Relationships - Part 2

Having donned the new man, who is renewed in full knowledge, according to the image of the one creating him, where there is no Greek and Judaean, Circumcision and Foreskin, barbarian, Scythian, slave, freeman; rather, the Anointed (Christ) is all things and is in all. Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on inward compassion, goodheartedness, humility, gentleness, magnanimity, upholding one another and forgiving one another if anyone should have a complaint against anyone just as the Lord [Anointed] forgave you, so you also. (Col 3:10-17)

Above all of these, love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the Anointed’s peace rule in your hearts, to which you were indeed called in one body; and become thankful. Let the word of the Anointed dwell within you richly, teaching and admonishing each other in all wisdom, in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing in grace within your hearts to God; and everything you do whatsoever, in word or in deed, do all things in Lord Jesus’s name, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3:10-17)

Okay, I read this again, because I want to remind us of where we are in the letter

It will be important for what is going to come next…Sigh…

Let’s summarize what we read:

There is no distinction: Therefore, holy and beloved, put on…

Inner compassion; goodheartedness; humility; gentleness; magnanimity; supporting one another; forgiving one another (just as the Lord forgave you);

Above all, holy and beloved…Love, which is the bond of perfection; let Christ’s peace rule in your heart; you are called in one body; and be thankful; let the word of Christ dwell richly in you; teaching and admonishing each other in wisdom, psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing in grace within your hearts to God; and whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in Christ’s name, giving thanks to God the Father.

This sounds wonderful, right?

What part of these would you disagree with?

Does it put pressure on you?

It should…because this is the section that precedes this…

Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they may not lose heart. (Colossians 3:18-21)

Again, this is in the context of:

No Greek or Judean

No Circumcised or Uncircumcised

No Barbarian or Scythian

No slave or free

Inner compassion; goodheartedness; humility; gentleness; magnanimity; supporting one another; forgiving one another (just as the Lord forgave you);

And if you feel like this is controversial…

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in all things, not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you may do, work from the soul, as for the Lord and not for people. Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the share of the inheritance. Serve the Lord Christ. For the one doing wrong will receive back what he did wrong, and there is no partiality. Masters, grant what is just and equal to your slaves, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. (Colossians 3:22-4:1)

SLAVES OBEY:

How many people are in slavery today?

The most widely used figures are the 2021 Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, produced jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free and the International Organization for Migration.

≈ 50 million people were living in situations of modern slavery on any given day in 2021.International Labour Organization+1

Of these:

≈ 28 million were in forced labour.

≈ 22 million were in forced marriage.

Modern slavery is present in almost every country and more than half of forced-labour cases and a quarter of forced marriages are in upper-middle or high-income countries.International Labour Organization

Within forced labour (28 million):International Labour Organization

17.3 million exploited in the private economy (agriculture, construction, domestic work, manufacturing, etc.)

6.3 million in forced commercial sexual exploitation

3.9 million in state-imposed forced labour (abusive prison labour, forced conscription, or forced work for economic development)

Victim profile (across modern slavery as a whole):International Labour Organization+1

Women and girls are the majority overall and overwhelmingly in forced marriage and sexual exploitation.

Children are about 12% of those in forced labour (≈3.3 million) and a large share of forced marriages.

Migrant workers have more than three times the risk of being in forced labour compared with non-migrants.

These are conservative estimates – by definition, hidden crimes are under-counted.

Religion and modern slavery

a. Is modern slavery tied to particular religions?

The major global estimates stress that modern slavery “cuts across ethnic, cultural and religious lines”.

Empirically:

High-prevalence countries include officially atheist states (North Korea, China), Muslim-majority states (Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan), Christian-majority states (Eritrea, some Latin American and African countries), Hindu-majority India, Buddhist-majority Myanmar, etc.

Within each country, both perpetrators and victims typically share the same broad religious background, simply because they come from the same society.

So the strongest predictors are not religion per se, but authoritarian politics, conflict, poverty, discrimination, and weak rule of law.

b. Historical and structural religious links

There are contexts where religious traditions intersect with exploitation:

In South Asia, caste hierarchies (historically associated with Hindu social order but now embedded in the wider culture, including among non-Hindus) strongly shape who ends up in bonded labour and other slavery-like practices.

In some regions, religious rhetoric is misused by traffickers or abusive leaders to demand obedience or to justify exploitation (“divinely ordained” hierarchies, etc.). These are abuses of religious authority, not mainstream doctrine.

NOW…

I have a lot I want to say about all of this…And I want to hold off for just a moment…

FOR THE ONE DOING WRONG:

Let’s look at some key words…

Wrongdoer: one who is unjust, and this is a key item in God’s eyes

One who does injustice is defined as wicked in scripture

Paid back: The one who receives what they give to others

You function with love, generosity, mercy…this is what you receive

Partiality: There is no distinction in God’s eyes

We already know this from the previous section (no Greek or Judean…)

Let me tell you the challenge in this verse:

If Paul is seriously writing to believers in Colossae, then how does this work…

Salvation is by grace through faith, yeah…

So when does this ‘pay back of wrongdoing’ happen?

You ever thought about that?

Imagine, you wake up to eternity to find you owe because of wrongdoing…

Theology tries to ignore this or explain it away…

Why make this warning?

MASTERS, TREAT YOUR:

So, the warning of Paul is to the masters

Those terms ‘just’ and ‘equal’ are vital

Why equal?

For as many of you as were immersed into the Anointed One, you clothed yourselves with the Anointed One. There is not Jew nor Greek, there is not slave nor free, there is not male and female, for you all are one in the Anointed One Jesus. And if you are of the Anointed One, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:27-29)

Notice the similar language we have seen throughout Colossians:

Clothe yourself

Not distinction

Heirs (inheritance language)

And that inheritance is conditional on obedience to the command of the LORD

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in all things, not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you may do, work from the soul, as for the Lord and not for people. Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the share of the inheritance. Serve the Lord Christ. For the one doing wrong will receive back what he did wrong, and there is no partiality. Masters, grant what is just and equal to your slaves, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. (Colossians 3:22-4:1)

Now, let’s talk about two common things I hear today (one is shocking)

First, I hear complaints that God did not explicitly ‘outlaw’ slavery

They are correct. There is no verse that says ‘thou shalt not own slaves’

To which I would say, “What is the point?”

It says “Do not murder” yet there is murder

“Do not steal” and people steal

“Do not commit adultery” and yet people do

“Anyone who injures a child would be better drown with a stone around their neck”

Yet, in the so called church we have predators who harm children

What does that tell us?

God could have said it in every verse from Genesis to Revelation and it would not matter

Humans are going to be humans

Second…and this one just, I don’t know what to do with this.

There is a loud minority of Christian’s who are pushing Nationalism

Who are making arguments from history that God is okay with people owning people

As long as it is done according to scripture

To which I ask, ‘Which scripture?’

Because the ‘slave bible’ strategically removed nearly 90% of the OT

And almost 50% of the NT

In the American south, the church controlled scripture, so you can just selectively preach the text

Not to mention that slave literacy was often illegal in many parts of the world

The trouble is that they don’t believe scripture

And the kings of the earth, the ones who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her (Babylon), will weep and beat themselves in mourning over her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing from a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon the strong city, because in one hour your judgment came.”

And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any longer, cargo of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls, and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and all scented wood, and every ivory vessel, and every vessel of most costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfumed ointment and frankincense, and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat, and cattle and sheep, and horses and chariots, and bodies, that is, souls of humans. (Revelation 18:9-13)

For those who say, ‘Why didn’t God fix this,’ the answer is:

He will. It will come when the systems and governments of the heavens and earth come to an end

For those who say, ‘God has established this system,’ the answer is:

God did not ever establish this system where an image of God can own an image of God

Slavery is, at its core, idolatry. You are ‘owning’ and idol, an image of the Living God

Moreover, God did not ‘create’ slavery just to ‘destroy’ it.

Let’s be really clear: If you are a loyal believer in God the Father through Jesus Christ, then you are agreeing to do this.

I am not going to sugarcoat it for us.

Not for wives, not for husbands, not for children

Not for slaves nor free

Scripture calls us to sacrifice, every disciple, follower of Jesus is called to GIVE UP something

Everyone is called to OBEY God, without exception

If you are going to do anything in the Name

Relationships - Part 2