What does the Bible say about our relationship to work, and do those same scriptures also clearly approve or condemn slavery?

My main thesis is that the household codes that discuss the obedience of servants to masters, in the Roman context, is primarily addressed to the majority of people who earned a living by being servants in the homes of others.

Chattel slavery is condemned in scripture, but poor English translations of the word for servant/slave have caused the kind of historical confusion that led to slavery supporters and abolitionists both quoting the Bible to justify their positions. Not good.

Here’s the sermon, with outline below.

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Common to All Government (Rom. 13:1-7)

1. Servants/slaves was a                                                                     in the OT and Roman times.

2. Was condemned in both OT/NT

3. Servants/slaves were considered in the faith

4. Masters (employers) were to treat servants with justice, fairness, and compassion

5. Christianity laid the for abolition of slavery

1.                                                       even when imperfect

4. Remember                                        who suffered