Christians: Why do you embrace Peter as holy when he condoned slavery?

Question

From Wikipedia:

"Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh." (1 Peter 2:18) - Peter

"Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive." (Titus 2:9-10) - Paul

"Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed." (1 Timothy 6:1) - Paul

(I've skipped the quotes from Colossians and Ephesians as they were part of my previous question).

How holy are men who condone slavery and encourage obedience to men who own slaves, even when the masters are "harsh"?

Why didn't Jesus do the same?

Why do Christians reject this doctrine, yet embrace Paul and Peter as holy men?

Answer 1

You are confusing Christians with Catholics. They are not the same. Christians embrace only the Lord our God, and no one else. We do not pray to or worship Peter or any of the other disciples, or the mother of Jesus, who was Mary.

True born again Christians place all of their faith and confidence in God and not in man.What ever God decides to do in life, I as a born again Christian stands firmly behind what ever God does. Praise the Lord!

Answer 2

Both Peter and Paul lived under subjection to Roman tyranny and oppression. Most everyone they knew was a slave to the Roman empire. Paul had more freedom than Peter because Paul was a Roman and Peter was a Jew. Neither were "masters" to slaves or servants and both referred to themselves as servants of Christ.

If these apostles told the servants to rise up against thier masters, those servants would have been killed and their families would suffer greatly. The Apostles were basically just telling the servants to hold on, do as your told so you won't bring misery and suffering to your family and look forward to your reward in Heaven.

If Peter and Paul had spoken those words in our time they most likely would have replaced "slave" and "servant" with "employee".

Slaves, servants were the producers in those days just as employees are in our time.

In our time we should look at these verses as do your job well so that you can feed and shelter yourself and your family.

We are all slaves to our rent or mortgage and our bills. If we choose not to pay those we will suffer the consequence of living on the street or in jail. Living on the street in the middle of winter, in my opinion, would be much more harsh than any task masters whip.

Answer 3

Peter and Paul lived in a time when slavery was legal. We Christians are to follow the law of the land as long as it does not conflict with our faith. There were slaves and simply put slaves were to live their life of faith partly by being obediant to their masters.
My Bible says this:
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19 For this is thankworthy, if for conscience towards God, a man endure sorrows, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if committing sin, and being buffeted for it, you endure? But if doing well you suffer patiently; this is thankworthy before God.

Answer 4

While I am not quite certain, here's my guess:

It's not the fact that Peter condones slavery really. Christians probably view it as, he is condoning reverence and the ability to stay humble.

That's only a guess.

But personally, I have no idea.

Answer 5

Matthew 20:25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Slavery was customary in that day and age and in the culture those men lived in. Therefore they addressed issues of servanthood....however, in the scripture above, Christ is stressing that we are to have a servant mentality....that as Christians, we are to serve both God and man in an attutude of love and respect like Jesus did.

Answer 6

Different time. Slavery was an accepted part of society... same as schools, restaurants, and taxis are today. Slavery wasn't moral or immoral... it just was. Slaves were property... same as pencils, computers, and CDs are today. It is immoral to hit your computer?

Answer 7

People who encourage slavery and oppression are the most fallen people in all human kind.

whoever follows or encourages such people and such ideals are the most ignorant and useless people in all of this world