Why didn't God ban slavery outright instead of creating laws to regulate it?

[JIMINZ]

Everyone is making it sound as though the Israelite's were running around making war and conquering other peoples in other lands, and making them slaves, this is the type of thing that England, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany did.

The Israelite's were told to go in to the Promised Land and kill off everyone they came in contact with, by their not doing as they were told, they therefore took Captives, and made them slaves.

When God Created the Earth, and Man He gave Dominion to man, Dominion is Rule in man's Domain.

There are certain things which God does do in the Earth, but by and large, God allows mankind to do what they want to do in the Earth, mankind determines their own future, and by doing certain things, mankind sets into motion the future retribution for their actions,...... ie, The American Civil War.

Ask yourself the question.

Is Slavery a good thing for a person or people to do to another person or people?
If your answer is a NO, then Slavery is not God's Will, and we cannot blame God, for it's existence.

 

[Hank77]

Answer: as in the chapter 1 Cor 8, the aim is to bear burdens for others -- so that slave owners themselves would be converted!

Goal: convert and save souls into eternal life!

But, after the owner was converted...then we have the surprising 1 page letter to Philemon! Philemon 1 NIV

I think this must be the scripture you are referring to. The reason for doing so is right here in this scripture.

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;
Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Eph 6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

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.

Paul is talking to the masters as well. I don't see anything here about an unbelieving master.

 

[Cat Loaf You]

A better translation of the word "slave" in the original greek is I believe servant, bondservant etc. Taking on that meaning of the word slave instead of our currently inferred definition of black slavery in the USA, we are to treat our slaves (bondservants) with respect.

However, why didn't God outright ban slavery, especially when fighting wars? Why did God allow the Israelites to take slaves at all? Sure they might have treated them real well compared to other nations, but that doesn't change the fundamental fact that you took a "lifetime bondservant".

To be clear, I'm not talking about slavery due to debts, that one makes complete sense, you owe me money, come work for me for 6 years and you even get fed and housed.

I have heard the position that preventing slavery during those times was impossible, thus God sought to curb its sinful effects. I'm not too convinced by that, but if someone could explain that in more detail that would be nice, or another position or argument about why God didn't do what he could.

Because slavery always been and is to this day , you think you are free but try to spank your children's ass . You can go to jail for that because , it's not your child it's goverment's child and future tax payer you just look after him untill it will rise , just like slave's children was really master's child .
Same way try to not pay your taxes and you will have meeting with police in middle of night .

 

[Daniel Martinovich]

A better translation of the word "slave" in the original greek is I believe servant, bondservant etc. Taking on that meaning of the word slave instead of our currently inferred definition of black slavery in the USA, we are to treat our slaves (bondservants) with respect.

However, why didn't God outright ban slavery, especially when fighting wars? Why did God allow the Israelites to take slaves at all? Sure they might have treated them real well compared to other nations, but that doesn't change the fundamental fact that you took a "lifetime bondservant".

To be clear, I'm not talking about slavery due to debts, that one makes complete sense, you owe me money, come work for me for 6 years and you even get fed and housed.

I have heard the position that preventing slavery during those times was impossible, thus God sought to curb its sinful effects. I'm not too convinced by that, but if someone could explain that in more detail that would be nice, or another position or argument about why God didn't do what he could.

Same reason he did not ban polygamy outright. Progressive dispensations of light coupled with the fact that mankind in league with God has to win the promises of freedom. Now if you want to get into Bible prophecy. It is pretty clear that the world would not see an age of promise until the age of the four gentile empires ended. That occurred in 1453 AD when what had been the capitol of the Roman empire since 333 AD, Constantinople was conquered. The last Roman emperor was also killed then.

What changed after that? What gave mankind the power to first overthrow the despotic rule of kings and then shortly after legal human slavery? What gave mankind the capability to develop the thinking and power for self rule? It actually one of the most instructive episodes in all of history..

The very year the empire fell the first commercial European printing press went on line. Within decades what had been produced with hand written or wood carved plate printing books in the thousands per year went to millions of books printed per year. If I remember correctly, 3 million of one of Martin Luther tracts were printed in a three year period. Then something happened that had never occurred in history. The Bible became available to the general public, and in their own language to boot. This was illegal. The Holy Roman empire and other kings of Europe raised a great army to remove this cancer in northern Europe as they had been doing for centuries. Then, for the first time in AD history something else happened. They failed to wipe out the people who were reading Bibles in Northern Europe.

Another factor played into this also. 30 years after the end of that age of the four gentile empires the new world was discovered and northern America was populated by Bible reading people.

The rest is history. This phenomena has been growing in the earth ever since then.....as prophesied in scripture. It was the truth as revealed in scripture that armed the general public to overthrow the despotism of kings and human slavery. God knew this would happen thousands of years in advance. He knew what it would take for mankind to win their freedom. He knew when the printing press would be invented. He knew which people would be the first to get Bibles in the hands of the general public. He knew when the Americas would be discovered and migrated to. He prophesied this, actually gave us the date it would start thousands of years in advance. More importantly he said nothing would stop its growth for as long as the earth continues. We have better times ahead not end times.
Isaiah 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

 

[Halbhh]

I think this must be the scripture you are referring to. The reason for doing so is right here in this scripture.

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;
Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Eph 6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

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.

Paul is talking to the masters as well. I don't see anything here about an unbelieving master.

Right, that's one. Were you wanting one about helping show Christ in us to others that haven't yet found Christ? 1 Tim 6:1 seems one to me on this, in that even if slaves we are to make our faith respected by our behavior (and this applies today of course in all sorts of ways more generally for us even not slaves of course), but I could search for more if you need. What are you wanting to discover, exactly? We can find this same message about showing Christ to people many places more generally in the epistles.

 

[Hank77]

Right, that's one. Were you wanting one about helping show Christ to others that haven't yet found Christ? 1 Tim 6:1 seems to to me, in that even if slaves we are to make our faith respected by our behavior (and this applies today of course in all sorts of ways more generally), but I could search for more if you need. What are you wanting to discover, exactly? In this more narrow question, I consider 1 Cor chapter 8, full chapter, key. But we can find this same message many places more generally in the epistles, such as in Romans and others.

You ask me to read the rest of your post. So that is my comment about your post.
You said that Paul was talking about servants with unbelieving masters but I don't see that in the scripture.

 

[Halbhh]

You ask me to read the rest of your post. So that is my comment about your post.
You said that Paul was talking about servants with unbelieving masters but I don't see that in the scripture.

It's not *only* to those who are slave owners and not yet having the Gospel, not them alone, but to all men that we are to do as in 1 Tim 6:1. 1 Peter chapter 2 expands on this very powerfully. But there are many passages about it.

 

[Colter]

A better translation of the word "slave" in the original greek is I believe servant, bondservant etc. Taking on that meaning of the word slave instead of our currently inferred definition of black slavery in the USA, we are to treat our slaves (bondservants) with respect.

However, why didn't God outright ban slavery, especially when fighting wars? Why did God allow the Israelites to take slaves at all? Sure they might have treated them real well compared to other nations, but that doesn't change the fundamental fact that you took a "lifetime bondservant".

To be clear, I'm not talking about slavery due to debts, that one makes complete sense, you owe me money, come work for me for 6 years and you even get fed and housed.

I have heard the position that preventing slavery during those times was impossible, thus God sought to curb its sinful effects. I'm not too convinced by that, but if someone could explain that in more detail that would be nice, or another position or argument about why God didn't do what he could.

Because men wrote the Bible not God. So it reflects what men thought over the ages.

 

[dcalling]

Because men wrote the Bible not God. So it reflects what men thought over the ages.

God inspired people to write the Bible, that is why in the Bible there are many things that people don't want to do, i.e. don't kill, don't do false witeness, don't covet, love your neighbors, return your enemies lost properties and many more.

God knows times will change, that is why the OT/NT only lay down the most basic set of rules,
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive." 1 Cor 10.23

 

[Rodan6]

It is God's plan that life and culture evolve on our world. It is true that slavery is wrong, but this truth is a more recent revelation. At stated earlier by another here, at one time, slavery was an "advance" in cultural association. Prior to the use of slavery, primitive conquerors killed every one of the defeated--including every man, woman and child. In Jesus' time and for centuries after, slavery was an accepted part of social life.

 

[JIMINZ]

Because men wrote the Bible not God. So it reflects what men thought over the ages.

.
Are you under the impression, that the Inspiration of God through the Holy Spirit to write those Epistles, was overridden by those mere men, and that whatever thoughts, and prejudices they might have had, ended up in the Bible?

With that type of an understanding, it would make for a quite weak Bible, and not one that could be relied on as Truth.

 

[Rodan6]

.
Are you under the impression, that the Inspiration of God through the Holy Spirit to write those Epistles, was overridden by those mere men, and that whatever thoughts, and prejudices they might have had, ended up in the Bible?

With that type of an understanding, it would make for a quite weak Bible, and not one that could be relied on as Truth.

The bible contains the opinions and viewpoints of the men who wrote it, colored by the age in which they lived. It contains many great truths, but includes many falsehoods as well. It is a great mistake to worship the writings of men. God has never written a single word. Even His Son, was careful to leave no written works behind penned by His hand. We would all do well to consider His reasons for this.

 

[John Prewett]

Forever in torment ..... or forever in bliss ..... Bible reveals a soon to come great final test.

 

[buzuxi02]

Slavery is the reason why humanity has progressed. It was the advanced societies that required slave labor while the leisure noble class developed mathematics, literature, architecture, music, infrastructure etc.
The alternative to slave labor was beheading all military aged males because in primitive Tribal cultures vengeance for your descendants would mean a protracted blood feud with reprisals, both sides living in fear of the inevitable attack.
The funny thing is how naive modern man thinks slavery cannot make a comeback in an economic apocalyptic collapse. Slavery has made a comeback in Libya, and the guy on the side of the road holding a sign saying he will work for food is requesting to be a temporary indentured servant. Slavery has not been done away with due to some morality, it has fallen into disuse because of economic and technological advancement from the industrial revolution to our fiat money system.

 

[Colter]

God inspired people to write the Bible, that is why in the Bible there are many things that people don't want to do, i.e. don't kill, don't do false witeness, don't covet, love your neighbors, return your enemies lost properties and many more.

God knows times will change, that is why the OT/NT only lay down the most basic set of rules,
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive." 1 Cor 10.23

The sacred scriptures are a window into what was once acceptable among men of faith in past ages. Slavery in America inspired Alex Huxley to write "Roots", but that doesn't mean Roots was written by slavery.

Exodus 21:20-21 "Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.

That's simply a tribal rule conceived by religious men goaded by a moral conscience. A moral conscience originates from God in all religions. Only in that way could we say it was "inspired".

 

[dqhall]

A better translation of the word "slave" in the original greek is I believe servant, bondservant etc. Taking on that meaning of the word slave instead of our currently inferred definition of black slavery in the USA, we are to treat our slaves (bondservants) with respect.

However, why didn't God outright ban slavery, especially when fighting wars? Why did God allow the Israelites to take slaves at all? Sure they might have treated them real well compared to other nations, but that doesn't change the fundamental fact that you took a "lifetime bondservant".

To be clear, I'm not talking about slavery due to debts, that one makes complete sense, you owe me money, come work for me for 6 years and you even get fed and housed.

I have heard the position that preventing slavery during those times was impossible, thus God sought to curb its sinful effects. I'm not too convinced by that, but if someone could explain that in more detail that would be nice, or another position or argument about why God didn't do what he could.

God opposed slavery and greed. God sent Jesus to live his life as a good example. If the Judeo-Roman system of that day was perfect, they would not have killed Jesus. Jesus came to serve.

Mark 10:44 "And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all."

Some televangelists and mega-church pastors are living a life of luxury. Some have mega-mansions. Some even have private jets. Another has a private airport and collection of jet planes. During a time poor widows and single mothers have difficulty keeping their refrigerators stocked, these greedy pastors demand more offerings and claim to be working for God.

Peter's early church group shared everything in common. Peter did not exploit the flock to build a big house for himself.

 

[Daniel Martinovich]

God opposed slavery and greed. God sent Jesus to live his life as a good example. If the Judeo-Roman system of that day was perfect, they would not have killed Jesus. Jesus came to serve.

Mark 10:44 "And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all."

Some televangelists and mega-church pastors are living a life of luxury. Some have mega-mansions. Some even have private jets. Another has a private airport and collection of jet planes. During a time poor widows and single mothers have difficulty keeping their refrigerators stocked, these greedy pastors demand more offerings and claim to be working for God.

Peter's early church group shared everything in common. Peter did not exploit the flock to build a big house for himself.

The Bible does not teach to live communally. The reason they did that in the book of Acts is they were about to lose everything anyway. First through political persecution then through the war that was prophesied to come.

 

[Halbhh]

I think this must be the scripture you are referring to. The reason for doing so is right here in this scripture.

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;
Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Eph 6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

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.

Paul is talking to the masters as well. I don't see anything here about an unbelieving master.

2 more pieces I left out, or didn't emphasize enough possibly. One has to read and digest the chapter 1 Cor 8 (or similar passages that have the same message in other epistles like Romans or 1 Peter, but 1 Cor 8 is especially effective imo to illustrate the key instruction Paul wants us to take onboard, in many ways). Probably this is so central to so many things Paul writes in his epistles that no one will understand certain things he writes without this chapter or similar passages being understood well.

The next is a language use note to avoid misunderstanding what we are saying. "Unbelievers" are lost, many perhaps forever. But there is another category of those still lost we are to be addressing!

Usually when we use the word "unbeliever" we often mean someone who does know about Christ fully enough and yet rejects Him. Of course, that is very different, very, from someone who hasn't yet learned the real/accurate story of Christ.
Very many that do not believe have never heard an accurate or sufficiently complete version of the gospel. For these, millions and millions, it's not that these have heard and refused, but instead they have only heard misrepresentations, and thus haven't heard the Good News...not yet.

 

[dqhall]

The Bible does not teach to live communally. The reason they did that in the book of Acts is they were about to lose everything anyway. First through political persecution then through the war that was prophesied to come.

I think they had to share because Jesus himself used to set aside money from the disciples' common fund for the poor. Judas stole from the funds that were being donated to them. In this case Jesus himself was living communally even if you do not find it as much in the Old Testament.

In Acts 5, a couple sold a property and gave the money to Peter's group. They had promised to share equally, but these two violated the agreement. In the text Ananias and Sapphira kept some of the common funds for themselves and died as a result.

In Acts 6 the group set aside funds for the widows. There was an argument the funds were not being dsitributed fairly.

In Paul's churches there were some who were living with wealth. Paul's people gave to him as he made a living by his teaching and they want to help his with his traveling expenses. Paul also worked with his own hands to fund his work. They gave what they could and owned their own property.

Philemon owned the slave Onesimus. Paul wrote to Philemon asking for fair treatment of Onesimus, that Onesimus should be treated not as a slave, but as a brother (Philemon 1).

Paul was critical of slave traders reckoning them as unholy and profane:

1 Timothy 1:8 (WEB) But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully, 9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine; 11 according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

 

[Daniel Martinovich]

There is a vast difference between giving to help the poor and fund the ministry verses communal living. I chose the word communal living very carefully.
Biblical principle on giving and receiving is expressed in different ways depending on the circumstances people find themselves in. That is why you see no instructions to the churches to “tithe.” The principle is still in effect, ie the reason the law was given is still valid. The way it’s done though has changed.

Human slavery, like polygamy has always been a great sin. Your correct. However all the generations of mankind up until the last few centuries simply did not have what it took to make it illegal. That is why God tolerated it. Even amoung his saints. Once the circumstances came about.... providentially or not for it to be made illegal, with the force of government behind the ban. His toleration of it ceased.