Does the Bible approve of slavery?
No, because from the beginning, God declared that all humans are created in the image of God, (Genesis 1:27). Paul also declared that “we are the offspring of God,” (Acts 17:29) (NKJV), and God “has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth,” (Acts 17:26). In time, however, the institution of slavery became part of Semitic culture. One might become a slave as a war captive, by birth to slave parents, purchase of a thief in order to repay the theft, a debtor unable to pay his debts, or of one who voluntarily became a slave to escape poverty, (Numbers 31:7-9; Exodus 21:4; Exodus 22:3; Leviticus 25:39-53). After six years of service, an Israelite was bound to free an Israelite slave unless that person chose to remain in his service, (Deuteronomy 15:16,17), and slaves were protected from harsh treatment by the Mosaic code, (Exodus 20:10; 21:7-11, 26, 27). In the New Testament, the Romans used thousands of slaves who were mostly war captives throughout th
