“The Bible is pro-slavery.”
This is a common charge these days. It is a part of the New Atheist attack on religion, and it also comes from various progressive circles to defend certain social views (in line with the so-called redemptive-movement hermeneutic).
It is not an incomprehensible claim. In fact, it has some apparent, face value support—and not just in Old Testament law regulations, but in New Testament epistles written by the very apostles of Jesus Christ:
Ephesians 6:5: “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters” (all translations ESV).
Colossians 3:22: “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters.”
I Peter 2:18: “Servants, be subject to your masters.”
Lately I’ve been thinking about how to respond to this concern. It is certainly a complicated issue that one blog post cannot resolve, but here are several initial appeals that may be helpful at least to draw attention to its complexity.
(continue reading HERE)