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Israel never practiced chattel slavery (Exodus 21:1-6). They practiced indentured servitude (Lev 25:39-43) and God only allowed them to keep permanent slaves from the surrounding nations they conquered (Lev 25:44-46) which were a booty of war (Num 31:9-11, 32-35; Deut 21:10-14).
This brings us to American slavery where verses from the Old Testament were taken out of context to justify the capture and permanent enslavement of other people. There were no legal slaves in America before 1655, only indentured servants. Indentured servants were under contract to work for another for a definite period of time, usually without pay in exchange for free passage to the new colonies or in order to be trained in a craft or skill. Davy Crockett was an indentured servant for example. Anthony Johnson (AD 1600-1670) was an Angolan who had a Black indentured servant with whom he had a dispute. Johnson refused to release John Casor and it went to court. On March 8, 1654, the first slave owner in the American colonies was a Black man. Whites could not legally own a Black servant as a permanent slave until 1670. In that year the colonial assembly passed legislation permitting free Whites, Blacks, and Indians the right to own Blacks as permanent slaves.
As slavery became more entrenched in America, slave owners justified the practice by ripping out passages of the Old Testament and applying them to their enslavement of men and women. But just as today we have no commission from God to kill every man, woman, and child when conquering our enemies, nor a commission to make permanent slaves of other people we have conquered. Indeed, the Apostle Paul speaks out on this sin.
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
It isn’t “political” to speak out against evil. Christians should not be silenced in rebuking the leaders of our day who promote every kind of evil perversion that just a few years ago would have put a man in jail. We should vote them out of office if at all possible unless we are too righteous to vote for a man who isn't perfect.
This brings us to American slavery where verses from the Old Testament were taken out of context to justify the capture and permanent enslavement of other people. There were no legal slaves in America before 1655, only indentured servants. Indentured servants were under contract to work for another for a definite period of time, usually without pay in exchange for free passage to the new colonies or in order to be trained in a craft or skill. Davy Crockett was an indentured servant for example. Anthony Johnson (AD 1600-1670) was an Angolan who had a Black indentured servant with whom he had a dispute. Johnson refused to release John Casor and it went to court. On March 8, 1654, the first slave owner in the American colonies was a Black man. Whites could not legally own a Black servant as a permanent slave until 1670. In that year the colonial assembly passed legislation permitting free Whites, Blacks, and Indians the right to own Blacks as permanent slaves.
As slavery became more entrenched in America, slave owners justified the practice by ripping out passages of the Old Testament and applying them to their enslavement of men and women. But just as today we have no commission from God to kill every man, woman, and child when conquering our enemies, nor a commission to make permanent slaves of other people we have conquered. Indeed, the Apostle Paul speaks out on this sin.
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
It isn’t “political” to speak out against evil. Christians should not be silenced in rebuking the leaders of our day who promote every kind of evil perversion that just a few years ago would have put a man in jail. We should vote them out of office if at all possible unless we are too righteous to vote for a man who isn't perfect.
