If God wrote the Bible....?

Question

... why doesn't it condemn slavery?

God may have freed HIS people from Egypt... but nowhere in the book does he condemn slavery in general... in fact there are verses which tell how slaves are to be treated... does that sound like condemnation?

Answer 1

The Bible does not specifically condemn the practice of slavery. It gives instructions on how slaves should be treated (Deuteronomy 15:12-15; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1), but does not outlaw the practice altogether. Many see this as the Bible condoning all forms of slavery. What many people fail to understand is that slavery in the Biblical times was very different from the slavery that was practiced in the past few centuries in many parts of the world. The slavery in the Bible was not based on race. People were not enslaved because of their nationality or the color of their skin. In Bible times, slavery was more of a social status. People sold themselves as slaves when they could not pay their debts or provide for their family. In New Testament times, sometimes doctors, lawyers, even politicians were slaves of someone else. Some people actually chose to be slaves so as to have all their needs provided for by their master.

The slavery of the past few centuries was often based exclusively on skin color. Black people were considered slaves because of their nationality – many slave owners truly believed black people to be “inferior human beings” to white people. The Bible most definitely does condemn race-based slavery. Consider the slavery the Hebrews experienced when they were in Egypt. The Hebrew were slaves, not by choice, but because they were Hebrews (Exodus 13:14). The plagues God poured out on Egypt demonstrate how God feels about racial slavery (Exodus 7-11). So, yes, the Bible does condemn some forms of slavery. At the same time, the Bible does seem to allow for other forms of slavery. The key issue is that the slavery the Bible allowed for in no way resembled the racial slavery that plagued our world in the past few centuries.

Another crucial point is that the purpose of the Bible is to point the way to salvation, not to reform society. The Bible often approaches issues from the inside-out. If a person experiences the love, mercy, and grace of God, receiving His salvation – God will reform his soul, changing the way he thinks and acts. A person who has experienced God’s gift of salvation and freedom from the slavery of sin, as God reforms his soul, he will realize that enslaving another human being is wrong. A person who has truly experienced God’s grace will in turn be gracious towards others. That would be the Bible’s prescription for ending slavery

Answer 2

Among the ancient Israelites there were three classes of slaves. Bond servants or people who sold themselves into slavery for a set period of time so they could raise money, captives of war, and a clerical order which was attached to the temple and assisted with the services. Treatment of slaves was closely watched and if the master mistreated the slave, even the prisoners of war, they were set free. There never was any buying and selling of humans as existed in the US south.
In the New Testament it says "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28. Paul didn't come right out and say that slavery was wrong because he was more concerned about presenting the Gospel to the lost. He thought that a slave, or any other person in a submissive role, could best influence those in authority by demonstrating the changed life of a Christian. Therefore the slave, or wife, or child could win over those over them by being honest, gracious, loving, and kind. This has long been one of the basic precepts of true Christianity.
Also, in the context of the culture you must understand that the superior had absolute power of life and death over his subordinate. Paul was not stupid enough to tell Christians who were slaves to demand freedom or better treatment from their pagan masters. This would mean death for the slave and not a word of criticism would be given to the master. Others might think it was a stupid waste of good property but that's the most that would happen. What proved to happen in Christianity, however, was that when pagan masters converted to Christianity they often freed their slaves because it became impossible to be the hard taskmaster to his slaves during the week but a brother or sister in Christ when they worshipped together.

Answer 3

Dumb question, Sunflower, no one ever said that God wrote the Bible. The books of the Bible were written by people who had personal experiences or revealations from God.

Slavery, this is an act invented, perpertrated, and sadly forstered by men, as you may know God gave man a free will to obey his commandments or not to. Most of the horrors of history ......like the killing of the jews, genocides of various eras, the Trans Antlantic Slave Trade, Homosexuality, to name a few do not have Gods blessings. They are perverted choices and acts of men who will have to face a righteous God at the end of time!

Answer 4

Because He himself is the lord & we are just his servants, his creations,,,,
or his people....

Slavery is actually forbidden in Islam...
Ie ...
when there was trend of slavery at the time Islam was spreading, great examples are known to muslims & can be known to others if they study it seriously, that, the most slaves freed in history is by muslim governments ...
In Muslims there is one Hazrat Bilal. who was slave & when he entered Islam, he became one of the favorite person of God.

There are many other examples of being against slavery..

But Bible dosent condemn slavery...
I wonder why!
As both are from same basics origin & sama GOD.

There is actually many missing links between Bible compilations..
So may be the condemning of slavery part is lost somewhere. or it is just u people cant find the right chapters....

Answer 5

Because we are all slaves in some form or another so since Jesus did not come to condemn us He would not have addressed it in that way. The Bible does give instructions to slaves and to their masters. It is this that people have used to condone it. But that is an assumption and we know where assumptions lead.

Answer 6

You are assuming that God opposes all forms of slavery. The Bible also talks about being slaves to righteousness, which is a good thing. It teaches that we are all 'slaves' of one kind or another. No one is truly free unless s/he is free in Jesus Christ.

Answer 7

God didn't write the bible...it was written over several centuries by many different people. There are several interpretations of it, so one might condemn slavery, whereas another may not even mention it.

Answer 8

God uses the bible to reach out but God didn't write the bible. Humans wrote the bible.

Answer 9

It does

I suggest that you pick up your Bible and read it, it has many wondrous story's, and lessons to teach you.

One of which tells of how God sent plagues upon Egypt through Moses so that the slaves would be free.

The Bible was inspired by God

The Bible is the Sword of Truth

We are not to change one jot or tiddle of the Bible, however there are many versions of the bible today in which people have changed it.

I believe it was Jesus whom said let the Bible be true, and every man a liar

King James version is accurate

Answer 10

God didn't write the Bible. Even Christians don't think God wrote the Bible. That's why it says book of John, Job, Matthew, etc. Those were the authors.