The concept of slavery has been around from far distant ancient periods … including the times of our forefathers as recorded in the Bible, throughout the New Testament and right up to today in 2023! We have had many Christians and non-Christians fighting against slavery and there are those today who keep fighting the battle to end slavery. Because the next passage in Acts says:
Ac 16:16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling
I thought we might spend some time dealing with the “slave” issue before dealing with the text. Without mentioning the words “bought, sold, owned or acquired”, the word “slave” is used 79 times in the NIV and the word “slaves” is used 62 times. The word “slavery” is used 22 times. My reason for mentioning this shows that “slaves and slavery”, although not dealt with in a “for or against” way, are mentioned very often in the Bible. Granted that sometimes it does refer to humans being slaves to sin.
1) Slavery in 2023. Studies show that in 167 countries, there are 46 million slaves today. The types of slavery range from Labor Slaves (forced labor); Sex Slaves (sex trade in all its forms); Forced Marriages (often disguised and legitimate marriages); Child Slavery (where children ought to be in school. Most of us buy Chinese products of which many are produced by child labor); Money Slaves (people forced into debt by circumstances or cartels) and the Recruitment of Unlawful Persons (child soldiers) or Domestic Abuse (individuals are so scared of a husband, father, parent, child or sibling). A lesser mentioned or considered slavery is of a people, ethnic group or nation being enslaved to another people, ethnic group of nation. An unspoken of example is India’s dominance in the United Arab Emirates over the Emiratis until not too long ago. There are many other labels but these are the most dominant today.
2) Spiritual Slavery. Every human being is a slave to sin at birth. Some are released from this bondage progressively from New Birth in Jesus Christ, others remain in slavery to the evil master called the devil. This we shall see in the “slave girl” mentioned in the Acts 16:16 passage. Actually she was doubly enslaved … to satan and to her owners.
3) The Bible’s mention of slavery. Although Noah sinned in getting drunk, his son Ham gossiped about his father’s drunken nakedness to his brothers.
Ge 9:24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers. 26 He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. 27 May God extend the territory of Japheth; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave.”
This is slavery of a people to a people. When Abraham lied about Sarah, calling her his sister and was found out by Abimelech, we read:
Ge 20:17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again, 18 for the LORD had closed up every womb in Abimelech’s household because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.
This is a king having slave girls which could be loosely interpreted as servants. After Abraham listened to his “faithless” wife and was intimate with Hagar resulting in Ishmael being born … we read:
Ge 21:10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
Throughout the Old Testament we find slave or slaves being mentioned. There is slavery amongst the Hebrews people (Israel). Hebrews could sell themselves to Hebrews as slaves, but needed to be set free after 6 years. They were to be treated properly and when set free in the seventh year they were not to leave emptyhanded. (See Exodus 21:3; Leviticus 25:39-40 and Deuteronomy 15:13-14 respectively). There were Hebrews owning Gentiles slaves and Gentiles owning Hebrews slaves. See Leviticus 25:44-46 for the former and Leviticus 25:47 for the latter. This was never spoken against by God. Although slavery was popular throughout the known world throughout many empires, the New Testament record we have was written during the Roman Empire’s days. Neither by Jesus or the apostles was there an immediate push to emancipate slaves. Perhaps the main reason was because slavery was largely political where Jesus’ Kingdom is spiritual!
4) The Bible’s instruction to slaves and slave owners. Maybe we need to mention that not all slaves were slaves in the sense of how slavery is seen today. Often they were employees … but like today, employees may be unhappy with their work, wages and employers.
(1) Kidnapping people to sell as slaves or keep as slaves is condemned. The punishment for such is harsh … capital!
Ex 21:16 “Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death.”
This is what happened in a number of countries … take Africa as an example. Sometimes the European Powers forced people onto ships to be sold as slaves and at other times African tribes would capture a tribe and sold them to Europeans to be sold as slaves.
(2) The New Testament lists trading with slaves as contrary to sound doctrine and the Gospel … that is, opposite to Biblical Truth:
1Ti 1:8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
(3) Christian slaves and Christian slave owners in the New Testament. In the world they were owned and owner but in Jesus’ Kingdom they are brothers!
Phm 1:15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.
(4) The treatment of slaves and slave owners. The Bible wants both parties to know that earth and present conditions are temporal, yet what is done here on earth is a preparation for heaven.
Eph 6:5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Tomorrow we shall deal with the slave girl in Acts, but for today let us remember that in Christ, all people are equal, saved and unsaved. The saved are our family and the unsaved are the ones we need to reach for Jesus.
Thank You Lord that we are passing through this place. Give us evangelistic hearts, always looking for people to share Jesus with. Help us too to enjoy relationships with all Your people, even here on earth. Amen.