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Philippians and Philemon: Prison Epistles, Part 2

  1. Lesson One
    Overview of Philippians (Philippians 1–4)
    22 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  2. Lesson Two
    Philippians: Suffering and Community (Philippians Review)
    22 Activities
  3. Lesson Three
    Overview of Philemon
    22 Activities
  4. Lesson Four
    Paul and Slavery (Philemon, Romans 6 Review)
    17 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  5. Lesson Five
    Social Impact
    9 Activities
    |
    4 Assessments
  6. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

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Grab your Workbook Journal!

[Record your answers in the workbook provided at the beginning of this course.]

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 
1 Corinthians 9:19 NIV

1. Paul uses the language of slavery in a wide variety of ways and contexts, as one of his more common metaphors. Identify each reference to slavery below as either a positive or negative. 

Verses referencing slaveryPositive or negative?
Romans 8:15
Romans 6:18 
Titus 3:3 
Romans 6:22 
1 Corinthians 9:19 
Galatians 4:8 
1 Corinthians 7:23 
Romans 7:25
View the following completed table to see the balance in Paul’s references to slavery.

Verses referencing slavery

Positive or negative?

Romans 8:15

Negative

Romans 6:18

Positive

Titus 3:3

Negative

Romans 6:22

Positive

1 Corinthians 9:19

Positive

Galatians 4:8

Negative

1 Corinthians 7:23

Negative

Romans 7:25

Positive

In Paul’s negative references to slavery, he speaks of bondage to things like sin and the law. In the positive uses, he refers to bondage to the will of God and paradoxical freedom in Christ.

The simplest takeaway from Paul’s use of the language of slavery may just be that it’s very nuanced. For Paul, slavery is a complicated term. As we’ll find over the course of this lesson, this nuance is a good entry point into the broader conversation regarding slavery in Paul and the rest of the Bible.

Reference: Lars Kierspel, Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul, 2012, p. 202.