1Tim 6:1
Is God In the Slave Business?
This chapter is a continuation of the pragmatic behaviors that Paul
commanded Timothy to practice. I want to spend a bit of time looking
at slavery today. You might rightfully ask, "Why?" The reason is that
some are using slavery in the Bible in an attempt to excuse what the
Bible teaches about a modern-day sin, homosexuality.
I saw a clip the other day of two "preachers" debating homosexuality
and the pro-homosexual said that the Bible is a progressive book and
that God was still changing His Word as man progressed. He gave as
his example that God once approved of slavery but we no longer think
it is right today.
At the onset, I would say that is a pretty hollow argument for
several reasons.
1. The thought that God ever condoned the kind of slavery
practiced in our country is wrong.
2. Anytime you have a preacher attempting to destroy the Bible’s
credibility to justify sin he is a heretic.
But since progressives think God has changed His mind about slavery,
we need to understand the topic.
I. Understanding Slavery
A. Notice in the context what Paul was teaching Timothy concerning
slaves and masters.
1. It is the same as what God had taught Timothy to teach the
church concerning widows and bishops in chapter 5.
2. Paul taught the slaves to honor their masters.
3. Does this mean that the Paul, the Bible, or God approved of
slavery?
B. The Bible and God are often accused of endorsing slavery.
1. This Bible passage is an example.
2. To SOME extent, they are correct but that is only a part
of the story.
C. The "Rest of the Story"
1. There were three types of slavery, two of them being in the
Bible.
a. There was a short-term slavery for debt.
(1) There was no bankruptcy in those days.
(2) Instead, people worked their debts off as
servants or slaves.
(3) Along the same lines, a poor person might sell
himself into servitude \\#Ex 21:2-6\\. Poverty
in those days could mean starvation. To be
owned by a good master was considered by some to
be far better.
(4) Even so, God built into the law a system of
payment, release, and protection so that the
Jewish slave would not be oppressive or
continual.
Ex 21:2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years
he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out
free for nothing.
7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a
maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants
do.
Lev 25:43 Thou shalt not rule over him with
rigour; but shalt fear thy God.
(5) As far as I know, anyone in bondage due to debt
was entitled to the same opportunities.
Ex 12:49 One law shall be to him that is
homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth
among you.
b. There was conquest slavery.
(1) God was not the Creator of slavery, but He did
allow His people to use it in certain cases.
(2) When one nation went into another to war against
them, the victors made slaves out of their
conquests.
(3) However, God’s command to Israel was not to
capture their enemy but to kill them.
(a) The only ones allowed to remain alive were
the girls who had not been with men
\\#Num 31:17-18\\.
(b) This was not a command but an option and was
not for making slaves but for love’s sake.
(c) God gave this command so that none of the
heathen nations would influence Israel to
turn from God.
\\#Num 31:16, Deut 21:17-18\\
(4) Since Israel was supposed to have conquered and
killed ALL of the people within their borders
within two or maybe three generations, conquest
slavery should not have been that much of an
ABIDING issue within Israel.
(5) The only ones after this time who would have been
slaves would have been those who attempted to
attack Israel and LOST or slaves purchased from
other conquering nations.
(6) Best advice. Don’t attempt to conquer Israel and
don’t settle on their land!
2. Military conquests were and are God’s designs.
a. Military conquest serve two purposes.
(1) They are God’s punishment for national sin.
(2) They are God’s method of keeping sin from
becoming exceedingly wicked in one area.
b. This has been God’s method of controlling sin since
the flood—not just Israel’s but all nations.
(1) God told Abraham that his descendents would
have to be afflicted for 400 years because
the Amorites wickedness had not yet gotten
bad enough that God would judge them.
Ge 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall
come hither again: for the iniquity of the
Amorites is not yet full.
(2) God used the same method of punishment on
Israel for the same reason throughout the
period of judges, and with Assyria, Babylon,
Medes, Greeks, and Romans.
(3) And when Israel was conquered, God commanded them
to submit to their conquerors—as slaves—until
such a time as He sent a deliverer.
Jer 27:11 But the nations that bring their neck
under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve
him, those will I let remain still in their own
land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and
dwell therein.
12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah
according to all these words, saying, Bring your
necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and
serve him and his people, and live.
17 Hearken not unto them; serve the king of
Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city
be laid waste?
Jer 40:9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son
of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men,
saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell
in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and
it shall be well with you.
c. This slavery was permanent unless God Himself
intervened to release the slaves/nation.
(1) They could be bought and sold and their children
were slaves too.
Lev 25:44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids,
which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen
that are round about you; of them shall ye buy
bondmen and bondmaids.
45 Moreover of the children of the strangers
that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy,
and of their families that are with you, which
they begat in your land: and they shall be your
possession.
46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for
your children after you, to inherit them for a
possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever:
but over your brethren the children of Israel,
ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.
(2) God played no favorites. Israel was enslaved as
a nation from Babylon’s conquest (597 BC) until
Israel was outlawed as a nation by Rome
(136 AD), 733 years.
d. This New Testament passage records Paul teaching the
conquered (both Jews and Gentiles) to remain under
their God-appointed authority until such a time as
God brought Rome down.
e. So then Paul was not advocating slavery as it came to
be practiced, but obedience to God’s authority in
allowing sinful nations to be slaves.
f. If you think God has changed His mind on these two
kinds of slavery, you are wrong.
(1) God did not create bond-debt slavery but He did
not condemn it either. Man created it as a way
to deal with debts owed and God allowed it.
Today, man has created bankruptcy court for our
country and God allows that; but if our nation
went back to servitude as the method of handling
debts, there is no reason to believe God would
not allow it.
(2) There are to this day people groups who are
oppressed and in forms of slavery. China, the
Soviet Union, some Middle Eastern countries, and
others rule over other people groups. The only
reason some think such military conquests are
not taking place today is because they have been
well protected and hide behind strong lines of
righteousness and defense—mainly a by-product
of the United Sates of America! If America
continues to turn from God and weaken its
defenses, many are going to find out that
military conquests and national slavery still
exists.
3. The third type of slavery is slavery for profit. God has
never condoned nor allowed that.
a. God issued the death penalty for those who steal other
people.
De 24:7 If a man be found stealing any of his
brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh
merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that
thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away
from among you.
Ex 21:16 And he that stealeth a man, and
selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he
shall surely be put to death.
b. Neither did God ever condone oppressing a slave.
Ex 21:26 And if a man smite the eye of his
servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish;
he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.
27 And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth,
or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go
free for his tooth’s sake.
(1) However, God did allow a rebellious slave to
be beat—within reason.
Ex 21:20 And if a man smite his servant, or his
maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he
shall be surely punished.
Ex 21:21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day
or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his
money.
(2) No doubt there was a fine line between making
a slave obey and killing him.
c. And God did not require that a run-away slave to be
returned to his master.
De 23:15 Thou shalt not deliver unto his master
the servant which is escaped from his master unto
thee:
De 23:16 He shall dwell with thee, even among
you, in that place which he shall choose in one
of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou
shalt not oppress him.
II. \\#6:1-5\\ So what did Paul preach to the slaves?
A. \\#1\\ Honor your masters. Why?
1. Remember to whom Paul was preaching.
a. To both Jews and Gentiles who were under Roman
servitude.
b. They were conquest slaves, made that way by the
hand of God because of their sins.
c. The gospel was not sent to deliver men’s bodies
from slavery but men’s souls from sin.
d. This was the problem the Jews had with Jesus. They
wanted physical deliverance from the Romans not
spiritual deliverance from sin.
e. God was not ready for that yet.
2. So that God’s name be not blasphemed, slaves were not only
to remain slaves but they were to be the best slaves
possible.
Eph 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are
your masters according to the flesh, with fear
and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as
unto Christ;
6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as
the servants of Christ, doing the will of God
from the heart;
Col 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your
masters according to the flesh; not with
eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of
heart, fearing God:
Titus 2:9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto
their own masters, and to please them well in all
things; not answering again;
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good
fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of
God our Saviour in all things.
3. That was to be their CALLING.
1Co 7:20 Let every man abide in the same calling
wherein he was called.
21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for
it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it
rather.
22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a
servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he
that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.
4. Such obedience would take great discipline of self
and devotion to God, but it was the will of God.
5. It reminds us that God’s greatest servants are not
preachers who build mega-churches but everyday
Christians who daily bear their cross for Jesus!
B. \\#2\\ Do not despise your believing masters.
1. Along with giving commands to the slaves, God also
gave commands to the masters.
Col 4:1 Masters, give unto your servants that
which is just and equal; knowing that ye also
have a Master in heaven.
Eph 6:9 And, ye masters, do the same things
unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that
your Master also is in heaven; neither is there
respect of persons with him.
2. However, God did NOT command believing masters to free
their slaves.
a. Perhaps some did and perhaps all should have, but
they did not.
b. No doubt, this caused bitterness among Christians
slaves.
3. Paul reminded the SLAVES that the MASTERS were also
brethren.
a. It is interesting that Paul had to justify the
masters to the slaves not the slaves to the masters.
b. That would tell me that Paul felt like the masters’
behavior was more at odds with Christianity than the
slaves bitterness.
c. Paul writing to Philemon told him to receive the
run-away slave, Onesimus, now not as a servant
but as a brother beloved.
C. \\#3-5\\ To those who would reject Paul’s teaching on slavery.
1. \\#3\\ "If any man teach otherwise and consent not"
a. Paul anticipated some would not like what he had said.
(1) History tells us that the New Testament church
was largely made up of slaves.
(2) So Paul addressed them.
b. "wholesome words"-sound, healthy, uncorrupted words
c. "words of our Lord"-Paul was not speaking on this
topic but Jesus was speaking through him.
2. \\#4-5\\ Then that person is…
a. \\#4\\ "proud"
b. "knows nothing"
c. He is given to "questions and strafes."
d. He produces "envy, strife, railing, evil
surmising….
e. \\#5\\ and "perverse disputings."
f. He is "destitute of truth."
g. He thinks that gain (personal gain for the believer)
is the mark of godliness.
h. All of that would indicate that the person is lost.
3. Paul’s counsel-"from such withdraw thyself."
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