Does the Bible support slavery? Perhaps no issue has been more fiercely debated in the last few years. Underneath this controversy are questions about the goodness of God, the authority and ethical consistency of Scripture, and the credibility of Christian witness.
In a recent viral debate with Glen Scrivener, Alex O’Connor argued that Scripture can just as easily be used to condone slavery as to condemn it. As a popular agnostic YouTuber, O’Connor has established himself as an informed critic of religion. His videos are marked by thoughtful dialogue and intellectual precision.
When debating slavery, O’Connor raises uncomfortable issues that some Christians would rather avoid. While he’s right to name these tensions, his interpretation of the Bible’s teaching on slavery subtly distorts Scripture’s message. His view downplays the image of God, decontextualizes the exodus, and limits the cross’s liberation. When read as a unified whole, Scripture tells a story that dismantles oppression and makes slavery unimaginable.
God’s Image
While O’Connor recognizes that the image of God gives every human being inherent dignity, he also argues that it’s insufficient for condemning slavery. In one sense, he’s right. At various points in history, Christians have ignored the implications of the imago Dei for the enslaved.
But wrong interpretation doesn’t invalidate the biblical message. Because God created humanity in his image (Gen. 1:27–28; 5:1–3), human rights aren’t based on race, country of origin, legal status, or other characteristics. Every individual is infinitely valuable simply because each is made in God’s image.
When read as a unified whole, Scripture tells a story that dismantles oppression and makes slavery unimaginable.
The ancient world shows just how radical this view is. In the ancient world, slavery wasn’t controversial—it was assumed. Both Plato and Aristotle believed that some deserve to be slaves. Slavery was accepted as part of the natural hierarchy, something that people inherently deserved.
But by teaching that every individual bears God’s image, Scripture undermines slavery. According to Genesis 9:5–6, murdering a human being denies the irrevocable dignity God has given us. God hates oppression because it harms his image-bearers.
Israel’s Exodus
While the exodus shows God’s love for the enslaved, O’Connor points out that it’s only for one nation, Israel. After Israel escapes from Egypt, God permits them to take slaves from other nations (Lev. 25:45–46). In O’Connor’s view, the Old Testament presents a God who only cares about Israel and is content with the enslavement of other nations. O’Connor even claims that the black church misunderstands the exodus by wrongly applying it to the civil rights movement.
While it’s true that God permits Israel to take permanent slaves from foreign nations, this allowance must be kept in context. Sometimes God permits things that he ultimately condemns (Matt. 19:7–9). God also gives strict requirements for protecting slaves. Stealing someone to sell him or her into slavery is punished with death (Ex. 21:16). Runaway slaves can’t be returned to their masters (Deut. 23:15–16). According to Exodus 21:26–27, if a master even harms a slave, the slave is to be set free immediately.
Further, God promises a new exodus that will bring salvation for all nations. Isaiah 11 prophesies this future explicitly, promising a Savior who will bring peace and justice to the nations (see also 2:1–5; 19:19–25; 25:1–12).
The New Testament clarifies how this will be accomplished by presenting Jesus as the true and better Israel. He is called out of Egypt (Matt. 2:13–15) and brings light into the nations’ darkness (4:12–17). He’s the true Passover lamb sacrificed in our place so our sins can be forgiven (1 Cor. 5:6–8). Even baptism is a symbol of God leading his people out of bondage in Egypt through the Red Sea (10:1–4). Through Jesus, God brings a new exodus that liberates people from sin and slavery.
Christ’s Liberation
In O’Connor’s view, the New Testament accepts slavery rather than abolishing it. But this is difficult to square with the actual teachings of the New Testament. Jesus revolutionizes ethics, teaching that we must treat one another the way we want to be treated (Matt. 7:12) and use power to serve the weak (Luke 10:25–37).
Even more, Jesus dies a slave’s death. Through his crucifixion, Jesus overturns the social hierarchy of the ancient world. Self-giving love replaces hierarchical domination, and weakness triumphs over oppression. Because of Christ, masters and slaves are on equal standing at the foot of the cross.
O’Connor observes that Paul doesn’t outright condemn the institution of slavery. It’s true that he commands slaves to obey their masters (Eph. 6:5; Col. 3:22). But he also rebukes harsh masters (Eph. 6:9), commands masters to treat their slaves justly and fairly (Col. 4:1), and condemns enslaving someone (1 Tim. 1:10).
He teaches that there’s neither slave nor free in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11) and supports freedom for slaves. When Onesimus returns to Philemon, Paul urges that he be accepted not as a slave but as a brother (Philem. 1:15–16). In 1 Corinthians 7:21, Paul even tells slaves to take their freedom if they can.
Because of Christ, masters and slaves are on equal standing at the foot of the cross.
Some might respond that this is special pleading from Christians, choosing to accept some of Paul’s teachings but not others. But this objection misses the point of the previous paragraph. Paul tells slaves to take their freedom, condemns enslaving another person, and commands masters to treat slaves justly. Paul’s ethics sowed the seeds for the destruction of slavery. Many in the early church recognized this, choosing to sell themselves into slavery to free others and to use church funds to rescue slaves.
Historically, the Bible was wrongly used to defend slavery. But it was also the only weapon powerful enough to destroy it. As New Testament scholar Esau McCaulley writes, “The story of Christianity does not on every page legislate slavery out of existence. Nonetheless, the Christian narrative, our core theological principles, and our ethical imperatives create a world in which slavery becomes unimaginable.”
