Actscelerate.com

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/11 4:21 pm**

I believe the allowance for slavery in the Bible was a culturally conditioned allowance, not a universally applicable standard of righteousness, for it clearly is contrary to the Golden Rule, the highest revelation of God's law.

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **12/14/11 4:24 pm**

Paul wrote to the slave-owner Philemon,

5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;

Scripture says he had love. God has slaves, and God is love.
_________________
Link

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/11 4:24 pm**

A high view of Scripture means one respects Scripture enough to understand its context and interpret and apply it righteously.

So for those who ARE sold into slavery in our day (and it does still exist in some places) you would say they need to just submit, and that that is God's will for them, right?

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/11 4:25 pm**

A slave of Christ is one who voluntarily submits to Him out of love. God doesn't mistreat anyone, nor does He advocate mistreatment of anyone. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **12/14/11 4:27 pm**

Quiet Wyatt,

All the slavery I know of in the world is illegal kidnapping and trading of workers for the industry, so I wouldn't say these scriptures apply to those situations.

I do wonder if it would be more just if we had some of those criminals they put in jail for 20 years work as the slave of the person they stole from for 7 years or their labor was enough to compensate for their crime. That was a possible penalty in the Old Testament.
_________________
Link

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/11 4:28 pm**

Paul also told Philemon that he should consider Onesimus as a brother now, no longer as a slave.

Philemon 1:16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. 17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. NIV

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **12/14/11 4:28 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/11 4:29 pm**

Paul and Peter didn't see the need to separate these two aspects of submission. They are directly linked in the biblical contexts.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/11 4:31 pm**

Anyone who is a student of ancient history would know that marriage is a very different thing today from back then.

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **12/14/11 4:31 pm**

Wyatt...

Golf Cart Mafia Soldier Posts: 2295 **12/14/11 4:31 pm**

Here's what "mature" submission looks like:

It is disagreeing gently...yet yielding if the husband persists.

It is speaking your mind in the right spirit.

It is understanding that your husband may not always be right, but he is still the leader of the home.

It is "putting on the brakes" only when the husband is going to do something ungodly/immoral/dangerous/destructive. Etc. Sometimes a wife may have to virtually or literally "save" her husband's life from a bad decision.

An INSUBMISSIVE wife will likely make a husband's life difficult even over small matters.

I mean, why does submission HAVE to be a bad thing? Don't you do it for your bosses? I sure did/do. There's plenty of things I might want them to change, but if they don't, I don't get all pouty about it. I just keep on doing my job...unless it's a matter of principle.

Same with husbands and wives.

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **12/14/11 4:33 pm**

Re: Wyatt...

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **12/14/11 4:35 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/11 4:36 pm**

Just in case this was missed...

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **12/14/11 4:41 pm**

Wyatt...here is what I think is being missed

Golf Cart Mafia Soldier Posts: 2295 **12/14/11 5:07 pm**

Yes, slaves are to SUBMIT to their masters. What Paul is saying to the CHRISTIAN slaves is that "don't just do it because you HAVE to; do it because you exhibit a spirit of submission."

In other words, a slave could be an unsubmissive slave. He still had to do what he was FORCED to do, but he might still have an attitude (internal or external) about it.

Paul is saying to obey in the right spirit. In a certain sense, he is not making any moral statement on slavery at all. He is saying, "Bad things happen; keep a Christian attitude."

So, yes, wives should act LIKEWISE--not out of being forced, but with a good attitude.

No one is FORCED into this type of submission. It is decided by the person.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/11 5:15 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/11 5:20 pm**

FF,

One quick post and then I have to go run for now...

Even 'coercive' slavery is voluntary in that the slave fears punishment more than he values freedom.

No one can truly own another person in the sense that they might own a beast of burden.

The issue as I see it with regard to "submission" is the very real tendency for a bully or a tyrant to use the concept as a pretext for mistreating others. Not saying anyone here is necessarily advocating that. I understand that someone can of course voluntarily submit to be a servant/slave. What troubles me about the issue most is when men would use it to basically mistreat others and thus violate the Golden Rule.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **12/14/11 5:34 pm**