Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.

During one of the darkest times in US history, many Christian slave owners used the Bible to justify the enslavement of West Africans. But does the Bible actually condone slavery?

Key Points:

  • God did not create slavery but, rather, regulated it. Just because the Old Testament (OT) has laws about slavery does not mean God approves of slavery. Jesus makes a similar point about divorce in Matthew 19:3-8. Divorce wasn’t God’s will, but he allowed laws to be created to curtail the damaging practice of divorce.
  • In the OT Hebrew culture, slavery was primarily volitional (Exodus 21:5-6; Leviticus 25:39). Slavery was never based on race. The main purpose of slavery in the OT was for an indebted person to pay back their debts in a period of up to seven years. All slaves were also supposed to be freed every fiftieth year during the Year of Jubilee.
  • Kidnapping was punishable by death (Exodus 21:16). This flies in the face of the basic practices of American slavery and slaves were to be treated with respect. (Leviticus 25:39-40). After slaves were freed (Exodus 21:2), the master was to provide them with supplies to start a new life (Deuteronomy 15:14).
  • The masters were buying the services of the slaves, not the slaves themselves (Leviticus 25:55). This is because the Israelites belonged to God as his special possession. Slaves in Hebrew culture had rights, could own property, and could purchase their freedom.

Quote This:

Galatians 3:26-29  For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Talk About It
  1. What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
  2. Have you ever heard people talking about slavery in the Bible? What sorts of things do people say?
  3. What are some of the key differences between slavery as described in the OT and slavery as it was practiced in the United States?
  4. Read Matthew 19:3-8. In what ways do the principles taught here support the idea that God creates provisions to curtail evil but that he does not regulate good?
  5. Read Galatians 3:26-29. How do these verses apply to this topic?
  6. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
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