Tuesday Contradictions: Matthew 22:39 – Does God Approve of Slavery? Unpacking a Tough Question

Episode 272 examines the difficult charge that the Bible endorses slavery by distinguishing ancient biblical servitude from modern chattel slavery, reviewing key Old and New Testament passages, and noting protections and limits found in Scripture. The episode also connects the biblical trajectory toward human dignity with the church’s role in opposing historical and contemporary forms of slavery, including human trafficking and forced labor. References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following: buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith  The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com  Skeptics Annotated Bible: https://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/slavery.html  Apologetics Canada. Does the Bible Endorse Slavery? YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qemsox_PlCo CARM. Does the Bible Approve of Slavery? https://carm.org/does-the-bible-approve-of-slavery Global Slavery Index 2023. Walk Free Foundation. https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/ Mako A. Nagasawa. Slavery in the Bible and Slavery Today. New Humanity Institute. http://www.newhumanityinstitute.org/pdfs/article-slavery-in-the-bible.pdf Midtown Columbia. Does God Condone Slavery? https://midtowncolumbia.com/blog/does-god-condone-slavery Gavin Ortlund. "Is the Bible Pro-Slavery?" The Gospel Coalition, July 2, 2024. Skeptics Annotated Bible. Does God Approve of Slavery? https://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/slavery.html U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report (annual edition). https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/ United Nations and International Labour Organization. Global Estimates of Modern Slavery. Human Rights Watch. Reports on slavery and human trafficking in Mauritania and Libya. https://www.hrw.org/ BBC News. Investigative reporting on slavery in Libya and Mauritania. https://www.bbc.com/  Hochschild, Adam. Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves. Houghton Mifflin, 2005. Copan, Paul. Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God. Baker Books, 2011.