Paul never endorsed slavery. Like everything else in Scripture, it has to be seen in the context of the culture of the time, when there were slaveholders and slaves. You are correct in that Paul makes no effort to condemn the institution of slavery. On the contrary, he urges followers of Christ to work around it and within it. To Timothy, he writes: “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.” (I Timothy 6:1, KJV). In other words, Christian slaves need to honor their masters, so they can bring credit to Jesus in their testimony.
Sexual immorality of any type is a sin. You can sugar-coat it as much as you want, but you have to realize that God wants us to move away from sin and toward the perfection found in Jesus. My wife and I broke God’s law by living together before we got married. We realize now that was a sin and we have confessed that sin, and asked for God’s forgiveness. We’re not perfect; nobody is. But that’s no reason to just throw away God’s law.
God, from the beginning (Genesis) defined only two genders (male and female) and marriage as between one man and one woman. If you want to argue about this, don’t take it up with me. Take it up with God.
If you accept Paul's criticism of men lying together, you also have to accept his endorsement of slavery. If you accept leviticus criticism of men lying together, you also have to not wear mixed fabrics, stone your children, never shave or eat shellfish.
Paul never endorsed slavery. Like everything else in Scripture, it has to be seen in the context of the culture of the time, when there were slaveholders and slaves. You are correct in that Paul makes no effort to condemn the institution of slavery. On the contrary, he urges followers of Christ to work around it and within it. To Timothy, he writes: “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.” (I Timothy 6:1, KJV). In other words, Christian slaves need to honor their masters, so they can bring credit to Jesus in their testimony.
Sexual immorality of any type is a sin. You can sugar-coat it as much as you want, but you have to realize that God wants us to move away from sin and toward the perfection found in Jesus. My wife and I broke God’s law by living together before we got married. We realize now that was a sin and we have confessed that sin, and asked for God’s forgiveness. We’re not perfect; nobody is. But that’s no reason to just throw away God’s law.
God, from the beginning (Genesis) defined only two genders (male and female) and marriage as between one man and one woman. If you want to argue about this, don’t take it up with me. Take it up with God.
If you accept Paul's criticism of men lying together, you also have to accept his endorsement of slavery. If you accept leviticus criticism of men lying together, you also have to not wear mixed fabrics, stone your children, never shave or eat shellfish.