Sermon Details

Sermon Notes

Please note that these are only notes, not transcripts, and as such are not identical to the recorded sermons. They also contain frequent abbreviations.

Introduction

1. Beloved, this morning’s sermon is “an introduction to an introduction to Philemon.” And we simply cannot study Philemon unless we address the subject of slavery.

   1. Rather than mix slavery throughout the series we address the subject head on at the very beginning.

      1. Slavery is found throughout the history of the world and the Bible: Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers; Israel were slaves in Egypt for 400 years; God delivered Israel from slavery.

      2. The NT addresses the subject of slavery repeatedly but gives no blanket condemnation of it.

      3. Many see this as a serious weakness in the Bible.

   2. Liberals have used slavery in the Bible to push their modernistic agenda. I heard this argument from a spokesman from Church of Scotland last year.

      1. The Bible was wrong on slavery, therefore we can expect the Bible to be inadequate to address other social concerns such as the position of women in the church, and the very complex subject of human sexuality.

      2. Modern homosexual activists take the same approach: the Bible has a poor human rights’ record. How can we believe it when it teaches slavery (and we all know that slavery is wrong). Perhaps we can grow up and realize it is wrong on subjects such as homosexuality. [several years ago the very popular West Wing had a scene where the President mocked a religious conservative character with a series of questions about the OT Law. Here is one: “I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I wanted to sell my youngest daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Ex. 21:7. She is a Georgetown Sophomore , speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?]. How would you answer that?

      3. Before we answer that, let us turn the question back to the unbeliever, esp. the atheist. On what basis can you say that slavery is evil? If we are simply evolved primates why should the stronger specimens not enslave the weaker specimens? Whatever happened to survival of the fittest? A society based on Darwinian principles is cruel. A society based on Christian principles (although never perfect) at least has the virtues of mercy and justice.

2. The word “slave” or “slavery” stirs up emotions, esp. in America. It conjures up a certain image in the mind of most people. That is deliberate. It is difficult to have a reasonable discussion of the issues with someone who cries the mantra, “The Bible is pro-slavery.” What do you mean by that? And what do you mean by slavery. Slavery comes in different forms in history and since the Bible is an historical book we would expect the Bible to have something to say about it.

   1. The familiar form of slavery to most moderns is the one we learn in history.

      1. Slave traders went to Africa, captured large numbers of Africans and brought them to Europe and America. It was a form of widespread kidnapping.

      2. These poor creatures were transported in appalling conditions, sold to rich landowners and condemned to harsh manual labor in fields.

      3. Freedom was impossible, treatment was dreadful; it was a miserable existence.

      4. Do not overlook the fact that it was Christians who worked tirelessly to abolish slavery – Wm. Wilberforce.

   2. Because the Bible does not condemn or forbid slavery it has been called “the slave owner’s handbook” by some critics.

      1. Philemon in particular is a controversial book, because Philemon was a Christian slave-owner; Onesimus was Philemon’s runaway slave; and Paul does not command Philemon to free Onesimus and all his other slaves.

      2. But what does the Bible (God’s infallible Word) teach about slavery and how does this relate to the Gospel?

“PHILEMON: SLAVERY AND THE BIBLE”

I. The Old Testament Situation

II. The New Testament Situation

III. The Christian Response

1. THE OLD TESTAMENT SITUATION

   1. In the OT the word “slave” (or servant) could refer to any subordinate or social inferior. Often we read in the OT of a person addressing another as “thy servant” (lit. slave) But in the Old Testament the primary reason for slavery was not kidnapping but relief from poverty.

      1. The Law made many provisions for the poor in Israel. By poor we mean destitute. God’s Law reveals that the God of Israel is merciful even to the poor. There was no law like it in the ancient world.

         1. God commanded generosity to the poor (Deut. 15:7-11).

         2. God commanded landowners to leave part of the harvest for the poor so that they could glean it. This is prominent in the history of Ruth (Deut. 24:19-22).

         3. God commanded that every seventh year the land should rest – it should be neither sown nor reaped. The entire produce of the 7^th year was for the poor (Ex. 23:10-11).

         4. The poor should receive loans from their fellows and be able to buy food without interest (Lev. 25:35-38).

         5. Because the Levites owned no land they were to be fed from the tithes of the other Israelites. This supply was also available to the poor (Deut. 14:27-29).

         6. All debts must be cancelled after 6 years on the 7th year (Deut. 15:1-4).

         7. God even made allowances for the poor who could not afford the more expensive offerings: Lev. 5:11 [Because of these provisions for the poor it is all the more scandalous that Israel did not only fail to look after their poor, but they even oppressed their poor. The prophets are filled with strong denunciations from God about that. But remember that the poor the prophets have in mind are the poor within the congregation of Israel, the truly destitute and vulnerable, not lazy, wastrels who think they are entitled to other people’s money].

      2. But, even with that generous provision in the Law, there were times when an Israelite would become destitute. Perhaps he would become deep in debt; perhaps his crops would fail or his livestock would die. In such a situation there was an allowance made for slavery.

         1. Notice, first, slavery in Israel was not kidnapping fellow Israelites, chaining them to the wall, beating them mercilessly. That was the slavery of the Egyptians and that was the slavery of the American South.

         2. Notice, second, slavery was permitted as an option. It was not commanded nor was it forbidden. There are certain laws which are absolute commands; some are absolute prohibitions; others are allowances. Given the situation in Israel the Law legislated for the institution of slavery without encouraging it. If God had not made such options available the poor would have starved without any protection of the Law. For much of this what Jesus said is true, “Moses, for the hardness of your hearts suffered you to do this.”

         3. Notice, third, for some impoverished Israelites slavery was the best option. It offered a way out of poverty and a way for social improvement. Therefore it was not necessarily a bad thing. It had some definite advantages.

         4. Notice, fourth, that slavery under OT law was voluntary: a person sold himself into slavery. He could not be forced into slavery.

   2. Slaves in the OT Law had many legal protections.

      1. Remember that a person could opt freely for slavery to escape economic ruin

         1. As a slave he had the opportunity to pay off his debts, to have food, clothing and shelter, and protection. A slave became part of the household, even part of the family of his master.

         2. A poor man who could not afford to pay a dowry for his daughter and who wanted to make provision for his unmarried daughter could sell his daughter into slavery. That’s the West Wing example! Remember in that day and age the father decided whom his daughter would marry. By selling her to a rich family he ensured her social advancement, obtained for her a wealthy husband and saved her from poverty. And if the master did not fulfill the duties she had rights under the Law; he had to support her financially; she could not be thrown out or abandoned (Ex. 21:7-11)

      2. The Law forbade the ill treatment of slaves.

         1. Kidnapping, forced enslavement, was punishable by death (Ex. 21:16; Deut. 24:7)

         2. Harsh treatment of slaves was forbidden (Lev. 25:43, 53)

         3. Slaves had the same legal protection from abuse as common citizens. If they were seriously injured (even losing a tooth) they had automatic freedom from their master and he had to pay reparations (Ex. 21:18-21, 26-27).

         4. If a slave ran away from his master (presumably because he was ill-treated) he could not be sent back against his will (Deut. 23:15-16)

         5. Slaves were exempt from working on the Sabbath and the religious feast days (as with all Israelites in the land) (Ex. 20:9; Deut. 16:13-17).

      3. Freedom was very easy to attain under the Law.

         1. All Hebrew slaves had to be released after six years of service and when he was released he had to be sent away with generous gifts from his master’s property (Deut. 15:12-15).

         2. At any time anyone of the slave’s relatives could redeem him with money or he himself could do so if he had the means (Lev. 25:47-49).

         3. In fact, a man could have such a happy life as a slave in Israel that he might refuse the option of freedom after the 6^th year. Then there was even provision to make the arrangement permanent (Deut. 15:16-17).

         4. In fact, the only enforced slavery was as punishment for theft and then presumably only until the thief had made reparations under the law (Ex. 22:1-3).

      4. You can see from this survey of the OT that slavery under the Law of Moses was not like slavery in the Old South. The image of black men chained up in barns does not fit.

         1. OT slavery was almost always voluntary as a provision to escape poverty and provide financial security.

         2. It lasted a max. of six years and freedom was relatively easy to secure.

         3. Slaves were well treated; they had full rights under the law; good working conditions; and kidnapping and what we call slave trading were punishable by death. Now, it is true that foreign slaves had fewer rights than Israelite slaves, but even then the treatment was humane. There is the constant refrain throughout the Law: remember that you were slaves in Egypt! God’s merciful redemption of them from Egypt was an incentive for them to be merciful to others.

         4. All of that is a far cry from the slavery of the Old South! So, did the OT teach slavery yes, but a far different kind of slavery than the one we know and hate.

2. THE NEW TESTAMENT SITUATION

   1. In the NT we move from Mosaic Law to Roman Law. By the time the NT was being written slavery was a large part of Roman society. Some estimate that slaves made up a quarter to a third of the population of the Roman empire.

      1. Slaves were necessary for the Romans to maintain their privileged lifestyles. Someone needed to do the work which the rich, privileged Romans did not do.

         1. In Roman society to own slaves was a social status symbol: the larger your household, the more slaves you possessed. That is because slaves were expensive to buy and own.

         2. Slaves did every imaginable task: some were manual laborers in the mines; some worked in the fields as farm laborers; some tended to the master’s garden; some looked after the master’s livestock.

         3. Others were household servants: they cleaned, they cooked, the served the master and his guests; they were personal butlers. Others served the ladies of the house

         4. More educated slaves were accountants, physicians, secretaries or even private tutors to the children.

      2. Slaves were big business: remember this was before the invention of machines. Everything in Roman times was done by hand. There was a thriving slave trade.

         1. Most slaves came from the Roman conquests: the Romans would not kill all their enemies or imprison them. Instead they would capture them as slaves.

         2. Other slaves were abandoned infants. In Roman society unwanted children were left outside to die of starvation or exposure. Many such children survived when they were sold into slavery. Or parents sold their own children into slavery.

         3. Others sold themselves into slavery in order to gain some advantage: the opportunity to work for an important person; access to food, lodging and protection; or access to education (many of these were inaccessible to the poor).

   2. The condition of a slave in the Roman empire varied depending on the master. Some masters could be kind; others were cruel. But there were incentives for not being too cruel to one’s slaves.

      1. Masters treated their slaves like a valuable piece of property; they cost a lot, and they did not want to waste their investment.

         1. A good, healthy, happy, well treated slave was invaluable; it was not in the master’s interests to abuse such a slave.

         2. Around the time that the NT was being written slaves were gaining more legal protection: a slave had the right to take his master to court and had a good chance of winning if the master’s treatment of his slave was unreasonable; the Emperor Claudius outlawed a practice of slave owners abandoning their old, sick slaves when they passed the age of usefulness, and charged a man with murder if he killed his slave.

         3. There were many abuses of the master-slave relationship but there were also social advantages. Nor was it unusual for slaves to be set free by their masters: a slave could be rewarded by being set free; a master might release a slave because he was fond of him; a master might even release a slave so that he could marry; or a slave could purchase his own freedom. Some masters released slaves to show how generous or how wealthy they were.

      2. So, Roman slavery was worse than slavery regulated by the Law of Moses but still much better than the horror of Old World Slavery where a slave had no rights whatsoever. One particularly vulnerable class were the runaway slaves.

         1. A runaway slave had no rights and could expect no mercy. A master was allowed to do whatever it took to recover a runaway slave.

         2. He would post notices, offer substantial rewards, and hire prof. slave catchers.

         3. If caught a runaway slave was subject to severe punishment: he could be whipped, or branded with a hot iron or even executed for his crime of running away.

         4. And no one was permitted to help or harbor a runaway slave. He was obligated to return him within 20-30 days of finding him.

3. THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE

   1. It surprises many Christians and it disgusts many unbelievers that the Bible, esp. the NT, is not filled with attacks on the horrible institution of slavery. But that is because they do not understand what the Bible is.

      1. The answer is this: the Gospel of Christ is not a social gospel, it is the Gospel of deliverance from sin.

         1. Christ could have revolutionized society: He could have ended hunger; He could have healed all disease; He could have ended war; He could have emancipated all the slaves. But that was not why Christ came & that is why He is such an offence.

         2. The Apostles had neither the interest nor the resources to gather a protest at the Senate to demand an end to slavery, to stir up revolution. They did not because rebellion against the state is sin; because it would have been suicidal for the church which would have been crushed by the Roman armies. Plus an immediate emancipation of slaves would have thrown the Roman empire into utter chaos: that would have left one quarter to one third of the population unemployed and no one to do any of the work. Christianity is not a revolutionary religion.

         3. But Christ came to deliver His people from a worse misery than slavery, the misery of sin: the crushing guilt of sin bears down upon the slave and the freeman; the horrible pollution of sin stains the slave and the freeman; the awful bondage of sin has power over the slave and the freeman.

      2. Sin is the worst form of slavery –Christ went to the cross to deliver us from that.

         1. The tragedy is that many churches and Christian groups have forgotten that or deliberately rejected it: when Christians have cleaned up the inner city slums; when they have fed the hungry and helped the poor; when they have given aid to every miserable class all those people will still be sinners and without believing the Gospel they will go to hell.

         2. Listen to what the Gospel says about sin and our deliverance from it: John 8:34; Romans 6:15-17; Gal. 4:3, 5:1; Hebrews 2:14-15.

         3. The Christian church has that message and it is simply too important to allow itself to be distracted by other projects.

   2. But that does not mean that slavery was ignored. The Gospel of Christ was good news to the slaves, not because it set them free politically but because it set them free spiritually and gave them an equal standing in the church.

      1. That was considerable: not only were slaves allowed to be members of the church but they were equal church members with all the other classes of Xian.

         1. Slaves were not beasts, they were beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord; slaves were baptized, slaves were admitted to the Lord’s Supper; slaves could even be officebearers in the church.

         2. Paul says that repeatedly and we should not fail to be impressed by these words: Gal. 3:28; I Cor. 12:13; Col. 3:11 (notice that even Xians who were slaves were recreated in the image of God in Jesus Christ!)

      2. Because slaves had equality in the church of Jesus Christ they and their masters who were members of the church had a calling.

         1. Masters were called to treat their slaves well: Eph. 6:9; Col. 4:1

         2. Slaves were called to be obedient to their masters: Eph. 6:5, Col. 3:22-23; I Tim. 6:1-2; Tit. 2:9-10.

         3. Everyone whether a slave or freeman had one Lord, even Jesus Christ.

      3. The NT even encourages slaves to use the legal means to obtain freedom if they can and condemns, not the institution of slavery, but its abuses.

         1. Read I Corinthians 7:20-22.

         2. And read I Tim. 1:9-10.

      4. So, as you can see beloved the charge “the Bible approves of slavery” is inaccurate. Slavery in the Bible is not the same as the slavery known to the Americans of the Old South.

         1. The Bible does not address every social ill – for example, the practice of infanticide is common in the ancient world. Paul never addresses it.

         2. The Bible has much more important issues, namely salvation from sin.

         3. From that slavery Christ came to set us free and that is the kind of freedom which Onesimus received as we shall see as we begin our study of the book of Philemon. Amen!