Why didn’t God just abolish slavery?

This episode tackles one of the hardest and most uncomfortable questions in the Bible—why slavery continues to appear in the New Testament without being directly abolished.

Dr. Mark Chavalas explores key passages from Paul and Peter, examining how early Christians understood slavery within the Greco-Roman world and what the biblical authors were actually trying to do.Rather than offering easy answers, this conversation dives into the tension between justice, theology, and history—revealing a deeper perspective on how the gospel transforms people from the inside out.

📚 Sources & References

- The Anchor Bible Dictionary (Article on Slavery – Scott Bartchy)

- The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon

- The Letters to Timothy and TitusThe First Epistle of Peter

- The First Epistle to the Corinthians

- Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts

- Letters of Pliny the Younger (Epistles 9.21, 9.24)

📖 Primary Biblical Texts Referenced:

Galatians 3–4

Colossians 3–41

Peter 2

1 Corinthians 7

1 Timothy 6

Titus 2

Philemon

💬 Let’s Talk....What do you think—should God have abolished slavery immediately? Or is there something deeper going on in the biblical story?

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