I remember the exact day I began to notice it. This day was no different than any other day. Sitting in front of my computer I found myself drifting away, as usual, into the never ending black hole known as Facebook (I know I’m not the only one. LOL!). I don’t have anything against Facebook, in fact, I’m grateful for the access that it provides to the vast amounts of information that can be available at a moment’s notice. On this particular day however, I noticed my timeline filled with memes and quotes that were not regular visitors to my page. Almost immediately, I found my heart racing and my blood beginning to boil. I’m a fairly laid back person, but there are very specific topics that can draw out my emotional ire quickly. This was one of them!!! Maybe you’ve seen them as well. They usually say something to the effect of: “Why do blacks worship the white man’s God that was used to enslave them?” or “Christianity was invented by the white man.”

On a side note: as an African-American, Christian man, I see these statements as nothing less than an assault on my dignity, my heritage, and my God. It especially hurts when these statements are purported as fact by individuals within my own community. I can’t help but think back to stories of slaves clinging to their hope in Christ and his imminent return to strengthen their spirits. Or the hymns and negro spirituals that were sung in reassurance of a future where there would be no more pain or suffering. There was something precious about what the slaves believed about God that gave them endurance and hope in the worst of situations. No earthly man can force that type of faith into you.

Now if you’re anything like me you’ve begun to think about how to respond to these statements with love and truth to “win over” those brothers and sisters promoting these ideas. These “questions” are not new to the Christian community in African-American neighborhoods. They have however, gained renewed popularity due to the racially tense climate of our country. Over the next five posts, I plan to address what I believe are the top 5 questions that need to be answered in order for Christians (especially in black communities) to have a reasonable answer for their faith and the hope that is within them.

Question 1: Does the Bible promote slavery?

Before we can begin to answer this question, we first must ask, what does the Bible say about slavery? Let’s start with the Old Testament.

Exodus 21:1–11 (ESV)

21 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. ² When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. ³ If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. ⁴ If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone. ⁵ But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ ⁶ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever. ⁷ “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. ⁸ If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. ⁹ If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. ¹⁰ If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. ¹¹ And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.”

• Dignity was given to slaves. They were treated as humans and not merely possessions, which is assumed since they are not included in the laws governing the loss of property (see Ex. 21:33–22:15).

Exodus 21:16 (ESV)

¹⁶ “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.”

• It was considered illegal and worthy of death to capture a man and sell him.

Exodus 21:20 (ESV)

²⁰ “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged.”

• There were severe penalties for killing your slaves.

Exodus 21:26–27 (ESV)

²⁶ “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. ²⁷ If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.”

• Slaves were given their freedom if severely injured by their master.

Exodus 22:1–3 (ESV)

“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. ²  If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, ³ but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.“

• A man could be sold into slavery if he committed a crime and could not pay restitution.

Now let’s examine what the New Testament has to say about slavery.

1 Corinthians 7:21–22 (ESV)

^{21 “}Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) ²² For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.”

• Gaining freedom as a slave does not make you more “Christian”, but if you can gain freedom, do so.

Galatians 3:28 (ESV)

^{28 “}There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

• Our positional standing before Christ is not determined by our social standing.

Ephesians 6:5–9 (ESV)

^{5 “}Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, ⁶ not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, ⁸ knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. ⁹ Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.”

• Slaves should obey their masters as they obey God. Masters should treat their slaves how they would want to be treated by God who is Master of both.

Colossians 3:22–25 (ESV)

^{22 “}Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. ²⁵ For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”

• Slaves should genuinely and respectfully work hard and entrust themselves to God.

Colossians 4:1 (ESV)

4 “Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”

• Masters are commanded to treat their slaves extremely well.

1 Timothy 1:8–10 (ESV)

^{8 “}Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ⁹ understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.”

• The act of capturing someone for the purpose of selling them into slavery was considered to be in opposition to the gospel.

The whole book of Philemon, in particular verses 15-16 (ESV)

^{15 “}For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, ¹⁶ no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.”

• Paul instructs Philemon to receive his runaway slave, Onesimus, back no longer as a slave, but as a brother in Christ.

I know this is not an exhaustive list of every reference to slavery in the Bible. There are countless other narrative stories that reference the experiences of slaves in both the Old and New Testament, but hopefully I’ve provided enough to give you a clear picture of what the Bible actually has to say. We see that the Bible does allow slavery. There was a standard of behavior by which both slave and master were responsible to abide. Slavery was most often not a lifelong position. Slaves were encouraged to become free if they had the opportunity. And most importantly, in Christ, both slave and master had equal share and standing in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, while we see that the Bible does allow slavery, there doesn’t seem to be much evidence to suggest that the Bible created or promotes the use of it. Slavery has been a part of the fabric of society since sin entered into the world. The desire to conquer and gain superiority over other people began in the hearts of man, not in the heart of God. It’s rather interesting for our study to note that when God created man, he made him in His own image and likeness (Gen. 1:27) and after He finished, He said it was “very good”(Gen. 1:31). Paul, while addressing the Areopagus in Acts 17, refers back to creation mentioning that God made every nation from one man  (referring to Adam). You see, the beauty of God’s original intent with creation was that all of mankind, whether he is black, white, or brown, has been created as an image bearer of a great and awesome God. No man can claim superiority over another as though he received this directive from Him.

Again, don’t think of this post in isolation, but as part of a whole. The following four posts will address questions like: “Was there a difference between slavery in the 1st century and North American slavery experienced from the 17th-19th centuries?” “What commands did the Bible give to slave owners?” “Did slave owners use the Bible to subjugate a people group solely based on their race?” and “When was Christianity first introduced to people of African descent?” My prayer is that in answering these questions, we as believers will hold firmly to the truth of God’s word so that we are not “carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14), while also providing clarity in our ability to give an answer to those who may have created a barrier to the Gospel through their false beliefs.