SLAVERY

The term "slave" (Grk. doulos) is used in the Bible in both a literal and a figurative sense. (a) Literal slaves were common in the ancient world. A person could be purchased as a slave, become a slave as spoil of war, be born into a slave family, or sell himself into slavery. In most countries the slave had no rights -- he was not a person but a piece of property to be treated harshly and disposed of by the will of his master. While the Hebrews owned slaves, the O.T. law was far superior to that of the pagan nations in regulating the institution. Slaves were to be treated kindly (cf. Ex. 21:2-27; Lev. 25:25-55). A slave who ran away from his master could not be forcibly brought back (Dt. 23:15). In the first century, some Christians owned slaves (Eph. 6:5, 9; Philm. 10-16). It was not the design of the Christian system to create a revolution by advocating the violent overthrow of this institution -- which quite obviously was never the divine ideal. Rather, the N.T. contains the "seeds" of benevolence (cf. Mt. 7:12) that eventually abolishes this practice in most civilized nations (cf. Gal. 3:28; Eph. 6:5-9; Philm.). (b) The "slave" concept is used symbolically is several ways. The person who keeps on practicing sin, in an unrestrained fashion, becomes a "slave" to evil (Jn. 8:34; Rom. 6:17). There is a sense in which Jesus assumed the role of a slave in going to the cross for us (Phil. 2:7ff). When the Christian surrenders all his personal interests, yielding himself wholly to the will of God, he becomes a slave of his Lord, Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:1; Phil. 1:1); only then is he truly free.