Slavery and the Bible: Is the Bible Racist?

Since the abolition of slavery in America nearly 150 years ago, the issue of Slavery has become a topic of heated debate between Christians and Non-Christians.

If you are like me, you’ve probably heard or seen an argument that goes something like this: “How can the Bible say ______ is a sin, but not slavery?”

So then, is the Bible racist?

Does it promote slavery?

What does the Bible say about slavery?

Hopefully I’ll be able to shed some light on this issue, and maybe help clear up some of the confusion and misconceptions.

But before I get started on that, let me first say that I find the practice of slavery appalling, partly because of my culture, but also because of my Christian faith. I do not promote it, nor do I intend to justify its practice.

However, I feel it is important to note that slavery is not a result of Christianity, as some people are inclined to believe. The Christian faith promotes equality and upholds the value of human life and decency. It is impossible for any society to adhere to the teachings of Christ and not find the practice of slavery utterly abhorrent. The two are diametrically opposed.

Furthermore, slavery is not even the result of religion. Since the dawn of recorded history humans have enslaved other humans. The Sumerians had slaves. The Greeks had slaves. The Romans had slaves. Even the native peoples of the Americas practiced slavery. If anything slavery is the result of humanity’s sinful nature; inherent to nearly every culture, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or religion. In that regard, the abolition of slavery is an exception rather than a rule, and is a relatively recent deviation from the historic social norm.

    Additionally, it is important to note that the Hebrew word`ebed (עֶבֶד), which is translated as slave in English, is also translated as servant, laborer, or even worshiper, and does not necessarily mean that that person is owned by someone else against their will. Nor does it imply that a servant is without rights. This explains why Abraham's servant Eliezer was next in line to inherit Abraham's wealth before the birth of Isaac (Genesis 15:2) as well as why Abraham armed 318 trained slaves to rescue his nephew Lot who had been captured in a raid (Genesis 14:14). 

With this in mind, let us take a closer look at what the Bible has to say about slavery, starting with the Old Testament Law.

“If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and cannot support himself, support him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident and allow him to live with you. Do not charge interest or make a profit at his expense. Instead, show your fear of God by letting him live with you as your relative. Remember, do not charge interest on money you lend him or make a profit on food you sell him. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

“If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell himself to you, do not treat him as a slave. Treat him instead as a hired worker or as a temporary resident who lives with you, and he will serve you only until the Year of Jubilee. At that time he and his children will no longer be obligated to you, and they will return to their clans and go back to the land originally allotted to their ancestors.The people of Israel are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, so they must never be sold as slaves. Show your fear of God by not treating them harshly.

“However, you may purchase male and female slaves from among the nations around you.You may also purchase the children of temporary residents who live among you, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat them as slaves, but you must never treat your fellow Israelites this way.”

~ Leviticus 25:35-46 (NLT)

Now, if you are a critic of Christianity then you’re probably thinking: “Aha! See! I told you so! The Bible promotes slavery!” And if you stop at this verse, you would have no reason to think otherwise. But there is more to the Bible than just one passage. For example, the Bible also says:

 “Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves.”

~ Exodus 21:16 (NLT)

That said, slavery in ancient Israel was very different from what we think of as slavery today. People of a different race were not kidnapped and then sold as slaves as part of the global economy. In fact, selling a person into slavery carried the death penalty under Jewish Law. Furthermore, anyone living in the Jewish community during the time of the Old Testament could sell themselves into slavery willingly in order to pay off a debt. However, they would remain in slavery for no more than seven years. (Exodus 21:2-3) In that regard, slavery in the Old Testament had far more in common with indentured servitude than what we would consider slavery today, and had nothing to do with racial superiority. Not only that, but many of the Jewish laws concerning slavery were there to protect the rights of the slaves themselves, not their masters. For example, if a slave were mistreated, he could simply run away and seek shelter in another city as a free man, regardless of his nationality. (Deuteronomy 23:15-16)

That being said, we are still left with the fact that the Bible never openly condemns the practice of slavery. So does this mean that the Bible is pro-slavery? Is God guilty by association? 

      In order to answer this question, we will need to keep reading.

“Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house. When she leaves his house, she is free to marry another man. But if the second husband also turns against her, writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away, or if he dies, the first husband may not marry her again, for she has been defiled. That would be detestable to the Lord. You must not bring guilt upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession.”

~ Deuteronomy 24:1-4 (NLT)

Now you’re probably wondering what this has to do with slavery. I admit, if you take it at face value it seems to be completely unrelated. But things start to make more sense when you cross-reference this passage with what Jesus said nearly 1,400 years later. 

“When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River. Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick.

“Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

“Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?” they asked.

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.”

~ Matthew 19:1-9 (NLT) [Emphasis Added]

According to Jesus, God gave the Israelites the law concerning divorce as a concession—a special consideration in regards to their “hard hearts” and cultural stubbornness. God allowed for divorce even though it wasn’t what He intended.

I believe the same is true of slavery. God allowed people to have slaves, even though it wasn’t what He intended. But He never once commanded them to enslave others. He said they could own slaves, not that they should. 


 Now that let's examine what the New Testament has to say regarding slavery. 

“Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it. And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.”

~ 1 Corinthians 7:20-24 (NLT)

“In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.”

~ Colossians 3:11 (NLT)

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

“Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.”

~ Ephesians 6:5-9 (NLT)

As previously stated, slavery was a major part of many ancient cultures; voluntary or otherwise. At one point there were even more slaves in the Roman Empire than free men. As such, many new Christians in the First Century either owned slaves or were slaves themselves. Hence Paul’s instructions to the Christians in Ephesus, Colossi, and Corinth; as well as his letter to Philemon—in which Paul essentially orders Philemon to free his slave Onesimus because it was the “right thing to do.” (Philemon 1:1-25) Paul also told Christian slaves in Corinth that if they had the chance to be free, they should take it. (1 Corinthians 7:21)

However, despite the prevalence of slavery in the First Century, you will notice that none of Paul’s letters say, “you must own slaves.” They allow for people to own slaves as per the culture. But they also present some rather counter-cultural guidelines for how to treat your slaves if you found yourself in that position.

Furthermore, the Apostle Paul encourages Christians who found themselves in slavery to work as if they were working for Christ (Ephesians 6:7) and gives the same instruction to all Christians in 1 Corinthians 10:31.

The reason Paul tells slaves to serve their masters and instructs masters to treat their slaves with kindness, is so that they might show God’s love to others in order to lead them to Christ. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) Slavery wasn’t the focus of these verses. The Gospel was. And what better way to spread the Gospel message than through relationships with others?

Jesus did away with the Old Law when he died in our place. (Romans 7-8, Hebrews 8-10) He started a new covenant with us, based on love and mercy, not rules and regulations. That's what the Gospel message is all about—the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation doesn’t hinge on whether you are free or a slave; all that matters is your relationship with Christ in whatever situation you find yourself.

In short, the Word of God is meant for all people for all time. (Titus 2:11, Matthew 28:19) Therefore the Bible cannot be forced to conform with any one culture in particular. This means that just because something is no longer relevant to your culture today, does not mean that the same is true in other parts of the world. It would be extremely narrow-minded to believe otherwise. 
In light of this fact—as well as the aforementioned cultural and textual evidence found in the scriptures—it is my conclusion that the Bible is not pro-slavery, nor is it racist. It is however an extraordinary document; one which not only transcends the bounds linguistic and cultural differences, but also time itself; a book that can speak God's Truth to anyone, no matter their circumstances, and in tern lead them to a greater understanding of God, and His plan for the redemption of all mankind.  

See Also:

Sex Slavery and the Bible