Colssians 3:22
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
I am not trying to be offensive at all...it is alo in the Quran...I just want to know how anyone can think or agree that God wants some of his creation to be enslaved to others.
2007-05-21 04:59:00 · 5 answers · asked by hagia 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
typo ...ALSO in the Quran, not alo
2007-05-21 05:01:08 · update #1
I've heard some lame answers for this, mostly, "it was an accepted behavior at the time so god made sure at least they were treated properly"
How's that for lame?
But it's alll they have to justify it
Slavery will always be wrong - period
2007-05-21 05:07:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Consider the fact that Paul probably didn't want to start a slave revolt all over the Roman empire, because that would result in Christians being persecuted even more than they already were. Rome was a pagan nation back then, when Paul wrote this. Besides, the Bible often puts more emphasis on self-discipline, law & order, and submission to authority as higher virtues than personal freedom. After all, this life is temporary, and any loss of freedom is also only a temporary inconvenience compared to the freedom of Heaven. Our main purpose on Earth is to glorify God, not just to seek our own happiness and pleasure.
In the letter to Philemon, Paul asks a fellow Christian to set his slave (who is also a Christian) free, but stops short of commanding it. Paul refuses to violate Roman law, or otherwise undermine civil authority, unless the government was commanding him to do something expressly against the law of God. Consider what Paul is saying here:
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Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you — although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.
~1 Corinthians 7:17-23
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
2007-05-21 05:15:40 · answer #2 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Slave is someone who owes loyalty to a master. Servants is a better word and the words used here in the original languages can be either word. Slave or servant.
Abraham had servants because God was with him. He was good to them and gave them food to eat and a place to sleep and they worked for him and were payed employess. They had nowhere else to go. They loved him. They would fight for him.
African-American slaves were treated very harshly at times. They were left hungry and were beat savagely for small infractions.
Just know that slavery is wrong is a certain context, but acceptable with repsonsibility and reason.
In old Europe, it was a way of punishing criminals. Men became indentured, which means they had something to pay back over time. Debts and such.
The Bible does not advocate it. Its existance is just a matter of fact.
2007-05-21 05:08:09 · answer #3 · answered by Truth7 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This passage is not condoning slavery as a practice but rather instructing Christian slaves how to respond to their earthly masters and witness to them. It was written during the Roman Empire in which the majority of people were slaves. You should consider the context in which a passage is written before coming to the conclusion that the Bible justifies slavery.
2007-05-21 05:10:15 · answer #4 · answered by William R 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I do not
JUSTIFY
a fact of life back then.
Of course Paul told slaves, that if they had the chance, to obtain their freedom.
I will say that slavery is an evil that should not be tolerated anywhere
OR,
in
ANY
way.
2007-05-21 05:07:58 · answer #5 · answered by 1saintofGod 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋