Slaves in the Bible: Was it REALLY the Modern Day Concept of Slavery?

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One of the greatest accusations of the unbelieving groups is that the Bible condones slavery, especially that the word "doulos" means slave.  Atheist hate blogs (and many of them quote the famous Dawkins quote of pitiless indifference) really dare to say that Christianity has been responsible for the slavery that plagues the minds of people.  When the word "slave" comes, the concept of mistreatment, unpaid labor, human trafficking, racial discrimination- which however is different from the Bible's form of "slavery".

So what was SO different about the Bible's form of slavery?  Exodus 21:16 is clearly a verse against human trafficking which condones the crime to death.  1 Timothy 1:8-10 lists human trafficking as one of the many sins that plague the world.  This would mean that the Bible had condemned the practice of selling people.  Abraham Lincoln a good Christian president worked hard to make sure that the black men were given equality and freedom as every white man.  When true Christianity came in, Philemon's conversion caused the rise of the cause against human trafficking and the mistreating of servants.

Here are the truths behind the "slavery" in the Bible which today they are what we'd call the "household helper" as these are actually the rules of social welfare and development:
  • Exodus 21:20 would be the department of social welfare and development rule against mistreating slaves.
  • Exodus 23:12 gave the household servant a day off whenever it was the Sabbath.
  • Leviticus 19:20 prohibits anyone from having sex with another man's slave.
  • Leviticus 25:39-43 says that a slave is to be released on the seventh year unless he/she loves their master and they are to be marked.
  • Deuteronomy 23:15 has the law that forbids chasing and returning escaped slaves.
  • Proverbs 29:21 encourages to treat household helpers well.
  • Proverbs 30:10 makes it a crime to slander one's household servant.

The reality also is that people VOLUNTEERED themselves into becoming "slaves" that is like how a modern-day house helper is hired at his/her free will not by being purchased by the master of the house.  And the Bible condemns any form of slavery just because solely because of race which was the crime of many of Israel's enemies like the Egyptians, Moabites, Ammonites, Canaanites, Amalekites, Philistines and Babylonians to name a few. The Gibeonites after they fell into Joshua became slaves because of their deception, it was a punishment but despite their Gentile status they would still be treated like how every servant should be treated.  

Christians by the result and virtue of salvation are committed and surrendered to the Lordship of Christ ever since day one of salvation.  Yes, salvation is an easy thing but people make it hard for themselves because they refuse to serve Christ out of and because of a love for sin which hinders them from receiving the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.  When Christians get saved, they do have this motive of ceasing from their destructive life of sin to serve the Savior, Jesus Christ.  And when Christians become part of the Kingdom, it's only natural for the new man to say, "Lord thank you for saving me, let me serve you."  Who would not want to be the slave of a master who despite shortcomings and stumblings will not cast you out but rather chastise those who are His out of love and not out of hate?  

A closing remark might be this line from Pastor John MacArthur taken from "Slaves for Christ" that is being paraphrased by this ministry - "With a Heavenly Master who gave you what you do not deserve that is the free gift of salvation, with He who gave His only begotten Son to take your place, He who keeps you forever His own with real assurance and security, and give you a place in Heaven even while you live, who doesn't want to be the slave of that kind of a Master?"