INTRODUCTION
This article is not a treatise on North American slavery. The focus is on the abolition of slavery, a spiritual movement of Christian people, disciples of Jesus Christ. Footnotes direct the reader to historical information. This is intended for readers seeking to understand human slavery in more detail. It focuses on the history of the United States of America (USA).
A BRIEF ON THE EMANCIPATION OF SLAVES IN THE USA
At our weekly Bible study (8/13/2025), we enjoyed a potluck dinner. Our current study of the book of Philemon naturally raised a discussion around slavery. We also discussed emancipation. The book’s influence on the emancipation of slaves in the USA was part of the conversation. Its connection to the genesis of the Republican Party was also discussed.
This article connects Biblical influences on the worldviews of a new nation. It suggests that “to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them,” humans must show a decent respect to the opinions of mankind. This required a declaration of the causes. The causes lead to the separation.1
The institution of slavery in America had its genesis in England. The enslavement of Native American Indians in the Jamestown Colony dates from 1610. The first African slaves arrived in 1619.2
The British colonies revolted against King George III in 1776. The Revolutionary War ended on September 3, 1783, with the Treaty of Paris.3
Our Founding Fathers were scholars, businessmen, and generally believers in Jesus Christ. Each was cognizant of European state religions. The First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a state religion; it did not create a “separation of church and state”.
The first European settlers set foot on our American soil in 15654. From that moment in time, the good news of Jesus Christ has been at work liberating our people.
THE GENESIS OF EMANCIPATION
The New Testament was instrumental in the development of the emancipation of all slaves in our country. Philemon, along with other New Testament scriptures, introduces the concept of spiritual equality.
The Apostle Paul, writing to Philemon in Rome, described how Philemon’s slave Onesimus had become a believer in Jesus Christ. Paul described his relationship with Onesimus as that of a son. Paul also presented Onesimus as a spiritual equal to Philemon.5
THE NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE
The move to emancipate slaves began in the northern states, where the Bible was used to end slavery. But the southern states used the Bible to support slavery. Economics was the differentiator between the pro-slavery and the abolitionist worldviews.
CONCLUSION
The Bible is as relevant to our modern society as it was in the 1st century AD. Your worldview is the key to your personal choices. At this time, long-term employees of certain federal agencies are being fired. They are then becoming whistle-blowers, exposing wrongdoings. Why did they not come forward with their disclosures sooner? Easy answer: It was a personal finance decision.6
My wife and I are active in the Republican Party. We do not serve the Republican Party; we serve the Kingdom of God through our contributions to the Republican Party. The Republican Party was started by Christian Americans who advocated for the abolition of human slavery.7
Are your personal finances more important to you than your standing with God?
Food for thought.
John White
Garon Horton ABF
Wednesday evenings, 7-8 pm
FOOTNOTES
- National Archives, Declaration of Independence: A Transcription ↩︎
- World History Encyclopedia: Slavery in Colonial America ↩︎
- National Park Service: Timeline of the Revolution ↩︎
- Christian History Timeline: Black Christianity Before the Civil War ↩︎
- Modern English Bible, Philemon 1:10-16 ↩︎
- Twelve Principles for a Biblical Worldview on Economics ↩︎
- Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party before the Civil War ↩︎
John N. White 