Topical Bible: Property: Personal in Slaves

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In the biblical context, the concept of personal property in slaves is addressed within the broader framework of ancient Near Eastern culture and the legal codes found in the Scriptures. The Bible provides various regulations and narratives that reflect the social and economic realities of the time, including the institution of slavery.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, slavery was an established institution, and slaves were considered part of a household's property. The Hebrew term often translated as "slave" is "ebed," which can also mean "servant" or "bondservant." The legal status and treatment of slaves are addressed in several passages, particularly in the Pentateuch.

Exodus 21:2-6 outlines the laws concerning Hebrew slaves: "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he shall go free, without paying anything" . This passage indicates a form of indentured servitude with a provision for release, reflecting a system designed to prevent perpetual enslavement among the Israelites.

Leviticus 25:44-46 distinguishes between Hebrew and foreign slaves: "Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy from the foreigners residing among you and from their clans born in your land, and they will become your property" . This passage suggests that foreign slaves could be considered permanent property, contrasting with the temporary servitude of Hebrew slaves.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, slavery is acknowledged as a social reality, but the emphasis shifts towards the spiritual equality of all believers. The Apostle Paul addresses the relationship between masters and slaves in several of his epistles, urging a Christ-centered approach to these relationships.

Ephesians 6:5-9 instructs slaves to obey their earthly masters with respect and sincerity, "as you would obey Christ" , while also commanding masters to treat their slaves with fairness, recognizing their mutual accountability to God. Similarly, Colossians 3:22-4:1 echoes these instructions, emphasizing the importance of serving Christ in all relationships.

The letter to Philemon provides a personal example of Paul's approach to slavery. Paul appeals to Philemon to receive his runaway slave, Onesimus, "no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother" (Philemon 1:16). This appeal highlights the transformative power of the Gospel in redefining social relationships.

Theological Implications

The biblical treatment of slavery, while reflective of its historical context, also contains principles that point towards the inherent dignity and worth of every individual. The call for just and compassionate treatment of slaves, as well as the recognition of their spiritual equality, lays a foundation for the eventual abolition of slavery.

Throughout Scripture, the ultimate ownership of all people is ascribed to God, who created humanity in His image. This theological perspective challenges the notion of human beings as mere property and underscores the call to love and serve one another as fellow image-bearers of God.

Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 21:4
If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Christianity and Slavery.
... According to the Roman law, "slaves had no head in the State, no name ... adultery; they
could be bought and sold, or given away, as personal property; they might ...
/.../section 48 christianity and slavery.htm

The Heretical Objection, that the Son Cannot be Equal to the ...
... that weak men have sons, whilst stronger men have not; that slaves have children ...
bears no relation to supremacy of authority, but to a personal property in a ...
/.../works and letters of st ambrose/chapter viii the heretical objection.htm

History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 2
... jesters, dwarfs, and magicians -- The royal domain and the slaves, the treasury
and ... of Amten, his successive offices, the value of his personal property at his ...
/.../history of egypt chaldaea syria babylonia and assyria v 2/title page.htm

From Sinai to Kadesh.
... kindness and justice to each other including slaves, and also ... the afflicted; (b)
The rights of property were to ... sanctity of the home and of personal virtue was ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter vi from sinai to.htm

Acts iv. 23
... there was no such thing, but doubtless such as were slaves they sat at ... 44); They
were selling and distributing their real and personal property--ta ktemata kai ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xi acts iv 23.htm

The Review of the Troops at Doriscus.
... The Spartan soldiers are not personal slaves, governed by the lash of a master,
it is ... Almost all the property which the people of the region had accumulated by ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter vi the review of.htm

Life at C??sarea; Baptism; and Adoption of Monastic Life.
... estate, with a certain number of slaves, on condition ... that he had renounced his property,
excepting only a ... be no doubt, that in Basil's personal conflict with ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/iii life at caesarea baptism and.htm

Here, it May be Said, My Book Ends Just Where it Ought to Begin. . ...
... broken up, if even the idea of property is to ... officials, which is called Collectivism,
or a personal distribution, so ... easier to cut off the hair of the slaves. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 46 here it may.htm

Not Servants, but Friends.
... a work in which he has a direct personal interest and ... which we see that we are not
the slaves of fate ... this or that, which are our special property into which ...
/.../xiii not servants but friends.htm

Are You Willing to be a Servant?
... As we approach this subject and its personal application in ... of the Gentiles were
they permitted to take such slaves. ... where we are the absolute property of our ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hession/the calvary road/chapter 8 are you willing.htm