Does the Bible Condone Slavery?

What is the Bible's view of slavery is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity will hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Pedro Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day.

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Right now you can send us a message through YouTube as well. You can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first of today. Here's a voicemail received from one of our listeners named Brian Bill, Brian, thank you for that question that you know that the Texas trip to the chicken want to go to her thinking about what what does it look like to worthily partake of the Lord's supper is in first Corinthians chapter 11. There, in particular, Paul makes it clear that it in terms of partaking worthily of lords.

What's required to partake worthily of the Lord supper. What we have to examine ourselves of our ability to discern the Lord's body language that Paul uses in first printings 11 of our faith to feed upon the Lord there in in this in this meal that Jesus is given to the church of our repentance, our love for the Lord our obedience to the Lord, lest we come unworthily now what that doesn't mean is that we can't come to the Lord's supper if we been struggling with some sin. Now I'm not of the opinion that did things like tobacco are in and of themselves sinful, but I think there a lot of people that are enslaved to these kind of things and adding anything that that has control over you that's not that's not a good thing. That's not a healthy thing and so you have to be careful about whatever is not from faith.

The apostle Paul said is sin. Now that doesn't mean if if this is something you're struggling with it that you shouldn't be taking the Lord supper. The effect I would say just the opposite. I would say we go to the table, not because were perfect, not because we've we've been obedient to God's law perfectly going over the previous week or because were not struggling with certain things certain habits. We go as those who struggle to receive God's grace. And that's precisely what's offered to us in the Lord separates. It's the grace of God in the gospel through Jesus and his work for us and so I would encourage you to take communion still to go to church humbling yourself before the Lord and saying God with whatever it is I'm struggling with, have mercy on me and help me Lord to honor you with the decisions that I make and in the way that I live my life, especially to obey your law. Help me Lord to obey your law and so receive brother the grace that the Lord has for you in in the table at the table hit one of that one of the most beautiful pictures I think we see in the New Testament is when Jesus restores Peter after Peter had denied him. Remember what Jesus did.

He met him on on the beach and cooked breakfast for him. And there he said you know Peter, do you love me and he asked that question three times.

It was this, this restoration that the Lord was working for Peter, but Peter had just been denied the Lord. It was this this tragic thing that took place when when Christ is being crucified. And yet Jesus invited him to breakfast and after we've sinned after we've quote unquote denied the Lord God invites us to the table to receive his grace and forgiveness. As we come repentant and saying, Lord, I need you and so I take advantage of that meal because it's for you to bless. This is core Christianity with pastor Pedro Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now.

If you have a question about doctrine or theology, the Bible or your Christian life. Give us a call 833-843-2673. That's 833 the core you know there's a lot of uncertainty in our world today. So here core Christianity. One offer you a helpful book that is really written for times like these that the book is called all that is good.

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Thank you. Yeah, thanks for that question.

So Exodus chapter 21 laws about slaves in the context you have all sorts of laws in this chapter related to slavery and in verse 20 says when a man strikes a slave, male or female. The rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two. He is not to be avenged for the slave is his money so a couple of things here just with regard to Scripture, the Bible and slavery. First, I think one thing is clear, I think we can we can say.

According to the Bible to slavery is never a good thing we might, we might say MEI. I think of it, much like I think about divorce in the New Testament when Jesus was was asked a question about divorce in Mark chapter 10.

It sort of interesting how you responded he's speaking to the religious leaders in verse two of Mark chapter 2 tenants as a Pharisees came up to him in order to testament asked is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife and Jesus answered them. What did Moses command you, they said Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away and Jesus said to them, because of your hardness of heart. He wrote you this commandment, but from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and others is look look God has has made provision if you will for divorce, but this was never God's intent. This is not how things are supposed to be. I sleepily have laws related to this or that there really laws that come from the hardness of our own heart from the fact that we live in this fallen and sinful world. And I think that the very same thing could be said about divorce is never God's intent. If you will know in Scripture. Another thing that we have to say because a lot of you know I think oftentimes we hear about slavery work were thinking the American slave trade and that sort of ugly history and in our own country. And so we can we can sort of mix these two things up in the Bible. Slavery was not something that was racially driven per se was more rural, more domestic you see this actually earlier in Exodus chapter 21 it says these are the rules that you shall set before them.

When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years in the seventh year, he shall go out free for nothing and so there was still this this essentially provision for emancipation. This is something that was very clear and that was very different again when were thinking about when Scripture talks a slavery.

It's very different than dead things like the American slave you didn't have stealing people mean fact that was condemned later in the same chapter Nexus 2160 Mrs. Weber steals a man and sells him and anyone found in possession of him shall be put to death and then even a little bit later in verse 26 verse 26 is when a man strikes the eye of the slave, male or female and destroys it. He shall let the slave go for free because of his eye.

If he knocks out the tooth of the slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his two things which which you have here in the Bible are these provisions that were made for that society. In particular, in one of the things it was unique about these provisions, and that time is the slaves are essentially being protected here by God's law.

If if you if you hit your slave and you knocked out his tooth. He would go for free, he would be he would be freed he would be emancipated it in and at that the root of it is the in of the sort of biblical understanding that all people are made in the image of God that just this idea of ownership of of owning another person that that's out of line with how we were created as as image bearers of Almighty God. We are the property of the true and living God were not to be the property of of one another, and so is a few things I say and just and just another thing makes applicant is never part of God's intent from the beginning is in the new creation. There is no there is no slavery there is no no hierarchy like this if you will that in Christ. The apostle Paul said in the book of Galatians chapter 3 verse 28.

There is no slave or free, and it was passages like that in in some of the provisions in Scripture that that led to the abolishing of slavery in so many places in and led to Christians. Men like Gregory of Nyssa in the fourth century really making a strong stance against the practice of slavery and so that we have to understand these passages in their context and in attic. We also have to realize this at the outset that this was this wasn't something that that was a good thing.

These were provisions that were made for that time. In light of living in a fallen and broken world, and all those things are done away with by Christ and ultimately are done away with the new creation think that question great points and drilling is so important for us to remember just because the Bible describes something doesn't mean that it's necessarily something that God condones or approves ops correct yeah yeah it will again and and I think of divorce as example there in in Mark chapter 10 because Jesus makes it clear look. Moses allowed this because of the hardness of your heart. That's why you have these these laws pertaining this is not help how God's world was was set up to be from the very beginning and so were looking for something better for something else and that's we should fight for in in in our lives and in the world around us. I meant your listing to core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez.

If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine or theology you hop on the phone right now will be taking calls for the next 10 minutes or so and here's the phone number it's 1-833-843-2673.

That's 833. The core let's go to Russell in Kansas City, Missouri Russell, what your question for Israel explanation of first 1544 L is sown a natural body is raised in spirituality with errors or natural body, there is also spiritual body.

Okay so first 2015.

44. Let me just begin in verse 42, and in for for those of you who are not familiar with with first printing chapter 15 in this chapter Paul is making a case for the resurrection of the dead for the bodily resurrection part of the issue was. It seems like there were people teaching in Corinth that there was no resurrection. Some some of you suggested maybe that they were teaching that the resurrection. It Artie happened as a policy is correcting some false teaching that was probably floating around during the days of the Corinthians, and so in verse 42, he begins and says, so it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is so imperishable.

What is sown is perishable. What is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

Thus is written, the first man Adam became a living being the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the natural and then the spiritual. Now here's where people get confused about these verses is Paul saying that the resurrection body is just the sort of spirit body that it's not a real physical body.

No, that's not what he sang it all in the proof of that is, he makes it clear earlier in first Corinthians that our resurrection follows the resurrection of Jesus and Jesus in his resurrection was bodily, physically raised I mentioned earlier on the program how you sitting down with Peter after his resurrection, eating the fish breakfast by the beach and he's there he can, he can say to his disciples, look at my book and my body feel your Thomas feel that the the scar is in my hand. Is this idea of being raised a spiritual body doesn't mean that were not physical. It's it's spiritual isn't in the sense of new creation raised by the spirit perfected, glorified, that that's the resurrection that we that we look forward to an end. Here Paul is just getting the order straight. He said look what will we begin wheezes of the natural man this physical body but were raised incorruptible, by the grace of the Holy Spirit. And that's what we look for to brothers and sisters as Christians.

Too many people when they think about salvation. They assume that that salvation. What would Jesus did for us is he made it so that we could go to heaven when we die last Jesus in your heart and then you get to go to heaven when you die and then were to float around as disembodied spirits for all eternity in heaven is the end goal. No actually being disembodied spirits is new. That's the intermediate state, we refer to it as it it's not the end goal. The end goal is the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. That's why Jesus rose from the dead, so that we might be raised and that's what Paul is looking forward to hear in first Corinthians 15 that the perfection of our bodies.

The consummation if you will the very end of our redemption at the resurrection from the dead and and that's what he's highlighting there in those verses and so Russell, thank you for for that question. God bless great explanation. Thank you for that intro.

This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. Let's go to Nathan and Fort Wayne, Indiana Nathan what your question, I had a question concerning the name, so I I've heard a lot of people I grew up hearing the name Jesus and he recently I've been hearing the name Yeshua alive and I guess I'm just confused on why there are so many different names concerning to our Lord basically wanted, why would we have to translate the name light Yahweh by God I'm not.

I might be wrong with how I might be wrong that they never translated the name Yahweh. But why would we have to translate the name Yeshua to Jesus and all these other names I need to not let me I would say look, there are some people out there who will give you a really hard time if you're if you're saying Jesus and not Yeshua, while his name is Yeshua, you know, that's that that's the Hebrew way of saying it or whatnot are also mean Jehovah's Witnesses do this with with the divine name of God, Yahweh, though say old wiener was mistranslated we say Lord but we should be using the divine name that kind of thing.

I think all of this sort of misses the point. Yes God does have the room. He reveals himself as Yahweh in in the Old Testament, but there also mean a number of different names by which God identifies himself in each of them.

I think highlight something about who he is the divine name is it's revealed neato reveals to us highlights that God is the self existent, one that he has being essence that he's he's the one who is he told Moses at the burning bush.

I am who I am really even that's what's what's being highlighted there, but you also have these other these other names essentially that God gives as he reveals himself and certainly even with regard to Jesus and mean what what what what is the New Testament say his name will be called Emmanuel, which means God with us or Jesus because he will save his people from their sins or he's identified in other ways is identified as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world or the Prince of peace right that the wonderful, the counselor and in Isaiah chapter 9, so I think that you know we shouldn't get lost and say what you have to say it this way or pronounce it this way, the question is who is Jesus and what did he do for us and that's even with highlighted in the New Testament.

His name will be called Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. And if were so focused on on you know are you pronouncing it the right way. Are you using the divine name Jehovah. I think we can lose sight of really the most important thing which is who he is and what he's accomplished for us and for our redemption.

That's what God wants us to know and so if you don't do it however you do you say that that that's fine. The question is who is Jesus and do you believe in him are you resting in him are you trusting in him for your redemption and and so that's how I approach this question Douglas. Great point. Thanks for that federal this is core Christianity, just a reminder we have that wonderful new book to offer you. It's called all this good recovering the lost art of discernment just perfect for the times we are living in now it's available to you for a gift of any amount you can find that by going to our website at core, Christianity.com/offers just look for the book all that's good will. Here's a Facebook question we received from one of our listeners who is a listening online. Denise is her name and she says what is your take on James 513 through 16. I am asking this for a sick friend for James chapter 5, beginning in verse 13 says, is anyone among you suffering.

Let them pray.

Is anyone cheerful let them sing praises anyone among you sick let them call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up, and if he is committed sins, he will be forgiven, then verse 16. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working which is what I was seven I think. I think this is is pretty clear here. James is saying look if you're sick.

Call the elders of your church asked them to pray for you to lay hands on you to anoint with oil in the name of the Lord and and pray in faith that God would heal and so Denise up. This is something that we do in in the church that I pastor and I now affect encourage people and when their cycle say would you like the elders to come and pray for you. We asked the Lord and we said God what you would you heal.

We know that God can heal. He's the Lord mean he can work in miraculous ways. Now that doesn't mean that God is always going to heal and I don't think that that's what James is saying here. We know that there are instances where where God doesn't choose to heal miraculously where will you know we just depend on medicine or other things. Or maybe just for whatever reason, is not God's will for us to get better.

I think of for example you in first Timothy chapter 5 verse 23 Paul encouraged Timothy to take a little bit of wine because of his frequent stomach ailments and it's interesting to say hey hey you know you don't have enough faith because you you you haven't been healed yet. You cannot deny tell you to pray for divine healing and it hasn't happened, I just saying look you some some common wisdom. Maybe take a little bit of wind to settle your stomach something you're having these is pretty bad stomach ailments and so we can we can go to the Lord, we pray for healing. We also take advantage of the best of of modern medicine what's out there and just using wisdom in terms of taking care of ourselves, but ultimately were entrusting ourselves to God and sing Lord, your will be done a minute come to you when you pray for healing for your help, but I'm in a trust. Ultimately, that you know what's best for me and you're gonna work in me for your glory and for my good weather you grant me healing or not there so there there are two Denise I think ditches that we can reckon, one ditch is the ditch. It just says, oh God. God never wants to heal can't heal and doesn't have the power to heal that kind of a thing and so were just sort of faithless. We don't come before him, believing that he is and is the author. The Hebrew says in the he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. On-site we ought to come with faith and say no God have mercy heal it if if that's what your your friends been prompted to pray in that way. According to James five. The other ditch is we can we can assume that it's always God's will to heal and if were not healed miraculously, it's because there's something wrong with us. May be I don't have enough faith. Maybe there some secret sin in my life and that that is also just as destructive, just as damage or there are theologies out there that have tried to make this this argument. The year you should always be healed. If you're not healed it's because you're just not in a minute and claiming it made strongly enough you have enough faith, but that too is is false.

I think we approach the Lord with humility, not with presumption were doing things according to his word in James chapter 5 I think seems very clear here and in so for your friend if if this is something that they're there mean wrestling throughout. They call the elders of your church and have them pray for you and seek the face of the Lord and and maybe the Lord will heal but trust in him and know that he loves you, and that he has your best interest in mind. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Earlier we had a question about slavery from one of our listeners named Avalon the mention we have a core question available on that. It's called does the Bible condone slavery. You can find that@corechristianity.com/free downloads. There's an email question that came in from one of her listeners named Dan. Dan says please explain the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. What exactly is it and why is it the only unforgivable sin know a lot of people are terrified. A lot of Christians are terrified at one point or another in their life that they've committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit because they read these passages in the Gospels that talk about this in that that is unforgivable. If you do this you cannot be forgiven now in the context of the Gospels.

When Jesus brings us subleases.

Is this blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. It's in the context of the religious leaders basically saying Jesus you're casting out demons by Satan himself and so they're associating the work of Jesus Christ with the devil. It is this isn't this isn't Serta struggling with sin or falling into sin or falling into the same sin over and over again that's out the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the blasphemy the Holy Spirit is rejecting Jesus in the work of his spirit the gospel and going as far as to with a hard heart consistently persistently identified as the work of the evil one is essentially rejecting Jesus and not believing in him. If you don't believe in Jesus, we reject the gospel. There is no forgiveness because it's only found in him. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673.

That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together