Slaves to Culture

(1Ti 6:1 KJV)  Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

(Proverbs 28 also read)

This is another area where believers are being swayed by a desire to conform to our world instead of being transformed to serve in our world.  The issue is slavery.  We tend to look at it as a political or social issue.  While it may be that it is also something that the Bible has a lot to say about.  

Now let me stir the pot.  The Bible does not condemn slavery.  The Bible assumes slavery and gives us guidelines on how to live as slaves or as masters.  There is no call of Spartacus here.  The word doulos (1401) is always translated “servant” in the KJV.  In the NASB it is only translated simply “servant” once out of 127 times the Greek word is used.  There are times when it is united some way with “bond”, as in “bond-servant” but the use of slave occurs 97 times.

The word can be used both ways but the point I would like to make is that the existence of a class of people who are dependent on the whims of others is accepted as being the way life is.  In time the Biblical teaching that the slave is still a brother will break the institution down.  After all, what is the point of having a slave if you have to treat him like a brother.

So?  Be careful accepting the comforting declarations of pastors and teachers when a little reading will tell you that you need to think for yourself.