Biblical Slavery

There aren't too many words in the English language that cause the same gut reaction as that word, "slavery." We react with a collective, historical revulsion to the idea of being kidnapped and carried off and sold into slavery. It's wrong ... just wrong. So it is with that same gut reaction that we often receive this kind of stuff in Scripture. Paul called himself a "bond-slave of Christ" (Rom 1:1, Gal 1:10; Titus 1:1), as did James (James 1:1), Peter (2 Peter 1:1), Jude (Jude 1:1), and John (Rev 1:1). All those writers of the New Testament didn't bat an eye at the term. But Paul really threw down hard on the concept.

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Rom 6:16-18)

To many, the whole concept is unacceptable, but let's look at it a moment. Maybe we're simply applying a version of "slavery" that is not in view here. According to Dictionary.com, a slave is 1) a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another and forced to provide unpaid labor, or 2) a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person. If you look for a moment at this text, I think you'll see it's not that version of "slave." Note, first, that it is based on a heart condition -- "you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed." It is not involuntary. It is not even ownership. It is "from the heart." We are slaves, according to this text, based on that to which we subject ourselves. You choose. Do you submit yourself to sin or do you submit yourself to righteousness? Note, also, that there are no other options. "I reject slavery" in this context is simply a self-delusion. Autonomy is a lie. You have to serve somebody. Either it's your sin or it's God. The notion of being free from slavery, understood in the terms used here, is a myth.

Biblical slavery, then, is a matter of choice. You choose to submit yourself to sin or righteousness. Obviously those who are not in Christ don't have both options. The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God (Rom 8:7), so submitting to God is out of the question. But we choose who will be our master by choosing obedience. In order to choose God, you have to become obedient from the heart, which requires a divine heart-change. Those who have received that change can obey their own desires or we can submit ourselves to pursuing obedience to God. Now, to be perfectly honest, that first definition above has some truth here. It says a slave doesn't get paid. In this passage, slaves of righteousness don't get paid. Only slaves of sin get paid. Choosing to obey sin earns you freedom from righteousness and, ultimately, death (Rom 6:20-21). Submitting yourself to God will provide sanctification and eternal life (Rom 6:22), but the difference is that the death of sin is earned, but eternal life is a gift (Rom 6:23). Those who choose slavery to God don't get what is earned; they get unearned benefits. That's biblical slavery.