3 perspectives of slavery and the Bible

Question 1

Most Americans believed the bible was:

Answer 1

The ultimate authority in religion and morality; self-evident

Question 2

What about Paul lent credibility to the argument for slavery? Where in scripture?

Answer 2

Paul was explicitly Christian (NT) authority on slavery-unlike slavery in the OT, which could be dismissed as an antiquated institution, like polygamy, unfit for the Christian world

Paul provided detailed direction on cases, and advice on the institution of slavery

Ephesians 6 (“slaves obey masters…”)

Question 3

What are the implications in denying that the Bible supports slavery?

Answer 3

one has to show that the Bible does not mean what it seems to mean in a plain reading.

Problem: conflicts with assumption that Bible is everybody’s book, readable to all and not “experts” only
Show how one could attack slavery without attacking scripture

Question 4

3 Opinions on the Bible’s support of slavery

Answer 4

1. Bible supports slavery, so reject the Bible
   (WL Garrison)
2. Bible supports slavery, so support it (to deny slavery is to deny scripture)
   Since Bible supports slavery, Christians should support it as part of biblical design of society
3. There is a clear distinction between Roman slavery and American slavery
   Distance from the texts: reject simplistic identification of biblical times with 19th c. US

While “letter” of scripture seems to defend slavery in general, the spirit of scripture opposes American slavery (letter vs. spirit; hermeneutic principle)