Slaves or Siblings? Shaking the Downside Up!

This post is an assigned response to Paul Louis Metzger’s post, The Crucified God Confronts Gendercide in which he engages Elizabeth Gerhardt and her book The Cross and Gendercide: A Theological Response to Global Violence Against Women and Girls. As I have worked my way through this doctoral program, my eyes have been opened in a rather uncomfortable way to the terrible injustices of the past that contributed to our white dominant culture lifestyle and also to the hidden oppressions that surround us still—including racism in its various incarnations from slavery to mass incarceration, the genocide of Native Americans, human trafficking (especially of women and girls) in addition to the gendercidal war on girls, to name a few. So much objectification—treating people created in the image of God as though they were mere objects in the way of our expansive greed. How could the Lord continue to delay his return to judge the earth? He is for us. It is his mercy that has stayed his hand (2 Peter 3:9). 
Much of what we have read has been rightfully heavy and heartbreaking. Jesus knows something about that as he carried the full weight of our sin on the cross where his heart was broken at our inhuman injustice to each other. He is for us. Even though we don’t deserve it. 
Dr. Metzger, invoking Luther’s theology, writes,

"The theology of the cross that gives rise to this doctrine of justification by faith removes the idols of self-justification/works righteousness. As we ascend to Christ in faith because of the outpouring of God’s love into our hearts (Romans 5:5), we are free to descend to our neighbor in love." (See Luther’s early Reformation treatise, “Freedom of a Christian”) There is no need for self-concern. Like God who is for us, we are now free to exist for others, especially those who are marginalized. It follows from God’s glorious revelation hidden in Christ’s humble and marginalized human state that we will find God revealed especially in the margins among the oppressed. 

What a powerful passage. Now because of the work of Christ, we no longer have to think about ourselves—because he is for us in ways better than we could ever manage. Being free of the drive to satisfy the boundless greed of the unregenerate self (James 4:1-3) we are free to finally serve others in love.

I recently posted an article on my pastoral blog from a message based on Colossians 3:22-4:1 entitled, Whatever: Our Work Belongs to God which addressed the idea of “descending to our neighbor in love.” Because of the transforming love of Christ, all our relationships should be transformed as well. Written into the specific culture of the Greco-Roman world, it describes a passage that is no less revolutionary today. It pushes everyone’s buttons—wives, husbands, children, parents, slaves, and masters alike. These last few verses speak to the relationship in Colossae between masters and bondservants (slaves) in the household and in the church. I would like to use part of that post here as well.

²²  Bondservants, 

       obey in everything

           those who are your earthly masters, 

       not by way of eye-service,

                              as people-pleasers,

       but with sincerity of heart,

                                         fearing the Lord. 

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, 

                                           as for the Lord

                and not for men,

                    ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord 

                    you will receive the inheritance as your reward. 

                    You are serving        the Lord Christ. 

²⁵ For the wrongdoer will be paid back

     for the wrong he has done,

                   and there is no partiality.

^4:1 Masters,

         treat your bondservants

                                       justly and fairly,

         knowing that you also have

 a Master in heaven.

While the New Testament is not primarily about social justice advocacy, we do see the inside-out working of the gospel, quickly impacting the economic and spiritual structures of evil. Paul’s exorcism of a demonized slave girl led her masters to stir up quite a bit of trouble in Philippi,

But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.

“The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.” (Acts 16:19-24)

In the following chapter of Acts, we see the early followers of Jesus being described by jealous men, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” (Acts 17:6-7) Were they trying to turn the world upside down? Probably not… but the gospel, when given free rein, has a way of shaking the downside up.

One more such incident occurred in Ephesus when the idol-making guilds rioted because so many people were turning to Christ that it was really hurting their business (Acts 19:21-41). Followers of Christ lived their lives with new hope and purpose and they didn’t buy silver idols (even as a hedge against the volatile market), or books on magic, nor did their teachings allow them to use those trafficked to the temples (prostitutes). Instead, they rescued infant girls that had been exposed (left to die in the elements). Turning from self-serving and power-hungry magic and idols of objectification, they turned the world upside down. Believers burned their own books of magic, not because they were required to do so, but because they rejected their premise and goal and would not wish that kind of bondage on anyone else. They had found something better—more life-giving, more hope-filled, more love-saturated—serving Jesus Christ by caring for others. Have we been so changed?

I have been moved recently by Paul’s short letter to a master named Philemon, who lived in Colossae, advocating on behalf of an escaped slave and thief (Onesimus) who had later come to faith under Paul’s ministry. We should not consider the passage in Colossians 3, about bondservants and masters, without reading the backstory to these commands. It can be found in Philemon 1:8-20. After initial greetings, Paul gets right to the point,

      Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)  I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

     So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.  I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

Paul didn’t write a sweeping condemnation of the cultural practice of slavery but planted the seed for a new way of looking at it. Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, but made it clear that he should treat him as more than a slave, even as a beloved brother (v.16), receiving him as he would receive Paul himself (v.17). Paul graciously used all his relational capital to bring reconciliation between master and slave. Paul worked within the cultural context, but through his advocacy using subversive kingdom values, the Spirit brought a profound change throughout the Christian community. It is amazing to me that Onesimus the returned slave (with Tychicus) probably delivered this letter along with letters to the Colossians, Laodiceans, and Ephesians. He had indeed become useful (his name means “useful”).

I hope you can see how this pun-filled letter (the Greek text contains several) of directions to a Christian in Colossae completely turned the slave-based economy upside-down by Paul’s simple, yet profound, identification of the slave Onesimus as “beloved brother”, “my child”, and “my very heart.” He made a very strong case for Onesimus to be set free to return and assist him in the ministry but gave Philemon the freedom to do the right thing without being compelled by Paul. The love of Christ took care of that!

Let me finish this post by turning my own customs upside down and giving the final words to Dr. Metzger,

“As I come to understand more fully the radical good news that God is for us (pro nobis) and not against us, even though we were once his enemies, I will give myself more fully to the care of others as a response of gratitude to God and free exercise of the divine love.

   May God increase the church’s confidence in God’s radical, gracious love…   

   May we, the church, not stand aloof as we hear the cry of the victims of violence and sexual abuse…

   May we enter their nightmare with the hope-filled advocacy grounded in faith in the all-powerful, gracious, and costly love of the crucified and risen Jesus. Our Jesus is their victor.”