In Response Part 4

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Statement 4: We have the support and endorsement of slavery as being God-ordained. (I don't have the reference off the top of my head, it's in both Old and New though)

In Response: I have yet to find any Scripture that supports that statement. I do know of scripture that encourages the release of people from bondage/slavery. The New Testament book of Philemon comes to mind.

Indentured servitude, as described in both Exodus 21:1-11 and Deuteronomy 15:12-17, is hardly what I would define as slavery. I would relate what is being described here as similar to the service rendered by “servants” of an estate. Regardless, the word slavery was chosen to describe those who are in service to another, for one reason or another.

RESOURCE: The Believers Study Bible
Deuteronomy 15:12 On the basis of Lev 25:39, this verse should be understood to refer to a Hebrew who sells himself on account of poverty.

RESOURCE: The NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible
Slave, Slavery (Hebrew ‘evedh, servant, slave; Greek doulos, bondslave, servant). While the Hebrew and Greek words are very common in the Bible, the English word slave is found only twice (Jeremiah 2:14; Revelation 18:13), and the word slavery does not occur at all in the KJV, because both the Hebrew and Greek word involved are more often rendered “servant”.

Among the Hebrews, slaves could be acquired in a number of ways: as prisoners of war (Numbers 31:7-9), by purchase (Leviticus 25:44), by gift (Genesis 29:24), by accepting a person in lieu of a debt (Leviticus 25:39), by birth frpm slaves already possessed (Exodus 21:4), by arrest if the thief had nothing to pay for the object stolen* (Exodus 22:2-3), and by the voluntary decision of the person wanting to be a slave (Exodus 21:6). Slaves among the Hebrews were more kindly treated than slaves among other nations, since Mosaic Law laid down rules governing their treatment. They could gain their freedom in a number of ways (Exodus 21:2-27; Leviticus 25:25ff.; Deuteronomy 15:12-23). Slavery continued in the New Testament times, but the love of Christ seemed to weigh against its continued existence (Ephesians 6:5-9; Galatians 3:28).

*editor’s note: Sure beats getting your hand chopped off as they do according to Islamic tradition/law!

Slave in the OT:
6269 I. עֶבֶד (˓ě∙ḇěḏ): n.masc.; ≡ Str 5650; TWOT 1553a—1. LN 87.76-87.86 slave, bond servant, i.e., one who is owned by another for service until sold to another, or worked his way out of slavery (Ge 39:17); also part of a compound name, Ebed-Melech, see 6283; 2. LN 35.19-35.30 servant, i.e., one who helps in the service to another, but not necessarily a possession of another (Ge 18:3); 3. LN 37.48-37.95 officer, official, i.e., one who has authority in government, yet referred as servant of the king (1Sa 18:5); 4. LN 53.53-53.64 worshiper, formally, servant, i.e., one who serves God as an act. of service to God (Isa 56:6)

Swanson, James: Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament). electronic ed. Oak Harbor : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997, S. HGK6269

Slave in the NT:
1400 δοῦλοσ1 [doulon /doo·lon/] n n. From 1401; GK 1528; Two occurrences; AV translates as “servant” twice. 1 a slave, bondman, man of servile condition. 1a a slave. 1b metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among men. 1c devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests. 2 a servant, attendant.

Strong, James: The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Test of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurence of Each Word in Regular Order. electronic ed. Ontario : Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996, S. G1400

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