes generations of
slaves to do it, the Lord teaches forgiveness.
He gives all those who owe reason for great joy during the jubilee!
While teaching this in the jail, I was stopped here and
asked if the Year of Jubilee was a set date on the calendar (it was), and what
would happen if someone borrowed a month before the celebration. I responded that the person would still be
forgiven; the point wasn’t how long someone carried the debt, but the
undeserved grace available to all in this picture of the gospel. I continued that we all have a great debt
before God, some greater and older than others, but those trusting in Christ
find that God remits the penalty and sets us free spiritually to serve
Him. Another inmate responded that the
gospel is good, but he wouldn’t be caught lending money before the Year of
Jubilee!
Of course, as we consider the gospel, many would still argue
that the very existence of slavery seems counterintuitive to the good
news. Indeed, the institution would
never have existed if not for our sin.
Still, even with the protections Scripture provides, there is another
question that may be nagging at you.
Let’s turn to that question next.
IV.
Third, why did God allow slavery to continue?
To put this simply, we don’t know. God doesn’t argue for the eventual end of
slavery as an institution, nor does He explain why He allowed it to
exist for the time it did. While
theories exist, such as God not wanting New Testament believers to engage in
revolution and anarchy, He hasn’t spoken to this question in His Word. Even so, He grants us some truths we can
glean from His Word, some to which we turn now.
First, the kind of slavery practiced by believers served
as an apologetic against the unbelieving world.
Whether we’re considering the pagan world surrounding the Old
Testament or the New, we consider cultures that treated their slaves very
differently than God prescribes. As one
study notes, slaves “were considered mere property and could be abused and even
killed by their masters with no resulting investigation by the state. In the church, wealthy slave owners and their
slaves broke bread together at the Lord’s Table as equals. No doubt some slaves were gifted spiritual
leaders and ministered the word to people far above them on the social ladder.”[5]
Such a situation helped the spread of Christianity. While many pagans mocked the social structure
created by biblical living, others converted because they saw the God of
Scripture providing answers to the human condition that no one else did. They saw the vapid nature of their own
religion and resulting societal structure.
This helped people — both slave and free — to consider their own
position before God, bring us to the next point.
Second, slavery pictures the bondage that we all share in
sin. We’ve already noted in
Ephesians how Scripture describes our spiritual state before Christ: we were
dead in sin (2:1), formerly “in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the
rest (v. 3). To put this another way,
people in the flesh are in bondage to their sin (Rom. 7:14; Gal. 4:3), just as
false teachers are slaves of corruption (2 Pet. 2:19). Yet, the blood of Christ redeems unbelievers from
the marketplace — not with gold or silver, but with His precious blood (1 Pet.
1:18–19). That brings us to the next
point:
Third, slavery serves as an essential image of
discipleship. Christians are those
purchased by God. In this text in
Ephesians (a text that we’re obviously not getting into day), we read that
Christians are “slaves of Christ” (v. 6, cf. v. 9). We already noted that in places like
Philippians 1:1, Paul calls himself a doulos or slave of Christ, and he
calls other Christians (like Epaphras and elders within the church) the same
(Col. 4:12; 2 Tim. 2:24). The concept of
slavery helps us to understand the kind of submission we should have to our
Lord and Master.
Indeed, we find in Christ our example. He took on the form of a doulos and
tells us to be of the same mind (Philip. 2:1–11). This doesn’t mean that He calls us to become
the slaves of men (just the opposite, 1 Cor. 7:23), but we are to see ourselves
as first loving the Lord through our obedience and second, loving our neighbors
through our service. Understanding that
we are “bought with a price” by the Lord transforms the way we view our
position as Christians. We are His,
belonging to no other, not even our own will.
Of course, slavery isn’t the only picture of the new
believer. To further compare our
discipleship to the institution of slavery, a master sometimes manumitted or
set free his slave by adopting the slave as a son. In Scripture, we read, “Therefore you are no
longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God” (Gal. 4:7). Our Lord is a benevolent Master who loves and
cares for us as His own children, because we are.
Still, the concept of slavery transforms our personal walk
with the Lord and how we view other Christians.
For instance, Paul urges Philemon to accept his slave Onesimus back, but
“no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother” (Phile. 16). Slavery to Christ ultimately leads believers of
all stripes together in affirmation of texts like Galatians 3:28, which says,
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is
neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This fact will help us better understand
Ephesians 6:5–9, which we will study next week, Lord willing.
V.
Conclusion
As we read Ephesians 6 and other passages on slavery, it’s
vital that we understand them in the historical context. Perhaps, though, the question which lingers
is this: what about the Transatlantic Slave Trade and American history? Yet, we’ve already seen the Scripture’s
answer to this. God’s Word forbids
kidnapping, protects human dignity and wellbeing, protects runaway slaves, and
condemns generational servitude. Point
by point, the Lord condemns it, as the slavery He allowed was different.
Still, though, many remain troubled by the existence of
slavery in Scripture and in Christian circles.
Christians living north and south of the Mason-Dixon line in America dealt
with it with varying degrees of biblical consistency, a topic for another
day. Even so, it’s worth noting that the
only culture that abolished the accepted practice of slavery was one
founded upon and motivated by Holy Scripture.
Even during its institution, as we noted, there were those Christians trying
to set a different example. Christians with
Bible in hand argued against the slave trade, and stalwart believers like John
Wesley and William Wilberforce brought the full argument to bear. Even when we consider certain cultural
forces, such as the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, we must see that
the argument presented therein was foundationally a Christian one. The Lord providentially used His people to
bring the practice to an end, the historical legacy of His ways.
[1] Hanna Panreck, “CNN panelist calls out VP Harris over
'completely made up' Florida slavery curriculum claim,” July 23, 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/media/cnn-panelist-vp-harris-completely-made-up-florida-slavery-curriculum-claim.
[2] Samuel Sey, July 27, 2023, https://twitter.com/SlowToWrite/status/1684662428586356737.
[3] W. Harold Mare, New
Testament Background Commentary: A New Dictionary of Words, Phrases and
Situations in Bible Order (Ross-shire, UK: Mentor, 2004), 309–310.
[4] George Marsden, Jonathan Edwards: A Life (New
Haven: Yale University Press, 2003), 258.
[5] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne
House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King
James Version (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Eph 6:5.