# Slaves and Employment



## satz (Sep 10, 2007)

The various passages regarding servants and slaves in Ephesians, Colossians, etc, are often used today to set out the duties of christian employees (an application with which I agree).

How would you answer someone who said those passages deal only with slaves and hence have no application to modern employment? (obviously we understand that there are some differences).


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## RamistThomist (Sep 10, 2007)

reinstate indentured servitude, probably


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## Anton Bruckner (Sep 10, 2007)

1.The book of James gives us insight into first century employment of how the rich would abuse their employees. This was condemned.

2. In the book of genesis we find Jacob's sons who were employed sons and not slaves were slothful in their duties, whereby on the contrary Joseph was faithful in all the doings of his father and was justly and rightly honored with the coat of many colors. It is with this same work ethic that Joseph was able to become the chief servant in Potiphar's house and in the prison.

3. We also have the case of Ruth and Naomi that labored faithfully after they returned from Moab, and God blessed her faithfulness with giving her Boaz.

4. The Book of Proverbs and Dueteronomy tells us that we should not have unbalanced weights and that we should pay our workers what we owe them since, "they have set their hearts on it".


Summing up, the relationship between employers and employees is set down conceptually in scripture and not necessarily explicitly. The servant or worker must labor faithfully in all his doings and the master or the employer must readily pay the agreed upon wages.


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