Does the Bible Condone Slavery? | Kingdom Freedom - Week 4

We're in the 4th week of a series called Kingdom Freedom. We've been talking about how we can never truly be free unless we are set free by God. All other freedom is temporary, but Kingdom Freedom is eternal. If you are still a slave to sin, it doesn't matter how much to pretend to be free, you're not truly free.

But I can't finish this series without addressing what the Bible says about slavery. There's this rumor spreading around the world that the Bible condones slavery, or that at least the Old Testament condones slavery, but is that true?

When we study Scripture, we can't look for the verses to prove what we already think. We have to follow it, to trust it, to bow to it.

“When we come to the Bible and try to listen to its claims, we can easily misjudge those claims if we hear them only from within the framework of our own modern assumptions. Letting the Bible speak for itself, that is, letting it speak in its own terms, includes letting the Bible speak from within its own worldview rather than merely our own.” – Vern Poythress

Luke 4:17-22

17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.[a]” 20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” 22 Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”