
1 Corinthians 7.21-24.
As you likely know,
Occasionally people object to the scriptures, and the apostles, because they didn’t fight slavery, nor declare it sin. To a large degree they didn’t have to. Plenty of scriptures mandated that Hebrews and Christians treat slaves humanely, treat Christian slaves like Christian family, and once they’ve worked off their debts to society, grant them freedom. And American slavery demonstrated that plenty of depraved people will distort or ignore the scriptures for their evil gain, claim to be Christian nonetheless, and eagerly go to war to keep people in chains.
Roman slavery was better than American slavery, but was still rife with abuse, evil, rape, and murder. Just because it happened in the bible, and in many ways is even
Anyway. The last passage of 1 Corinthians I looked at, was about how Christians—well, male Christians—oughta
Today: Same thing if you’re a slave or freeman.
1 Corinthians 7.21-24 KWL 21 Were you a slave when God called?- Don’t you mind.
- But if you’re able to become free,
- behave yourself all the more!
22 For a slave called by the Master- is a freeman in the Master.
- Likewise a freeman called by the Master
- is the Master’s slave.
23 You are properly purchased.- Don’t become slaves to people.
24 Each person is in the place- where they were called, fellow Christians;
- remain there, with God.
If you were a slave when you became Christian, Paul and Sosthenes say, “Don’t you mind.”
But at the same time: Don’t you mind. Don’t worry about it. God is fully aware of your situation, and what you can and can’t do. And he has final say, not your slaveholder.