Why does the Bible condone slavery in some passages?

UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

In the ancient Near East, people faced harsh economic realities. When the Scriptures refer to “slavery,” they are often addressing a form of servitude or bonded labor that provided a way for individuals or families in dire poverty to survive. Archaeological evidence (e.g., ancient Mesopotamian tablets) shows that this was common across cultures. Many of these “servants” would voluntarily place themselves under another’s care to pay off debts or ensure provision.

HEBREW TERMINOLOGY AND REGULATIONS

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word often translated as “slave” is “ebed,” which can also mean “servant” or “bondservant.” Context determines how we understand it. For example, in Exodus 21:2, a Hebrew servant was to serve six years, then “go free in the seventh.” This limited term was closer to indentured servitude than the brutally oppressive slavery seen in more recent centuries.

Scripture placed controls on how servants could be treated. Exodus 21:26–27 protects individuals by instructing that injuring a servant in certain ways requires setting that servant free. These regulations, unique among surrounding cultures, reveal a higher ethic that treats human life with dignity.

LEVITICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPASSION

Leviticus 25:39–43 instructs the Israelites not to treat fellow Israelites as chattel slaves but rather as hired workers; they were not to be ruled over “with harshness.” In the ancient context, this was a radical idea. Outside writings, such as the Code of Hammurabi, are far more permissive of abusive treatment. By contrast, Israel’s laws limited terms of service and mandated humane treatment.

GOD’S CHARACTER AND MORAL PROGRESSION

Throughout Scripture, we see a moral progression that points toward loving one’s neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). New Testament teachings echo this development, calling believers to treat others with sacrificial love. In Galatians 3:28, it says there is “neither slave nor free... for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” testifying to an eternal ideal of equality.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXT

By the time of the Roman Empire, “slavery” was ubiquitous. Yet the Apostolic writings reshaped these relationships. In Ephesians 6:9, masters were admonished to “do the same for them,” reflecting the same respect and consideration they desired from servants. Philemon provides a personal example: Paul urges Philemon to treat his returning slave Onesimus “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother” (Philemon 1:16).

Though the New Testament does not launch a social revolution to instantly abolish the Roman system, the principles introduced—equality in Christ, brotherly love, and sacrificial service—would ultimately permeate cultures and lead to a clearer rejection of oppressive forms of human subjugation.

DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN PERMISSION AND ENDORSEMENT

Allowing a practice within a set framework is different from endorsing it as ideal. Even Jesus noted that certain Old Testament regulations (e.g., Deuteronomy 24 on divorce) were concessions made because of “the hardness of your hearts” (Matthew 19:8). Likewise, regulations concerning servitude established limits and dignity in an already pervasive social structure, mitigating harsher abuses.

FULFILLMENT IN CHRIST AND HUMAN VALUE

Christ’s ministry elevated human worth regardless of social status. His ultimate purpose is reconciling and redeeming creation (Colossians 1:20). The early believers, under constant duress, authored letters to communities in existing social systems, aiming to infuse them with the ethic of Christ’s love.

Historical studies note it was the influence of Christian teachings—persisting for centuries—that contributed to major movements ending legalized slave trades (for instance, the work of William Wilberforce in Britain). These reforms flowed from biblical principles of human dignity.

CONCLUSION

When Scripture addresses slavery, it does so by regulating an existing institution to protect people from exploitation, expecting them to be treated as fellow image-bearers of God. Over time, the biblical ethic that all are equal in Christ and called to serve one another in love shaped societies and displaced structures that dehumanized people.

In sum, the Bible’s guidelines about servitude reflect a protective and redemptive approach within ancient contexts, planting seeds of freedom and equality that grow into the clear biblical vision: every individual stands equally valued before God.