The Hebrew Scriptures (AKA the Old Testament) - How Important Is It?

[2timothy316]

We as Jehovah's Witnesses are currently reading the book of Leviticus worldwide. Which contains much of the Mosaic Law and its importance to our understanding of God's will. My wife the other day, who was raised baptist, made a comment to me how upset she was that she was never taught anything from or about the Hebrew Scriptures growing up. She is amazed at the world's lack of knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Are the Hebrew Scriptures important?

[Miles]

1) The Bible condones slavery

No it does not.

Then please explain:

Leviticus 25:44-46
As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you. You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land, and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your brothers the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly.

TO CONDONE
transitive verb

: to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless

One can only condone something if it is "something bad or blameworthy", since slavery of itself is neither, the bible cannot accurately be said to "condone" it.

Might want to revisit my previous answer above, AND ask slaves if slavery is good (not bad) or blameless (not blameworthy).

.................


............... ...

Abusive, oppressive slavery is bad. Slavery is not.

Ah ha, moving the goal posts again are we. But let me ask you, other than someone into B&D, whom do you know who would choose to be a slave; be the actual property of someone else? AND work for slave wages? No one? Maybe crazy uncle Charlie, you say? The reason extremely few people become slaves is that it's an undesirable existence, which god, in a moment of compassion, does recognize and therefore limits the enslavement of his favored people, the Israelites.

Exodus 21:2
2 “If you buy a Hebrew slave, then that slave will serve for only six years. After six years, he will be free, and he will have to pay nothing.

Note god's direct order: ". . . then that slave will serve for . . . ." God knows what the score is. There's no "can serve," or "may serve," but WILL serve," recognizing that the slave owner need not put up with any gold-bricking.


,

[JehovahsWitness]

1) The Bible condones slavery

No it does not.

TO CONDONE
transitive verb

: to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless

One can only condone something if it is "something bad or blameworthy", since slavery of itself is neither, the bible cannot accurately be said to "condone" it.

Might want to revisit my previous answer above

No thank you, I think my answers have fully covered all the relevant issues.



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[Miles]

1) The Bible condones slavery

No it does not.

TO CONDONE
transitive verb

: to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless

One can only condone something if it is "something bad or blameworthy", since slavery of itself is neither, the bible cannot accurately be said to "condone" it.

Might want to revisit my previous answer above

No thank you, I think my answers have fully covered all the relevant issues.

I'm sure you do, more's the pity.

But have a good day anyway.

.

[Revelations won]

To all respondents<

I think we should be careful to not take verses out of context. I see there are those who quote 21:2 as describing slaves. The scripture actually reads as follows:

Exodus 21:2 If thou buy and Hebrew servant , six years till he serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. The scripture does not use the word slave.

While the laws of that land may have upheld servitude at that time as acceptable, it is also clear that a servant, according to the law of God must be allowed to go free in the seventh year. Thus the lords law given to the Hebrew's actually provided a means of freedom. The laws of the country may have not permitted such avenue for release of servitude.

The above are items we should consider.

Best regards,
RW

[Revelations won]

To all respondents,

We consider the Old Testament as every bit important as the New Testament.

If it was so very important to Jesus and the Apostles to quote from the old testament, then how much more important should it be for all of us today to search and fully understand the OT?

The Bible clearly states that all scripture is important for doctrine and instruction.

Should we accept and believe all of God words to us or just the ones we may pick and choose?

Do we have any right to reject any scripture just because we do not understand or accept it?

Are we justified in being to careless or apathetic or treating lightly the precious word s God has given us directly or through his prophets?

The Lord has given us line upon line and precept upon precept for thousands of years.

Is God a changing or unchanging being.

Or is it a problem we have created by disbelief and refusal on our part to accept new revelation?

Has mankind as a whole ruled that God cannot reveal anything new to us today?

What right do we as mortals have to place a “Gag Order” upon our creator in our day?

What happened to “One Lord one faith and one baptism”?

It seems very self evident that mortals have by their “private” interpretation of the scriptures have created literally thousands of different churches with various manmade creeds and doctrines.

Kind regards,
RW

[onewithhim]

[Replying to Miles in post #6]
Are you a southern white person speaking for yourself or are you trying to speak behalf of all southern white people?

Good grief!

I'm a "northern white person" speaking about what the bible says, and what historians have told us:

1) The Bible condones slavery

2) Southerns who had the inclination and wherewithal to own slaves morally justified it by using passages from the Bible.


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You would benefit from a deeper study of what the Bible says about slavery. For good answers, go to the website www.jw.org and type the subject in the box at the upper right corner.