9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
Titus 2:9-10
To say that the institution of slavery and its treatment, within the context of the bible, is controversial would be to understate this truth. Scholars have wrestled with the seeming complicity implied by such passages as the one referenced above. Slavery as a practice is mentioned in both the old and new testaments. Of course, Hebrew slavery gave rise to the exodus from Egypt. Moses deals with the treatment of slaves in the Pentateuch (Exodus 21:7-11, Exodus 21:2-6, Leviticus 25:44, Deuteronomy 15:12, Deuteronomy 23:15-16, Deuteronomy 24:7) with the implicit meaning that the enslavement of people was not morally wrong. Scholars have also pointed out that Jesus’ references to the word “servant” in his various parables are more suitably translated to “slave”, someone obligated as property to an owner.
The apostle Paul deals with the “slave question” in multiple passages within his epistles. The early church was divided in its acceptance of Roman slavery (as evidenced by several external sources to the bible). Some saw it as an unacceptable practice for Christians to indulge in (it is certain that early Christians, who were also Roman citizens, owned slaves). Others, more sympathetic to humane treatment of slaves, desired greater agitation against it. In the end, all of Paul’s references to the practice direct themselves to the behavior and treatment of slaves (Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossian 3:22, 4:1). The apostle Peter takes the same cautious line (1 Peter 2:18-21). In the book of Philemon, we get a glimpse of Paul’s internal conflict as he intercedes on behalf of Onesimus (a runaway slave and recent convert) to his owner, Philemon. Paul stops short of requesting the slave’s manumission. Instead, he asks his owner to receive him graciously and spare any punishment to which he (Philemon) was entitled (Philemon 1:10). It was legal for owners to torture and even kill their runaway slaves.
Many argue that Roman slavery was dissimilar to African slavery in that it was not “race based”. But to be sure, Roman slavery was as brutal a reality as its more recent successor. The practice of Roman slavery spanned from the early Republic (509 BC) through the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 AD). Slaves were primarily obtained through military conquest, with entire populations being enslaved after defeat. Pirates and slave traders also supplied a steady stream of enslaved people from beyond Roman borders, while some became slaves due to debt or were born into slavery from enslaved mothers.
The treatment of enslaved people in Rome was notoriously heinous. They could be bought and sold like property in open markets, with families routinely separated. Enslaved people had no legal rights and could be beaten, sexually abused, or killed by their owners with impunity. Many worked in dangerous mines or quarries where life expectancy was extremely short. Urban household slaves often faced physical and sexual abuse, while those who attempted escape were branded, executed, or forced to fight as gladiators.
The scale was immense - historians estimate that during the height of the Empire, 30-40% of Italy's population was enslaved. Major slave markets operated in Rome, Ephesus and Delos, with prices varying based on skills, appearance, and origin. Enslaved people were often displayed naked, with placards listing their qualities like merchandise.
The eventual decline of Roman slavery was primarily driven by economic changes, the decrease in military conquests providing new enslaved people, and the transition to feudalism rather than moral or religious opposition. By the time Constatine, the first “Christian” emperor, ascended the throne, slavery had all but vanished.
Paul’s instruction to Titus would therefore have not been received well…if you were a slave. What could be more valuable than freedom? Certainly not encouragement to “be subject to…masters in everything.” The lack of visible church support would also have been discouraging…but at some point, slavery became a distasteful and economically disadvantageous enterprise. What the early church couldn’t do, God still accomplished. We are reminded in Daniel 4:17 (NLT):
For this has been decreed by the messengers; it is commanded by the holy ones, so that everyone may know that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world. He gives them to anyone he chooses— even to the lowliest of people.”
Again, in Psalm 47:8 (NIV):
8God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
This means that the ultimate unravelling of all injustice rests in the hands of Almighty God, even if the earthly institutions that represent him are conflicted or disinterested in acting.
What is the social injustice that continues to be a stumbling block for you? In what spaces are you excluded or discriminated against because of your identity? What systems of oppression conspire to keep you marginalized? Like those who have faced oppression in the past, talk directly to your God:
7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
Prayer,
Lord I struggle at times when I see social injustice around me. I struggle even more when I observe the silence of your church in addressing it. This injustice affects me, personally, in the following way [insert your struggle here]. Help me to trust that you see me and my struggle. Help me to hope in you as my ultimate redeemer and savior.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
