Why did God allow slavery?

God did not create or endorse slavery—He regulated it within a broken world to prevent greater evil, protect the vulnerable, and guide humanity toward justice through the redemptive power of the gospel. Biblical slavery was fundamentally different from the brutal, race-based slavery of modern history. And through Christ, Scripture ultimately undermines and dismantles slavery altogether.

What Does the Bible Actually Say?

A. God Regulated a Broken System, Not Endorsed It

The laws regarding slavery in the Old Testament weren’t approvals but limits and protections:

“When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.”
— Exodus 21:2, ESV

“You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.”
— Deuteronomy 23:15, ESV

These passages show God putting time limits, rights, and dignity in place for people in servitude. No other ancient culture offered this level of protection for slaves.

B. The New Testament Moves Toward Freedom

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free... for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
— Galatians 3:28, ESV

Paul didn't launch a violent uprising against Rome—but he laid the theological groundwork that would one day destroy slavery: equal dignity for all in Christ.

“...knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.”
— Ephesians 6:9, ESV

C. Slave Trading Was Directly Condemned

“...the law is not laid down for the just but for... enslavers...”
— 1 Timothy 1:9–10, ESV

The Bible calls out slave traders—the very foundation of modern, race-based slavery—as sinful and unjust.

PHILOSOPHICAL REASONING: Why Would God Allow It?

A. God Often Works Within Fallen Systems to Limit Greater Evil

God allowed certain things—like divorce (Matt. 19:8), war, and slavery—not because they were good, but because they were already present in a fallen world. Instead of instantly abolishing systems people relied on for survival (even if broken), God regulated them to prevent abuse, defend the weak, and slowly guide people to something better.

Sudden abolition in ancient times could have led to chaos, starvation, and worse abuse for the poor. God moved history patiently toward redemption.

B. Change Often Happens From the Inside Out

Rather than force political or social revolutions, God changes hearts, and changed hearts change the world. The gospel would go on to redefine human dignity, leading Christians to become the world’s first abolitionists.

HISTORICAL AND THEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

A. Biblical Slavery Was Not Racial or Permanent

Ancient slavery:

  • Was often voluntary to pay off debt

  • Had legal time limits

  • Included rights, rest, and release

  • Protected women and families

  • Was not race-based or hereditary

This was not the same as American slavery. In fact, the Bible’s standards would have made the Atlantic slave trade impossible.

B. Christianity Was the Death Blow to Slavery

  • The early church was made up of both slaves and free people, treated as equals.

  • Christian thinkers like Gregory of Nyssa in the 4th century called slavery "a sin against God."

  • In the 18th and 19th centuries, Christian leaders like William Wilberforce, John Wesley, and Frederick Douglass led the fight to abolish slavery, inspired directly by Scripture.

ILLUSTRATION

Picture a doctor treating a dangerous disease. She doesn't always remove the source of the problem instantly—doing so could cause shock or death. Instead, she applies treatment in steps: containment, care, and then removal.

God dealt with slavery the same way. He contained it, cared for the vulnerable, and then removed its foundation through the gospel.

CLARITY

Let’s be clear:

  • The Bible never endorses slavery as a moral good.

  • It regulates it temporarily in a specific context to limit harm and protect the vulnerable.

  • The gospel undermines slavery by declaring that all people are made equal in the image of God.

  • Christianity is the only worldview in history that has consistently birthed abolition movements—because it teaches that freedom and dignity are rooted in God Himself.

God’s long-term plan wasn’t just to end slavery—it was to set every captive free, spiritually and physically.

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
— John 8:36, ESV

God didn’t approve of slavery. He tolerated and regulated it in a broken world to protect people and lead them toward freedom. Through Christ, the Bible doesn’t just suggest justice—it delivers it. The gospel breaks every chain.