Feb 1, 2022
Slavery was the BACKBONE of Roman society From 100 BC to 117 AD, the Roman Empire expanded so far it controlled nearly 20% of the earth’s population. As it expanded, the army sold captured soldiers and their families to slave traders waiting behind battle lines to deliver them to Rome. In one campaign against the Gauls (59-51 BC; modern France/Belgium/Germany), Julius Caesar captured nearly 1 million people as slaves. God ordained Jesus’ life would happen—and Christianity would be born into—a first-century Roman Empire with slavery as its economic backbone. God often allows sinful political systems to exist to shine His spiritual light. Jesus himself was born to a poor Jewish family ruled by Roman tyrants (~4 BC; Augustus/Tiberius). Jesus was never politically or socially free one day in his life. Jesus never told his followers to worry about their freedoms or social position but rather live godly lives inside of their circumstances. Circumstances don’t dictate our value, God does (Matt. 5:11-16, 43-48; 6:31-34)! Christian slaves and masters were to reflect JESUS
In Ephesus, a person could become a slave as a war-captive, not paying taxes to Rome, personal debt, or as an abandoned infant. But as the gospel transformed first-century households, husbands, wives, children, and servants were to live out a new domestic code— Christlikeness (Eph. 5:22-6:9). With no social, political, or economic clout, they were to change culture by showing change in their own lives. Christians should worry more about their witness than their freedom, more about eternity than their autonomy. Many slaves were paid a stipend, could work off their service, or be set free if the masters desired. But regardless,
Christian slaves were to act like Jesus in word, deed, and work ethic. Especially if the masters were believers, they were to benefit them! Masters were to care for them like brothers and look to free them (1 Cor. 7:20-24; Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:23, 24, 4:1; Phm. 12-16). The power of the Gospel isn’t in how good things are for us, but how good God is to us! The words master (Gr. kurios, ‘lord, master’) and slave (Gr. doulos, ‘servant, slave’) didn’t have negative connotations in the NT but described living for Christ (Matt. 20:25-28; John 13:13; Rom. 6:16-18; 1 Pet. 2:16). Soon, Christianity would decrease slavery and bring reforms under Emperor Constantine (319 AD). The love of the Lord changes lives!