January 7, 1861 (Monday)

Slavery and Liberty

Scriptures to Support Slavery as Argued by the Southern Church

The questions I want to explore:  how did the Church interpret the Scriptures?  How did the Northern Church condemn slavery and the Southern Church embrace slavery--each from a Biblical point of view, and passionately.  What are the various disciplines of Biblical Interpretation that led to their theology?  Food for thought....


"Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;  with good-will doing service, as to the Lord and not to men; knowing that whatsoever good thing any man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.  And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening, knowing that your Master also is in Heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him." (Ephesians 6:5-9)

"Both thy bondmen and thy bondwomen which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.  And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen forever." (Leviticus 25:44, 46)

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house...nor his manservant, nor his maidservant...."  (Exodus 20:17)

"Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven." (Colossians 4:1)

"Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.  And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and  beloved, partakers of the benefit."  (I Timothy 6:1-3)

Paul regarded slaves as persons of worth whom God considers important.

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."  (I Corinthians 12:13)

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:  for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."  (Galatians 3:28)

"Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free:  but Christ is all, and in all."  (Colossians 3:11)

In the Letter to Philemon, Paul apparently did not give the slave, Onesimus, sanctuary but returned him to his owner.  Paul seems to hint that he would like Philemon to give Onesimus his freedom, but does not actually request it. 

Here are two sites on Scriptures and Slavery:

Passages from the Christian New Testament:

Passages from the Hebrew Scripture Old Testament: