THE SABBATICAL LIFE God, who finds His pleasure in referring Himself to the orphans, the widows, and those castaways; presents His Law for the sake of transforming everyone’s life into a Sabbatical life; namely, all his life would become “a Sabbath for the Lord.” He wishes to transform our life into a true rest in Him. The poor would find his rest in God; and the rich would enjoy the same life. The Holy Bible has already dealt with the Sabbatical year (Exodus 23:10; Leviticus 25:1-7). In this chapter he clarifies that those in debt, and cannot pay their debts back, are not to be denied the benefit of the Sabbatical year. This does not mean that the debt is altogether cancelled, but those who are unable to pay would be remitted. He also spoke of setting the Hebrew slave free (Exodus 21:2-10); and of piercing the ear of the Hebrew slave who choose to accept slavery by his own free will. 1. The Sabbatical year 1–6. 2. Caring for the poor 7–11. 3. The Hebrew slave 12–18. 4. The firstlings 19–23. 1- THE SABBATICAL YEAR As the holy life does not stop at special practices, but touches our relationships with ourselves, with God, and with other people; that is why the statute of the “the year of the remission of debts” came to reveal God’s care; and that of His children, for those in debt, who are unable to pay back; remitting what they owe for the sake of the Lord Himself; also for those in need; and for the slaves who had no one to care for them. “Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts. And this is the manner of the remission: every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because the Lord’s remission has been proclaimed” (Deut. 15:1, 2) (1) The Lord, being God of all; referring Himself to the needy and the suffering, presents to them the statute of the Sabbath of remission (of the seventh year); by which he reveals the extent of His care for His children. Counting himself as the one in debt for his brother, He insists on the remission of the needy of their debts in the Sabbatical year “by the end of the seventh year;” and calls it “the remission of the Lord.”(2). (2) God intends to set all the days of our life as a joyful Sabbath, and rest in Him. In every week He sets a Sabbath to the Lord; namely, “the day of the Lord,” in which He proclaimed His rest after creating the world in the first six days. Having created man in the sixth day He had rest, wishing to introduce this rest of love to His beloved man in the seventh day. But after the divine Word came and recreated us, through raising us from the dead together with Him, and the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in us, He made Sunday a Sabbath for Himself and for us; making it a “day of the Lord,” which transforms all the days of our life into a life, holy, and resurrected in the Lord. Every seven years He sets the seventh year, as a year for the Lord, to bless all the years of our life; and every 50 years (7×7=49) He sets a joyful Jubilee in the Lord. Namely, God always sets for us, every possible chance to enjoy our life as a feast and rest for the Lord. By saying “a remission for the Lord.” He proclaims that all what the believers practice, of celebrating feasts, giving, 7 or remissions, are all in the name of the Lord and for His sake; as though the believer, in all his inner thoughts and his behaviors, lives in the Lord. How wonderful is the expression “a year of remission for the Lord;” as it refers to the work of the Lord Christ who proclaimed “the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:19); having come to “bring good news to the poor, and to proclaim release to the captives” (Luke 4:18; Isaiah 58:6). He came to us, the poor, the burdened with debts, to reconcile us with God, freely with His blood (2 Corinthians 5:20). All God’s children since Adam were looking forward to “the year of the remission for the Lord;” and descending to Hades, our Christ encountered with thousands and tens of thousands of fathers, prophets, priests, and people; young and old, anticipating Him, who, alone will pay back their debts, and will bring them over to enjoy the year of remission for the Lord. (3) As the Sabbath or rest of the Lord is in His remitting our souls of the debt, brought upon us through our sins, and in paying for it by giving up His life for our sake; it is fitting for us to pay His love back by our love toward our brethren; by forgiving their faults against us; and by remitting them all their debts. (4) So, as not to abuse this privilege, he says: “Of a foreigner you may exact it, but you must remit your claim on whatever any member of your community owes you” (3). It is not unjust to exact the foreigner to pay back his debt, because, as a stranger living in Canaan, who does not own land, but subsists on trade or craft; and does not loose his income in the year of remission, the way a Jew does, he is therefore committed to pay back what he owes. Some believe that the remission is confined to the Sabbatical year alone, after which the debtor resumes paying back his debt; on the assumption that, firstly, during the Sabbatical year, no one works on his land, and accordingly, there is no crop to be sold to pay back debts. And secondly, that, if the debt is to be remitted altogether, it would end up that no one will be going to lend anyone, for fear of loosing their money once the Sabbatical year is there. The word “remit” in Hebrew means “forsake;” namely, the creditor forsakes the debt that is in the debtor’s hand; the way the land is forsaken with no agriculture in that year. (5) God allows for the poor and the debtors to be there among His people; yet within limits: “except when there may be no poor among you” (4). As there will be a remission every seven years, there would be among them, no one extremely poor, or utterly miserable. The poor would, together with the rich, practice the life of thanksgiving; The rich would rejoice as he gives and remits; counting it, as though he is doing it to the person of the Lord Himself. And the poor and the debtor would also rejoice, as he sees the loving Lord proclaimed and transfigured in the acts of the rich and creditors. Some believe that, by saying: “except when there may be no poor among you” (4), he confirms that remission is not general, but is confined to the needy and the poor; on the assumption that the goal of the Sabbatical year is not for the debtors to abuse their creditors, but for keeping the poor from extreme poverty. (6) Seeking from the creditors to remit their debtors; the Lord commits Himself to make up for their loss: “Because the Lord is sure to bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession to occupy, if only you would obey the Lord your God by diligently observing this entire commandment that I command you today When the Lord your God has blessed you, as He promised you, you will lend 8 to many nations, but you will not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you” (Deut 15:4-6) He does not command the rich to remit for nothing; but rewards them with greater wealth, power, and authority; yet not on the expense of their brethren, but as far as foreigners are concerned. The apostle Paul showing his care for the giver as well as for the receiver, says: “I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but it is a question of (equality… As it is written: ‘He who gathered much had nothing leftover, and he who gathered little had no lack’”(2 Corinthians 8:13, 15). (7) As the land was given to the people as a free gift from God, who intends for them to have wealth and freedom, it is fitting for them not to let their poor debtors be in poverty and humiliation; according to the proverb: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave of the lender” (Proverb 22:7). (8) So that the rich would not stop lending the poor, his command of remission applies only to the seventh year, after making sure that the debtor is truly unable to pay back his debt; beside the fact that God makes up for every loss. (9) The statute concerning the Sabbatical year, in which a “remission for the Lord” is set, came as a practical lesson for forsaking the greed or the love of money, being a kind of idolatry. And as the apostle Paul says: “Be sure of this, that no… greedy (that is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5); and: “Put to death therefore, whatever in you is earthy…. And greed (which is idolatry)” (Colossians 3:5). It is fitting for man to work, not to treasure for himself, but to give others: “but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28). Actually this statute concerning the remission of the poor debtors has been like a proclamation of ‘brotherhood’ among all the believers in the One God. It is based on the fact that, as God is the Father of all, and His nature is the forgiveness of sins; so whoever forgives his brother, is worthy of God’s forgiveness. The Lord Christ gives a demonstration of this by His parable of the one who owed ten thousand talents, and was remitted by his creditor, yet when he refused to remit his fellow slave who owed him a hundred denarii; the creditor cancelled his prior remission and exacted him to pay back his debt of ten thousand talents (Matthew 18). The wise Solomon says: “One who gives water will get water” (Proverb 11:25). Whoever waters the others by his love, will be watered by the greater love of God. 2. CARING FOR THE POOR “If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or right-fisted toward you needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission is near,’ and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing, your neighbor might cry to the Lord against you and you would incur guilt. Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you undertake. Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land’” (Deut. 15:7-11) If we count what came in this chapter as the Lord’s ‘Program for the poor;’ the way most of the countries of the world do; yet God brought us into the roots of the 9 problem. Many so-called socialist systems claim that they could eliminate altogether the existence of extremely poor citizens in their society. Advanced capitalistic countries likewise, create special programs for the needy1. However, in the same city in both systems, we find extremely rich as well as extremely poor citizens. God, on the other hand, proclaims “Do not be hard-hearted… Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought (in your heart)” (Deut. 15:7, 8); as the problem of the vast material gap between the different categories of people, lies in the heart, which is corrupted by sin; and there will be no cure by any system, unless the heart changes and is renewed through rejecting the sin: (1) Through love, we are committed to give or to lend according to our own conditions and to the need of others. “Do not be hard-hearted” (7); the alms comes from the heart, the same way as God’s gifts come from His loving heart. (2) God caring to sanctify us and to conform our depths to our external behavior, advises us: “Do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor” (7); because if you do, you would reveal the inner hardness of your heart; as “when clouds are full, they empty rain on the earth” (Ecclesiastes 11:3). When we have faith, our hands give liberally; and according to the apostle James: “If a brother or sister is naked, and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?” (James 2:15, 16) He warns the rich against refraining to give loans, saying: “Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission is near,’ and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility, and give him nothing” (Deut. 15:9) He warns us against entertaining hidden thoughts coming out of a corrupt heart. It is not enough to be careful against misbehaving, but to have corrupt depths. The ‘unhealthy or evil eye’ here is contrary to the ‘healthy or simple eye’ blessed by the Lord Christ (Matthew 6:22; Luke 11:34). The summit of virtue, and the foundation of all the commandments of God, is to combine loving God to loving the neighbor (Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27). Whoever loves God, does not despise his neighbor; and does not prefer wealth to him, but would give him liberally, having in mind the words of the Savior: “Truly, I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). He would realize that the God of all counts what is done to comfort the poor, as though is done to Him personally. One should not look at the humble appearance of the poor, but should look at the greatness of Him who considers what is given to the poor, as though is given personally to Him2. St. John Chrysostom (3) By saying “The Lord your God will bless you” (10), he confirms that the creditor who remit the debt owed to him by the poor, with a pure heart full of love for God, will loose nothing; as his whole life will become a ‘blessing.’ God will bless him in all his work, and in all that he undertakes. Seeing the Lord Himself in his debtor, the creditor will become as though a bearer of the Lord in himself. God will bless him, and everything he touches will be blessed; and wherever he goes, the blessing of the Lord working in him will be on everything around him. (4) Some people may refrain from lending others, especially when the seventh year is close, counting it as wise; seeking what is his and disregarding what is God’s 1 Cf. J. Vernon McGee: Deuteronomy, ch. 15. 2 Homilies on Genesis, hom. 55. 10 and others;’ according to the words of the Psalmist: “Though while he lives he blesses himself (for men will praise you when you do well for yourself)”(Psalm 49:18). But “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). And His gift for the generous giver is according to the prophet Isaiah: “The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden” (Isaiah 58:11). (5) The divine commandment warns us against disregarding the poor and the needy; because when they cry out, God will hear their voices filled with bitterness. The New Testament warned us in Matthew 25:31-46, saying that he who disregards the poor, will loose the eternal inheritance; as what he does is directed against God Himself. The apostle James warns us against treating the poor laborers unjustly, saying: “The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts” (James 5:4). And the apostle John says: “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?” (1 John 3:17). Of the gifts given by God to His people, is the existence of poor among them; so that their hands may stretch with love toward them, to gain the blessing of giving, and to enjoy the work of God with them: “There will never cease to be some in need on the earth” (11). The existence of poor or needy among us is a chance for us to open up our hearts with love, and our hands with giving (15:11). The Lord Christ says: “You always have the poor with you” (John 12:8). It is a blessing for the rich to have a chance to give with their whole heart; and for the poor to lift up their heart with thanksgiving to God, the Grantor of love. The serious difference of life standards and the existence of extreme poverty is a fruit of our sins and of the corruption of our hearts. Knowing that sin would always be in the present world, and that there would never cease to be people in need, the Lord confirms the need to sanctify the heart; and to do what we possibly can to the poor; and to lift up by love that horrible and cruel gap between the rich and the poor. 3. THE HEBREWSLAVE “If a member of your community, whether a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, and works for you six years, in the seventh year you shall set that person free” (Deut. 15:12) The people were called to freedom; so if someone had to sell himself, or be sold, as a slave; he is not committed to be a slave all his life, but will be set free on the seventh year or during the year of the Jubilee, whichever is nearer (Exodus 21:2). John Newton, a former slave broker before his conversion, hanged this verse on the wall of his office, to remind him of his personal debt toward humanity. Defending the virginity of St. Mary, the Mother of God, St. Jerome clarified that those called the brothers of Jesus, were His cousins, children of Mary, the sister of His mother; and that was according to the custom of the Jews who used to call the relatives as brothers; referring to the Book of Deuteronomy (15:12; 17:15; 22:1)1. “And when you send a male slave out from you a free person, you shall not send him out empty handed. Provide liberally out of your flock, your threshing floor, and your wine press, thus giving to him some of the bounty, with which the Lord your God has blessed you. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; and for this reason I lay this 1 St. Jerome: The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary, 10. 11 command upon you today. But if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you, because he loves you and your household, since he is well off with you, then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his earlobe into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. You shall do the same with your female slave. Do not consider it a hardship when you send them out from you free persons, because for six years they have given you services worth the wages of hired laborers; and the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do” (Deut. 15:13-18) When the master is asked to set his slaves free, it is fitting for him not to consider it as a great favor on his part; as he is actually paying back what he owes to the Lord who brought him and his fathers out of the land of Egypt, and gave them on their departure, much gold, beside limitless blessings. The believer now, is asked to pay back that divine debt, to free his brother slave, and to give him, together with his freedom, plenty of gifts. Remission of a slave on the seventh year of his servitude is not a gratuity from the master to his male or female slave; but everyone has a natural right to live free, and nobody has the right to confiscate his freedom. The six years during which the slave works, is a natural commitment to work, and not to lose the freedom granted to him or her by God. Yet, if the slave chooses to stay in his master’s house, not out of need, nor of lack of another job, but because he loves him and his household, his earlobe will be pierced into the door as a sign, not of servitude, but of love. He, with his complete freedom prefers the servitude melded with love over the freedom that would separate him from his beloved master! Love gives this optional servitude an exalted taste of sweetness! Although verses 16 and 17 reveal to us that slavery was allowed in Israel, yet the slaves there were happy in most cases; and the laws were supporting them. The term ‘female slave” (17), applies to the women who give themselves up for service, as it was the case with the men already mentioned. But it does not apply to those sold as female concubines, mentioned in (Exodus 21:7). 4. THE FIRSTLINGS “Every firstling male born of your herd and flock you shall consecrate to the Lord your God; you shall not do work with your firstling ox nor shear the firstling of your flock. You shall eat it, you together with your household, in the presence of the Lord your God year by year at the place that the lord will choose. But if it has any defect – any serious defect, such as lameness or blindness – you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God; within your towns you may eat it, the clean and the unclean alike, as you would a gazelle or deer. Its blood, however, you must not eat; you shall pour it out on the ground like water” (Deut. 15:19-23) This subject was already dealt with in (Exodus 13:1, 15; 11:30; Numbers 13:17, 18). If God has redeemed every firstborn of His people, and did not let them perish together with those of the Egyptians by the tenth plague (Exodus 13:11-16); that is why it is fitting for them to offer the firstlings of their herds and flocks, as a sign of consecration of everything they have for the Lord (19-23). God, being perfect in purity and holiness, will accept from His people’s hands no sacrifice with a defect, especially that it is a shadow of the sacrifice of Christ who is blameless and without sin. Every defect in any sacrifice, makes it unfit as an offering for the forgiveness of sins, but would add, upon the sinner, another sin of not keeping the commandment. About the sacrifice of Christ it was said: “For if the blood of goats and bulls 12 with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God?!” (Hebrew 0:14) The Lord Christ offers Himself as a sacrifice without blemish, so as to bring to Himself His Church, redeemed by His blood, “without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind – yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). That is why the apostle Peter advises us, saying: “Strive to be found by Him at peace, without spot or blemish” (2 Peter 3:14). This is the work of the Savior Himself, who, according to the apostle Jude: “is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of His glory with rejoicing” (Jude v. 24). It is also said about those redeemed in their heavenly glory: “In their mouth no lie was found” (Revelation 14:5). As we unite with Christ Jesus, our slain Lord, who is without blemish, we bear His righteousness, to become in the sight of God the Father, without blemish; presenting our lives, given up together with that of our Christ, as a sacrifice of love and thanksgiving, united with the sacrifice of Christ. When ‘Laiita’ asked St. Jerome to give her an advice for the best way to raise up her daughter ‘Paula’ (given her grandmother’s name), he presented to her the following text, that she should present her daughter as a pure offering to the Lord without blemish: [I speak generally; but in your case, you have no choice; as you have already offered your daughter, even before conception. Whoever offers a sacrifice with a certain serious defect like lameness or blindness, is committing a crime of uncleanness, how much more would be the punishment of her, who, after being ready to offer a part of her body and the purity of her blameless soul to the kisses of the king; then becomes slothful in her offering?1] If we care for the land (agriculture), for the poor, and for the slaves; we are, above all, committed to care for the house of God, by offering the firstlings that are without blemish to the Lord (see 13:1, 2; 34:19, 20; Leviticus 27:26-29; Numbers 18:15-19). We should offer firstlings of cows and sheep without defect as sacrifices of peace; whereas those with certain defects may be slaughtered in our houses. These firstlings are shadows of the true Firstborn Jesus Christ, the One with no blemish, who was offered for the whole humanity, as a sacrifice of peace for God His Father, who received it as a scent of pleasure for all of us. 1 St. Jerome: Letter 107:7. 13 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY (Chapter 15) LET MY WHOLE LIFE BE A SABBATH FOR YOU Having created man on the sixth day; The seventh day became a Sabbath for You. In man You have found Your comfort and pleasure. You granted man Your Sabbath to give him rest Let my whole life becomes a Sabbath for You, O the Source of every rest! Finding Your comfort in the needy and the heavily burdened; You command me to care for every needy and suffering. To be compassionate toward them for Your sake. To remit every needy debtor. You are ready to pay back; To make up for every sacrifice I do on my part. By Your precious blood, You have paid back all my debts. Grant me to remit every material debt for Your sake. You have become a Brother for me; I, who am unworthy to be Your slave. Grant me to receive every poor as my brother in the Lord. Having consented for me to be Your slave; You have brought me to the gates of Your heaven; And opened up my ears to hear Your voice. You have received me as a blessed child; As Your partner in the eternal glory. You have granted me everything. I shall offer You, of what is Yours, the tithes and firstlings. Receive my offering, which is actually Your gift! I get ashamed when I see the Grantor of everything, stretching His hand to receive my offering. The glory is Yours, O You who give me the favor of receiving my offering. 14 ANNEX TO CHAPTER 15 SLAVERY IN THE HOLY BIBLE AND IN THE SAYINGS OF THE EARLY FATHERS1 CONCEPT OF SLAVERY A slave is a person committed to be enslaved by another person, and to work for him without freedom, and almost with no human rights of his own. A slave is described as “the owner’s property” (Exodus 21:21); like a piece of furniture, evaluated for a certain price, with which the master can do whatever he wishes; and that he can leave as inheritance for his children after him (Leviticus 25:45-46). PAGANISM AND SLAVERY Slavery was known by the pagan nations, both the retarded and the civilized like the Greeks and the Romans. Some of their philosophers like Aristotle considered the barbarians (the uncivilized) as slaves by nature, and are only fit for that destiny. The Roman law gave the slaves no civil or human rights whatsoever, and did not punish or bring into account the master who torture, rape, or even kill his male or female slave2. SLAVERY AND THE JEWS Compared to other peoples, slavery in the Jewish nation was considered mild and relatively compassionate. It could not be said that the Mosaic Law has consented to slavery, as it was already prevailing in the whole world. As it was not an easy task to cancel that system by a single stroke, it was committed to establish certain measures and by-laws to harness its cruelty and inhumanity; to give the slaves some human rights, and to lessen, as much as possible, the humiliating treatment they suffered, in order to let them live like human beings and brothers, albeit under severe conditions. The Jews knew two kinds of slavery: the slavery of the Hebrews, and that of the Gentiles. The Jewish Law banned the kidnapping of humans for the purpose of selling them as slaves, and put to death anyone doing it. Concerning Jewish slave mongers, “If someone is caught kidnapping another Israelite, enslaving or selling the Israelite, then that kidnapper shall die. So, you shall purge the evil from your midst” (Deut. 24:7). As to this trade in general, whether the person is an Israelite or otherwise, “Whoever kidnaps a person, whether that person has been sold or is still held in possession, shall be put to death” (Exodus 21:16). KINDS OF SLAVERY The system of slavery goes back to the time of Noah. The curse that dwelt on 1 Cf. The author: Exodus, chapter 21.( in Arabic) Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, article Slave, Slavery, New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois, article Service, International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, article Slave, Slavery, R. H. Barrow, Slavery in the Roman Empire (1928), I. Mendelsohn, Slavery in the Ancient Near East (1949), W. L. Westermann, The Slave Systems of Greek and Roman Antiquity (1955), M. I. Finley, ed., Slavery in Classical Antiquity (1960), J. Vogt, Ancient Slavery and the Idea of Man (1974), N. Turner, Christian Words (1980), p. 389-90. 2 Bishop Yoanis (Fr. Shenouda El-Souriany): The Christian Church in the Apostles’ era, 1971, p. 41.( in Arabic). Schaff: History of the Christian Church, vol. 1, p. 445-6. 15 Canaan, the son of Noah, because of disgracing his father was: “Lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers” (Genesis 9:25). Several systems of slavery appeared since then that could be divided into three kinds: (1) Domestic slavery: (household slavery), has been the most common. Beside hired labors, there were both Hebrew and foreign slaves possessed by the head of the household, like ‘Hagar’ who served Abraham and his wife Sarah (Genesis 16:1); and those to whom the Lord Christ referred in His parable, as “slaves of the householder” (Matthew 13:27; 21:34). (2) Slaves of the nation (the system of forced labor): A common kind at that time, under which the Israelites fell, as forced laborers for the Egyptians (Exodus 3:6- 19; 13:3). And like the Canaanites whom king Solomon “conscripted for slave labor” (1 kings 9:20, 21). (3) Slaves for ministry in the temple: Like those whom Moses and Joshua designated to serve the ministers in the temple; as “hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of the Lord” (Numbers 31:25-47; Joshua 9:21-27). ACQUIRING SLAVES Slaves were acquired through either of the following sources: (1) Through purchase: As it happened when Joseph son of Jacob was sold as a slave by his brothers for 20 pieces of silver (Genesis 37:38). An Israelite could also buy a slave (Leviticus 25:39, 44); could sell a close relative, like a daughter for example (Exodus 21:7; Nehemiah 5:5). The children of a widow could be sold to pay back their father’s debt (2 Kings 4:1). And a very poor man could even sell himself as a slave to pay back his debts; to be set free on the next Jubilee (Leviticus 25:39, 47). So also could a poor woman sell herself as a slave (Deuteronomy 15:12, 13, 17). The price of a slave varied. The prevailing price according to Exodus 11:32, was 30 pieces of silver; and according to Leviticus 27:3-7, varied between 3 and 50 pieces of silver, (40 according to 2 Maccabees 8:11), according to the age of the slave, and his gender; and in case of controversy, a priest could be consulted (Leviticus 27:8). Joseph, as a boy, was sold for 20 pieces of silver (Genesis 37:28). In case someone sells his daughter because of extreme poverty, the buyer had no right to sell her to a foreigner. If he intended to give her to his son in marriage, he should do to her as any other girl. And if he took her as his wife, and then married another, he had to keep on her, her dues concerning her food, clothing, and marital right, or else he should set her free. (2) Through exchanging slaves: A Hebrew could exchange a foreign slave for another slave, for a flock of sheep, or for any other provision. (3) As a pay back of a debt: Although poor people could sell themselves as slaves to pay back their debts (Exodus 21:2-6; Nehemiah 5:1-5). Yet, the buyer should not abuse the debtor, but should treat him as a brother; As, according to Leviticus 25:35-40, “If any of your kin fall into difficulty and become dependent on you, you shall support them, they shall live with you as though resident aliens. Do not take interest in advance or otherwise make a profit from them, but fear God; let them live with you… If any who are dependent on you become so impoverished that they sell themselves to you, you shall not make them serve as slaves. They shall remain with you as hired or bound laborers.” (4) As a gift: A slave could be given as a gift (Genesis 29:24). (5) As an inheritance: Children could inherit foreign slaves as a possession (Leviticus 25:46). (6) Slavery by free choice: At the remission of slaves on the seventh year, a slave had the choice between gaining his freedom and remaining as a slave forever for 16 the sake of his love for his master (Genesis 21:6). However, history never told of even a single case of this kind. (7) A thief unable to give back what he stole could be sold as a slave: According to Exodus 22:3, “If unable to do so, shall be sold for the theft.” By his labor he could pay it back, beside a punishment for his crime. (8) A slave by birth: The children of a Hebrew slave could by birth be slaves to the master. If the father is set free, after being married to female slave belonging to the master, the wife and her children remain as slaves. The number of slaves could duplicate because of the children born in the household of the master. (9) Captives of war: Those most probably became slaves (Genesis 14:21). The enemy, after putting to death a certain number of men, they used to keep some men, women, and children as slaves and concubines (Deuteronomy 21:10, 11, 14). Many Israelites became slaves for foreign nations, after falling captives of war; as for the Phoenicians (Joel 3:6), the most famed for slave trading in the old days; the Philistines (Amos 1:6); the Syrians (1 Kings 3:41; 2 Kings 8:11); the Egyptians1; and the Romans. Most slaves under the Jews were either war captives, or belonged to some Canaanite peoples that stayed back in the land after Joshua took it over, or of the surrounding nations overcome by the Israelites (Numbers 31:26-28); or were bought as slaves (Leviticus 25:44, 45); or have became slaves because of poverty, or as a result of crimes they have committed. RIGHTS OF THE SLAVES The service that the slaves are committed to their Hebrew masters differs whether the slave is a Hebrew or a foreigner. (1) The Hebrew slave enjoys with his Hebrew master, privileges that the foreign slaves, like the Greeks or the Romans, do not have. The Hebrew slave is treated like a brother, with no humiliation. As all Israelites are servants of God, if they ever become slaves to one of their brethren, their master should treat them like hired laborers, as fellow travelers on their mutual journey, and with compassion (Leviticus 25:39; Deuteronomy 15:14). “You shall not make them serve as slaves. They shall remain with you as hired or bound laborers… For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they shall not be sold as slaves are sold. You shall not rule over them with harshness, but shall fear your God” (Leviticus 25:39-43). By this, the divine Law introduced a new view of the slave; that he is a fellow in servitude to the One God. Anyhow, dealing with the slaves mostly depends on the person of the master (Genesis 24; 39:1-6). The true men of God treated their male and female slaves with the fear of God. ‘Job’ says: “If I have rejected the cause of my male or female slaves, when they brought a complaint against me; what then shall I do when God rises up? When He makes inquiry, what shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb make them? And did not one fashion us in the womb?” (Job 31:13, 14). Nevertheless, a slave generally lived in humility. Many masters, contrary to the divine Law, abused their slave brethren, and unfortunately women, got the greater share of humiliation and inhuman cruelty. (2) A slave had the right to acquire money or possessions; and in this case, if he got enough, he could redeem himself by his own money (Leviticus 25:49). It came that, when Saul asked his servant if he has on him any money to give as a gift to the prophet Samuel, the man of God, he answered, saying: “Here, I have with me a 1 Josephus: Antiq. 12:2:2-3. 17 quarter sheckel of silver” (1 Samuel 9:8). (3) The slave has the right to take his wife and children with him when he is set free, if he was married while he was free. (4) The slave could enjoy special privilege, as it happened with Eliezar of Damascus, the foreign slave to whom Abraham gave the authority over his household; and with Joseph the Hebrew slave whom Pharaoh made the second man over Egypt after himself (Genesis 15:2; 39:4). (5) The slave, when he is set free, does not go empty-handed, but would be liberally provided for, out of the flock, the threshing floor, and the wine press (14). The Lord Christ, when He liberated us, He granted us the riches of His Holy Spirit, to set forth bearing His righteousness and holiness in us (6) The slave could marry his master’s daughter (1 Chronicles 2:35); and the master, as well, could marry his female slave, or give her in marriage to his son; and he could not sell his Hebrew male or female slave to a foreigner (Exodus 21:7-11). By this, the female slave had the same rights as any one of the households. This is a living portrait of the work of God, who gave us as a bride to His Son, to have the fellowship of His heavenly glories. (7) In case the master or his son denies the rights of the female slave he married, concerning her food, clothing, or her marital rights, she would be set free. If the slave is circumcised, he would have the right to partake of the sacrifice of Passover (Genesis 17:12), and of all the other religious feasts (Deut. 12:12, 18; 16:11, 14), and could also enjoy the Sabbath (Exodus 20:11; Deut. 5:14). Finally, Hebrew slavery was cancelled altogether, after the return from captivity. LIBERATION OF THE SLAVES This could be done by one of the following ways: a. By redemption: Anyone could redeem a slave, by paying his or her price to the owner, then set him or her free. b. After completing the duration of servitude: According to the Mosaic Law, no Hebrew slave could be enslaved forever; but should be set free after six years of work. If he entered alone, he would come out alone. If he had a wife, she would come out with him. And if his master gave him a woman in marriage, who gave him children, the wife and children would belong to the master, and he would come out alone. The slave should enjoy remission from servitude on the seventh year, namely, on the sabbatical year; a reference to the freedom which we all enjoyed, by the coming of the Lord on the sabbatical year; namely on the consummation of time; granting Himself to us as “the Source of the true rest,” putting an end to the servitude of sin; saying: “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). The slave had the option, to leave his master’s house, or to seek to stay with him all his life. If he loves his master, his wife, and his children, he could enslave himself forever to him by his own free will. He would then, take an awl and thrust it through his earlobe into the door, as a sign of complete obedience, according to the words of David: “You have given me an open ear” (Psalm 40:6). That is what the Lord Christ did. The Son, became a servant for our sake (Ephesians 5:25-27), bore in His body the wounds of the cross for the sake of our salvation, and became a slave, to raise us up from the servitude to the adoption to God. c. According to the statute of the Jubilee: The year of the Jubilee has been 18 the greatest year, when all slaves should be set free, whatever the number of years he or she served “They shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee; then they and their children with them shall be free from your authority; they shall go back to their own family and return to their ancestral property” (Leviticus 25:40, 41). The jubilee occurred on the fiftieth year, a symbol of the work of the Holy Spirit, who grants the Church the perfection of freedom in the worthiness of the blood of Christ. By the Holy Spirit we gain the forgiveness of sins, enjoy the fellowship with God in His Son, and bear the spirit of adoption, by which we can call God as our Father. d. In case the slave is harmed: “When a slave-owner strikes and destroys the eye of a male or a female slave, the owner shall have to let the slave go, a free person, to compensate for the eye” (Exodus 21; 26). And in case he strikes his male or female slave, and he or she dies, he would be avenged. e. By running away from his master. f. To make restitution: If someone becomes a slave because of a theft; when he manages to pay back what he owes through his work, he would be set free (Exodus 22:1-4). g. In case the master dies with no heir of his own: What Abraham said in (Genesis 15:2), raised this question: Is it a right for slaves to be set free and to enjoy what the master left behind, if the later dies with no heir; Or what Abraham said was because he feared that his servant would do that under the circumstances, and not according to the law? h. By a direct divine command: As it came in Jeremiah: “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them – that all should set free their Hebrew slaves, male or female, so that they should hold another Judean in slavery” (Jeremiah 34:8, 9). LIBERATION OF THE FEMALE SLAVE In case a Hebrew female servant is sold to a Hebrew master as a housekeeper or a concubine, she could not be set free on the seventh year, nor on the year of the jubilee, if her owner has purchased her for that purpose (Exodus 21:7). Yet she could get her freedom completely in the following cases: * If she does not please her master; yet he does not have the right to sell her to a foreigner (21:8). * If he chooses to give her in marriage to his son, and he does not do to her what is usually done, according to the custom * If he, or his son married her, then took another wife, and neglected her, as far as food, clothing or marital rights are concerned (Exodus 21:11, Deut. 21:14). THE SLAVE-OWNER HAS THE RIGHT TO THE FOLLOWING: 1. Acquire non-Hebrew slaves as permanent property (Leviticus 25:45). 2. Leave his non-Hebrew slaves as inheritance for his children (Leviticus 25:45). 3. If the master gives his slave a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters; if he sets his slave free, the master can keep the wife and her children (Exodus 21:4). 4. Search for his run-away slaves to bring them back (1 kings 39-41). 5. Grant freedom to any of his slaves any time, beside his commitment to set them free on the seventh year and the year of the jubilee according to the Law, as we have seen. 6. Circumcise the Jew and foreign slaves in his household (Genesis 17:13, 23, 27). 19 7. Sell or exchange his slaves (Genesis 29:24). However there are certain conditions, as far as his Hebrew slaves are concerned. 8. Discipline the slave – male or female – yet within certain limits (Genesis 21:20). 9. Take his female slave, or give her in marriage to others (1 Chronicles 2:35). 10. Take the daughter of his slave in marriage (1 Chronicles 2:34), etc. 11. Purchase slaves from foreign markets (Leviticus 25:44). 12. Keep a slave who escaped from a cruel master, although not as a slave (Deut. 23:15). 13. Enslave a thief he caught stealing from him (Genesis 44:8-33; Exodus 22:3). 14. Seek the counsel of his slaves (1 Samuel 25:14). 15. Give command to his slaves to serve him (Genesis 14:14; 24). SERVITUDE OF THE GENTILES Those were mostly captives of war (Numbers 31:9; 2 Kings 5:3); purchased (Genesis 17:27; 37:28, 36; Exodus 27:13;Joel 3:6, 8), or by birth (Genesis 17:12). Yet, we find in the Holy Bible or in history, no indication that the Jews ever had a slave market1. Before the Mosaic Law, Abraham, the Patriarch, presented to us a living example of how to deal with slaves, when he had in his heart, that in case he did not have children of his own, to leave his possessions to one of his slaves – Eleazar of Damascus (Genesis 15:2), to whom he gave the authority over everything he had. The story of Isaac’s marriage to Rebecca (Genesis 24) reveals Abraham’s confidence in his slave, who proved to be really worthy of that honor. When the Law was received, it provided the slaves with rights that kept their humanity, of which: 1. Whoever kidnaps someone, sold him, or found in his possession, would be put to death (Exodus 21:16). 2. The crime of murdering a slave was equivalent to that of murdering a free man (Leviticus 24:17, 22). 3. It gave the slaves the right to worship their own gods, even if they were wrong. Yet, it also gave the Hebrew slave-owner the right to circumcise his slaves. 4. It gave the slaves the right to partake of celebrating the Jewish feasts (Exodus 20:10; 23:12). CHRISTIANITY AND CARING FOR SLAVES Christianity dealt objectively with the system of slavery; with no intention to provoke the slaves against their masters; who in the Roman Empire represented half the number of its inhabitants. According to Pliny, one of the rich Romans, by the name of Claudius Isidorus, in the days of Augustus Caesar, was known to possess 4116 slaves2. Although the New Testament, and the Church in its early days; have not come with a law to cancel the system of slavery, yet, with what they presented, of strong and living concepts about love, they could shake the foundation of that system, and transform it from one of violence, oppression, and humiliation, to carry love and compassion. Besides raising the conditions of slaves, yet not provoking them to rebel against their masters, but to obey them (Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 3:23-25; 1 1 The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, p. 889. 2 J. Hastings: Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, 1954, vol. 2, p. 509. 20 Timothy 6:1, 2; 1 Peter 2:18-21), as a testimony to Christ who dwells in them. The life of the Lord Christ came as a practical revolution against the system of slavery. The Word of God, the Creator, became a slave, to bring the slaves on to adoption to God. The Lord Christ was delivered for thirty pieces of silver; was sold as a slave, and was not ashamed to be counted as one of them, but sanctified the life of the believers among them. Thus the slaves, seeing their Master becoming their partner, living as one of them, would not surrender in humiliation; but would believe that nobody, whatever his wealth, authority, or violence may be, can destroy their souls. They are the partners of the Lord Christ, in His life and in His sufferings; bear the inner freedom that no one can destroy or take away. And as several masters and slave-owners believed in the incarnate Creator, who, through His will and His Father’s pleasure, became a slave; they came to adopt either one of two stands: giving freedom to their slaves, or dealing with them as beloved brethren; in order to be able to acquire every soul on account of the kingdom of God. Each of these stands did push the world forward toward the liberation of slaves. The Lord Christ came to direct the whole humanity toward the inner servitude that demolished the freedom of their will, saying: “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free… Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin… If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-36). With pride, the apostle Paul calls himself a slave (Romans 1:1; Titus 1:1); believing that he is sold to his Savior, who guides his life and all his actions according to His divine will. The true believer feels that he, with his whole freedom, puts his whole being in the hands of his Beloved, to stir him according to His will. The church believes in the possibility of the impact of even a slave on his master, through his holy life in the Lord. We do not marvel to see St. John Chrysostom say to his listeners in his meetings, that every one of them would tell those outside that he has been in the company of the Seraphim. The father would tell his son; the mother, her daughter, and the slave, his master. The Council of Gangra asked the slaves to submit to their masters in the Lord, as a testimony to the living gospel in them; and not to try to run away from them; or to use violence against them1. The apostle Paul, confirming that there are no slaves or masters in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28), asked both to be like the Lord Christ (Ephesians 6:5-9). St. Paul dealt with the problem of slaves from an angle of faith, asking the slaves to obey their masters in the Lord, but not on the expense of their faith and salvation. He, at the same time, asked the masters to look at the slaves with a new eye, as being brothers equal to them, and fellows in the servitude to God, the Master of all. The apostle asks us to abide by the human system, but within the limitations of faith. He urged the slave to go with courage, even as far as martyrdom, rather than to obey his master in what may contradict his salvation. And urged the master to consider the slave as his brother. Because the system of slavery started to collapse from its roots2, that was among the main reasons the Roman State violently turned against the Christian Church. Its collapse could be referred to the following reasons: a. The Church committed her children to deal with slaves as brothers (1 Corinthians 7:21, 22; Philemon 3:28; Colossians 3:11) b. The apostle Paul presented to us in his epistle with a practical lesson. He 1 Council of Gangra Canon 3. 2 Fr. Tadros Malaty: The Coptic Church “Church of Alexandria,” Melbourne, 1975, p. 77. 21 sent back the run-away slave and robber, Onesimus, to his master Philemon, with the most magnificent message that could ever be written, describing him, after his repentance, as his brother; his son whom he has begotten while in his chains; his heart; his partner; and his helper in ministry; (whom he later ordained as a Bishop). In this message he wrote: “Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave – a beloved brother – especially to me” c. Having lived according to the gospel, some masters were committed to set their slaves free, through an inner motive, with no direct order to do that. d. Several of those who were previously slaves got high positions and exalted honors in the Church. Some of whom even became martyrs, like Blendina, Bablis, and Phlictas, whom the Church considers as heroes of faith1. Some of the former slaves were ordained Bishops like Onesimus, the disciple of the apostle Paul, who became a Bishop over Borea in Macedonia2; and Calistus over Rome in the third century AD. e. The early writings of the Church encouraged the collapse of that system; like for example what came in the ‘Didache’: [Do not rebuke (bitterly) your male or female slave, who look with hope toward the Lord your God, lest they lose the fear of God, who is above all, and who has no partiality toward faces3.] St. Clement of Alexandria says: [Slaves are humans just like us4.] Fr. Lactantius says: [We should not count slaves as our slaves, but as brethren in the spirit; and as fellow-servants in religion5.] St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote, [You should not despise slaves, nor let them swell with pride; but rather be humbled for the sake of the glory of God6.] St. Augustine believes that the appearance of slavery was a fruit of sin; as the divine purposes would never let man reign nor have authority over another7. St. John Chrysostom proclaimed the same idea8, when he said that slavery only started when Canaan fell under curse (Genesis 9:25). St. John Chrysostom, a contemporary of St. Gregory of Nyssa, enticed the Christian not to have more than two slaves to serve his household, and not to humiliate them9; and spoke about many masters who acquired a thousand of slaves10; and a few in Antioch who acquired hundreds of them. St. John Chrysostom believes that slavery was not in God’s original plan11. The Cappadocian Theologian St. Gregory the Nazianzus proclaims that, although slavery is a hateful discrimination, yet it was a matter of fact of his time12. With the same spirit, St. Basil the Great says that although no one is a slave by nature, yet, at the same time, he did not seek the change of society. He says: [Although some man claims himself a master, and another a slave; yet, in my opinion, concerning equality of rank, we are all a flock of our Creator, fellow slaves13.] A VIEW BY ST. GREGORY OF NYSSA CONCERNING 1 Frend: Martyrdom and Persecution in the Early Church, 1965, p. 297. 2 Apostolic Constistutions7, 4, 46. 3 Didache, chapter 4. 4 Paedagogus 3:12. 5 Lactantus: Instit. 5:16. 6 Epistl. ad Polycar. 4. 7 De Civ. Dei. 19:15. 8 In Cor., hom. 40. 9 In 1 Cor. hom 40:5. 10 In Matt. hom 63:4. 11 In 1 Cor. hom. 40:5, in Eph. hom 22:2. 12 De rebus suis 80-82. 13 De Spiritu Sancto 20:51. 22 SLAVERY Some scholars believe that St. Gregory of Nyssa was the first Theologian to lead an intellectual revolution against slavery. In his fourth homily on the Book of Ecclesiastes, he introduced a theologian foundation to oppose slavery, based on the following points: * When someone assumes that he is a master of his kind, he counts himself as different from those submitting to him (as though he is of a different nature). * The human nature, that God created free; each of them has got the right to take his own decisions by himself. * There should be discernment between possessions and non-reasonable creation, on the one hand, and the image and the likeness of God; the reasonable free being, on the other hand. * There should never be authority over the free image of God. No man can pay the price of another man! * The title “master’ does not give someone authority over those who submitted to him. * Whom do you think you are; you, who assumes that you are a master over a human being? The following are some quotations from his writings: 1. All of us are equal by nature: All of us are equal by nature1. It is not nature, but love of authority that divided mankind into slaves and masters2. God has granted humanity the right of deciding its destiny. (The master has no right to control the life of the slave) 3. He, who submits to you by custom and law is equal to you by the honor of nature4. Humanity has been originally integral. Everyone has the authority to run his own life with no master; to practice his life with no grief or labor. So, what does it mean to be led, but to be enslaved?5 To divide the creation, that naturally has the right to be equal, into slaves and masters; into a category that orders, and another that submits; is a distortion and a robbery of the system put by God6. Slavery is a mutilation of the integrity of the living being7. The condition of independence and freedom is a call of wisdom to man’s will8. The greatest problem for freedom is for man to be his own master9. 2. God is the Master of all: A master says: I have acquired slaves for myself. I have slaves born in my house! Look how awful is his arrogance! A talk like this is a challenge to God. The prophecy tells us that all things are slaves under the power that surpasses all. That is why, when someone makes God’s possessions as his own, gives himself an authority over his own kind, assumes that he possesses men and women; what he 1 De Beatitudinibus,1. 2 De Oratione Dominica, 5. 3 De Oratione Dominica, 5. 4 De Oratione Dominica, 5. 5 De Beatitudinibus, 3. 6 Contra Eunomium, 1:35. 7 Antirrheticus adversus Apollinaruim, 23. 8 De Hominis Oplficio 16:14 PG. 44:185 A. 9 De Beatitudinibus, 8. 23 does is a going beyond his nature through pride; assuming that he is different from those who submit to him1. 3. The human nature is free: “I have acquired male and female slaves!” What do you mean? Are you committing some man to servitude, when he is free by nature, and has free will (has the right to decide his own destiny)? Are you introducing a law in competition with God? Are you transforming His Law into a human law? God has set certain basis for man to be the king of the earth; and for his life to be controlled by the Creator; he, whom you bring under the yoke of servitude; you are challenging and fighting against the divine Law! Why are you going beyond your own authority?2 4. Why have you forgotten the limits of your authority? You have forgotten the limits of your authority. Your Law is to have authority over the non-reasonable things. It is written: “To have authority” over birds, fish, tetrapods, and reptiles. Why do you go beyond that, and set yourself above those who are free by nature? Why do you count those of your kind as though of the same level as tetrapods, and even of the same level as those of no pods? Everything are submitted to man; and according to the text of the prophecy, these are: sheep, oxen, herds, and flocks. Cows have never begotten human herds! Only the non-reasonable beings are subjected to man. By dividing mankind into slaves and masters, you let humanity enslaves itself, and possesses itself!3 5. What price have you paid to purchase your slaves?! ‘I have acquired for myself male and female slaves.’ Tell me for what price? What have you found in the world that equals human nature? What price do you suggest to pay for ‘reason’? (as man is a reasonable creature)? How many ‘obole’ can be paid for being “according to the likeness of God.” How many ‘staters’ have you got when you sold a being formed by God? God said: “Let us make man in Our image and according to Our likeness.” So, if man is according to the likeness of God, and has authority over everything on earth from God, who is the buyer? Tell me! Who is his seller?… God does not wish to bring man down to servitude. When we became slaves to sin He Himself called us to freedom. If God does not enslave him, who is free; who is then he, who puts his authority above that of God?!4 6. Will the slave be sold together with what he possesses? The whole earth! Some believe, that, according to the Roman law, when a slave is sold, the bargain does not include his possessions (like his clothes). But St. Gregory, as he rebukes those who take part in buying and selling slaves, talks like a spiritual man and a preacher, and not as a lawyer and a man of law. He considers it shameful, to sell a man, a free being, together with what he possesses; as God has set him to have authority over the whole earth. How could he, the one with authority over the whole earth and everything on earth, 1 In Eccles. Hom. 4. 2 In Eccles. Hom. 4. 3 In Eccles. Hom. 4. 4 In Eccles. Hom. 4. 24 be put on sale? And if you consider to include in the bargain everything he possesses; what would be the price of the whole earth, and everything on it? If all this were beyond evaluation; what price would then be paid for him who is above everything? Tell me! He, who truly knows the human nature, says that the whole world is not worthy to be paid for one human soul. So, when a human being is put on sale; it is as though the owner of the whole world is put on sale. Let us assume then that his whole possessions are also put on sale. That means that the whole earth with its islands, lands and seas, etc., is put on sale! How much would the buyer pay? What would the seller ask for, putting into consideration all the possessions included in the bargain?1 7. How would the contract of the sale be written? St. Gregory wonders how the contract for buying and selling of man, whom God granted to have authority of the whole world, could be written on paper?! Would you be deceived by a piece of paper; to assume that you have become a master over the one on the likeness of God?! What idiocy is this?! If the contract is lost; If it is eaten by moth?! If it is destroyed by water?! What would be your guarantee as an owner concerning his servitude?!2 St. Gregory did not talk frankly of the price paid for every human soul; namely, the blood of the Lord Christ who purchased us; and no power on earth can ever take away, corrupt, or delete that document. We have all been purchased for a price; and no one of us can ever purchase his brother. 8. It is just a difference in the title: St. Gregory believes that the difference between the master and the slave is just in the title. They are partners in everything. I do not see anything superior in you over those under your authority except the title alone. What does this authority give you as a person? It does not give you a longer life, or more beauty, or more health, or exaltation in virtue. Your origin is from the same ancestors to whom he is referred; your life is of the same kind as his life; You and him, who submits to your authority, are surrounded by the same sufferings and pleasures, joys and grieves; sicknesses, fears, and death. Are there any differences in these things between the slave and his owner? Are they both not going to turn into the same dust after they die? Aren’t they both going to face the same judgment: one kingdom, and one hell? If you both are equal in all these things; then where is your superiority? Tell me, you who are human assume that you are a master of another human? You, who say: ‘I have acquired male and female slaves! As though you have acquired a herd of goats or pigs3. 9. A call to set the slaves free In a sermon on the Easter (Christian Pasch), St Gregory of Nyssa incited those among his listeners who own slaves to set them free; as the Lord Christ has, by His resurrection, set us free from the servitude of sin: [Will you pay attention to my words? On this joyful day, does suffering take 1 In Eccles. Hom. 4. 2 In Eccles. Hom. 4. 3 In Eccles. Hom. 4. 25 away from the afflicted souls, as the Lord takes death away from the bodies…? Turn their disgrace into dignity; their affliction into joy; and their fear into comfort. Bring on those cast away on street corners as though from their graves… Let the beauty of the feast flourish as a flower on everyone1.] And on another occasion he says: [Extend a generous hand to slaves, who suffer bitterness all their lifelong2.] And in another talk, St Gregory expresses his belief that the Christian society in a commitment to equality, should set the Church congregation free of servitude and every oppression: [Let us cancel all social discrepancies; between submission and authority; extreme poverty and riches; common and elite… Let us practice political and social equality… Let us give the chance to everyone to choose what he wants3.] 1 In Sanctum Pascha. 2 Contra Usurarios. 3 De Morstuis.
Welcome