Langdon Palmer

Today we get some practical advise about parents and children but then we jump into deep waters when Paul addresses the relationship between household slaves and their masters in the ancient world. Why doesn’t Paul take a much stronger stance against the evil of slavery ? Is the bible a source of oppression or the very thing that produces freedom ? We dig into the cultural background, the trajectory of the bible, and Paul’s goals in writing this letter to get the answer. We find ourselves asking the question that every Christian in every age must ask: “Am I living more like the people around me, uncritically accepting the values of my culture, or more like a radical follower of Jesus? Am I truly counter-cultural in my willingness to forgive those who hurt me, love those who are my enemies, and pray for those who persecute me ?”