A college basketball coach resigned recently because of an uproar about his referring to Bible scripture
to show a young player that he should be receptive to coaching and respectful to authority. The
scripture in question spoke about relationships between fathers and sons and slaves and their masters.
With the ignorance of the heathens of the world concerning the Bible, it wasn’t the wisest of ways to
instruct the player. One of the problems with people with only superficial knowledge of the Bible,
especially those with the agenda of slandering the Bible, is that they often transpose meanings and
definitions. When we hear the word “slave” today we picture the slave trade of the 1700’s and 1800’s
with slave markets and wicked, soulless owners mistreating their “property” in the cottons fields of the
South. That is intentional for those trying to discredit God’s Word. I read a secular article regarding the
Bible and slavery and the illustration at the beginning of the piece was a drawing of “a slave market in
Louisiana” (italics are mine).
In fact, though, the “slaves” of Biblical times that the Jewish people were associated with were mostly
bondservants, and the Bible explicitly condemns the type of slave trade that flourished in early American
history. “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still
in the kidnapper’s possession” (Exodus 21:16). For those who say the Bible doesn’t condemn true
slavery…read Exodus 21:16 again! And in the New Testament the “masters” of the indentured servants
were commanded to treat them fairy, humanely, and with dignity.
True, many Christians in the dark days of human slave trafficking selfishly and wrongly interpreted
scripture to fit their purpose and increase their wealth. But if you look at the history of the abolitionist
movement, it was Christians who were on the forefront. I do not know of a single Christian in our nation
today who would say that slavery was…or is…something that the Bible encourages or accepts.
One person, commenting of the coach’s story said that the moment he said the word “scripture” he
should have been fired because the Bible has no place in public policy. And, honestly, that is the big
picture: The Bible can never be used as the reason for what we believe or how we act. Think about it:
Any time we base any belief, whether it be on homosexualism, transgenderism, the family, or countless
other subjects, on the Bible our arguments are quickly dismissed and devalued.
The outcry against the coach was as much about his use of scripture as it was the use of the word
“slavery”. If you do not think that Christians are being persecuted, you need to pay more attention to
the motivation behind such stories.
Say good things about your Savior and about His church here on the Bluff.
Bro. Tony
to show a young player that he should be receptive to coaching and respectful to authority. The
scripture in question spoke about relationships between fathers and sons and slaves and their masters.
With the ignorance of the heathens of the world concerning the Bible, it wasn’t the wisest of ways to
instruct the player. One of the problems with people with only superficial knowledge of the Bible,
especially those with the agenda of slandering the Bible, is that they often transpose meanings and
definitions. When we hear the word “slave” today we picture the slave trade of the 1700’s and 1800’s
with slave markets and wicked, soulless owners mistreating their “property” in the cottons fields of the
South. That is intentional for those trying to discredit God’s Word. I read a secular article regarding the
Bible and slavery and the illustration at the beginning of the piece was a drawing of “a slave market in
Louisiana” (italics are mine).
In fact, though, the “slaves” of Biblical times that the Jewish people were associated with were mostly
bondservants, and the Bible explicitly condemns the type of slave trade that flourished in early American
history. “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still
in the kidnapper’s possession” (Exodus 21:16). For those who say the Bible doesn’t condemn true
slavery…read Exodus 21:16 again! And in the New Testament the “masters” of the indentured servants
were commanded to treat them fairy, humanely, and with dignity.
True, many Christians in the dark days of human slave trafficking selfishly and wrongly interpreted
scripture to fit their purpose and increase their wealth. But if you look at the history of the abolitionist
movement, it was Christians who were on the forefront. I do not know of a single Christian in our nation
today who would say that slavery was…or is…something that the Bible encourages or accepts.
One person, commenting of the coach’s story said that the moment he said the word “scripture” he
should have been fired because the Bible has no place in public policy. And, honestly, that is the big
picture: The Bible can never be used as the reason for what we believe or how we act. Think about it:
Any time we base any belief, whether it be on homosexualism, transgenderism, the family, or countless
other subjects, on the Bible our arguments are quickly dismissed and devalued.
The outcry against the coach was as much about his use of scripture as it was the use of the word
“slavery”. If you do not think that Christians are being persecuted, you need to pay more attention to
the motivation behind such stories.
Say good things about your Savior and about His church here on the Bluff.
Bro. Tony