Musing – Regarding Slavery, was Paul a Northerner or a Southerner?

Hebraic Musing – Regarding Slavery, was Paul a Northerner or a Southerner?

Both North and the South had Christians who used Scripture references to defend their opposing positions regarding slavery.  How can that be?  Can Paul’s epistles be read two ways?  Theologians point out that some of the “Pauline” epistles were in Paul’s name but not actually written by Paul, a common practice then.

And many scholars think these more patoral Epistles were written later in Paul’s name:  Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.  And Paul probably did not write Hebrews.*

Could the Northerners have been using these Anti-Slavery references from writings personally authored by Paul?   Paul preached to give up all for Christ:

·         Paul preached that there is no place for slavery in Gal. 3:28   There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

·         Philippians 3:8-9  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ   NIV

·         “We are all brothers” in Philemon 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.   

Could the Southerners have been using these Pro-Slavery references from Epistles written by others after the revolt, destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. when serious persecution began?  These Epistles tell how to treat slaves which were the fabric of the existing social/economic system:

·         Col. 4:1  Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

·         Eph. 6:5-9 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.  Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.  Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.  And masters, treat your slaves in the same way.

·         Pastoral epistle - Titus 2:9-10     Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

No wonder the “Civil War” was not “civil”!

Points to ponder

Could these contradictions in NT Scripture have resulted from
writers pressured to accommodate the world systems in those times?

Which of the writers was not “politically correct”?

How are societal, economic and worldly pressures
being accommodated in today’s preaching?

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                 November 25, 2014

Books author “Hebraic Insights”; “Biblical Marriage”; “Musings v.1 – A Victorious Life”
Weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings” at   insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com/
Yosef1@cox.net   or  www.InsightsByYosef.com  

*  Scholars have no difficulty attributing these Epistles (approximate dates) to Paul’s direct authorship – Romans (A.D. 57-58); 1 Corinthians (A.D. 55);  2 Corinthians, (A.D. 56); Galatians (Prison A.D. 49 or 55); Philippians (Prison  A.D. 60-61); 1 Thessalonians (A.D. 51-52); Philemon (Prison A.D. 61).