New Testament condemns American slavery
The OT condemns slavery, it might surprise you to know that the NT is even more clear. While the Torah showed how the forceful ownership of a human was not fitting for God’s nation, the NT shows that the same action is not fitting for God’s church. The Romans had a practice nearly as barbaric as American slavery, and it was referred to as “man-stealing.” In 1 Timothy 1:10, Paul tells Timothy that a person cannot simultaneously claim the name of Christ while participating in the involuntary ownership of human life. The context is important . Paul’s first letter to Timothy was written to instruct Timothy on leading the Ephesian church. The purpose of the book is found in 3:15: "you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth.” It is in this vein that chapter one, after an introduction, moves into describing the lives of people who by definition are no part of the church. Paul comments that