Comment: This post is an article on 'Biblical Foundations for Freedom' by Kevin Youngblood. The article is not comprehensive on the thought but does underpin the notion of freedom from the Judeo-Christian worldview. I will add further comment to the article in order to increase understanding and connect freedom to America's founding as the Forefathers thought.
This prose uses the theological concept of sin. The notion of sin is not clear to most people who mindlessly throw the term around and others who boldly reject the idea of sin without understanding the concept. Sin is rebellion against the Judeo-Christian God. People who reject the notion of sin are in fact rebelling in that mere action whether they acknowledge the act or not. There are other views of sin but all views boil down to rebellion. In the Judeo-Christian worldview, rebelling places a person into slavery or bondage. This will be discussed lightly in this post and more in depth in another post being prepared.
Please note that while this is a discussion on the Judeo-Christian God or simply God. The term, Judeo-Christian, will precede God whenever possible. The reason for this is not to confuse the common term god with other gods. For example, Al-Lah is Aramaic meaning 'The god'. Al-Lah or simply Allah is not the Judeo-Christian God. Allah is distinctly different being the Moon god that Abraham's mother Terrah worshipped while in Kut. The Moon God's crescent symbol also appears atop the spires and the mosque dome.
The Biblical Foundations for Freedom
Kevin J. Youngblood
Southern Baptist Seminary
Louisville, Kentucky
Kevin J. Youngblood
Southern Baptist Seminary
Louisville, Kentucky
Freedom is a key Biblical theme finding expression in both the spiritual and social ramifications of salvation in Jesus Christ. Scripture portrays freedom in a complex and multifaceted manner. It addresses issues related to political freedom, freedom from the institution of slavery, freedom from oaths and obligations, freedom from guilt and punishment, and freedom from sinful destructive habits. Naturally, these categories are not air tight; there is considerable overlap, but these constitute the basic categories for understanding the Bible’s conception of freedom.
Political Freedom
The central redemptive event of the Old Testament, The Exodus, resulted in Israel’s freedom from Egyptian domination. While it is true that the exodus involved freedom from slavery, the more significant result was the fulfillment of the divine promise ensuring the formation of Abraham's offspring into an independent political entity with its own land; Genesis 12:1-3; 15:18. Israel’s political freedom, however, did not take the form of a democracy; God formed a covenant with Israel in which he ruled over the nation as king and the nation worshipped and served him as devoted subjects - a form of government referred to as a theocracy; Exodus 19:5-6. Israel’s freedom consisted of her independence from other human kingdom’s, not an independence from her divine king.
Comment: Israel was granted secular leadership but the Judeo-Christian God retained sovereignty over morality; 1 Samuel 8. There is no separation of Church and State in the Bible. All governments are subordinate to the Judeo-Christian God's will; Judges 8:23. As long as the political leaders follow the Judeo-Christian God's framework then the nation prospers; Duet 16:18-20. Thus, political freedom is not absolute but instead subjected to the Judeo-Christian God's will from the Judeo-Christian perspective or worldview.
Freedom from Slavery
In many Biblical context, freedom is a social category standing in contrast to the social category of slavery. Though the institution of slavery did not exist in the social structure of ancient Israel, it was regulated by strict laws ensuring the humane treatment of slaves. The Torah, for example prohibited any Hebrew from owning a Hebrew slave longer than six years unless the slave voluntarily agreed to remain in the service of the master; Exodus 21:2-5; Deut 15:12-18. In fact, the law commanded that any Hebrew who became poor and sold himself into slavery was not to be treatd as a slave but as a hired worker. Furthermore, he was to be released on the year of Jubilee; Lev 25:39-43. Any slave who suffered physical injury at the hands of his master was to be freed; Exodus 21:26. Thus, it was God’s intention that his chosen people enjoy social freedom in the ancient Israelite economy. They were not to live in the promised land as they had lived in Egypt before their redemption.
In the New Testament, Paul advised slaves to gain their freedom if possible, but if not, to serve Christ faithfully as a slave. Their social position was irrelevant to their status in Christ’s kingdom and their calling in ministry; 1Cor 7:21-22. Though a believer may be a slave in society, he is free in Christ and thus can live in spiritual liberty while enduring social bondage. Paul’s letter to Philemon appears to be singularly concerned with the release Onesimus, a runaway slave who belonged to Philemon. In social terms, therefore, the Bible acknowledges that freedom is preferable to slavery but not essential to enjoying spiritual freedom offered by the Gospel.
Comment: A more comprehensive article on slavery is being prepared for posting. In short, slavery in ancient society was not viewed or thought of as modern slavery is deemed. In the ancient world the practice of paying off debt through servitude was common. The concept of being a servant gained positive acceptance in the ancient world in which the economies were solely dependent on slavery. Christ himself likened his service to man as a servant by humbling himself washing the feet of the disciples; John 13:1-17. That act is consider the ultimate demonstration of service or servitude.
Freedom from Obligation and Guilt
Scripture also relates the concept of freedom to the concepts of obligation, oath, and guilt. In the Old Testament, people are commonly bound to and released from oaths. In example; Genesis 24:8,41. The two-and-a-half tribes that lived on the East side of the Jordan [River] were under obligation to help the rest of the Israelites conquer the land of Canaan. God said that once the land was subdued they would be free from this obligation; Numbers 32:22. Similarly, Paul speaks of a spouses freedom from marriage in the case of a mate’s death or in the event that an unbelieving spouse forsakes the marriage; 1Cor 7:15,39.
This concept is then broadened to include freedom from punishment brought on by guilt. For example, a woman suspected of martial infidelity was subject to a bitter water ritual to determine her guilt or innocence. Before administering the test, the priest would say, "If you are innocent of uncleanliness, you may be free from the curse of the test of bitter water”; Numbers 5:19-22. Pual uses the term freedom in a similar sense in Romans 8:1-2 when he says, “Therefore no condemnation exists for those in Christ, because the spirits law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death; Gal 5:1.
Freedom from Confinement and Distress
Scriptures frequently describes God as one who sets prisoners free; Pss 102:20; 146:7; Isa 45:13, 58:6; 61:1; and Luke 4:18. In these contexts, God is freeing people from their literal and metaphorical confinement. The concept is frequently broadened to include distress or dire circumstances; Ps 118:5; Zech 9:11; 1 Cor 7:32.
Freedom from Sin (Rebellion)
The work of Christ brought new depth and significance to the Biblical concept of freedom. Paul in particular proclaims a new freedom in Christ, freedom from sin. Beyond freedom from the penalty of sin, Paul also speaks of freedom from the power of sin, the Spirit-empowered ability to resist habitual disobedience; Romans 6:7-22; Gal 4:1-7. Closely related to this is Paul’s declaration of freedom from the law, not freedom from God’s standard of righteousness but freedom from the frustration of our fallen nature’s inability to keep God’s law; Romans 7:7-20. Not only did Christ fulfill the demands of the law in his own life and sacrificially death, he continues, through the Holy spirit, to fulfill it in the lives of the transformed believers.
Thus, contrary to popular opinion, freedom is not the ability to do whatever one desires. This inevitably leads to enslavement to one’s own passions. Rather, The Bible, defines freedom as the ability to deny one’s self, to deny one’s desires in the interest of pleasing and glorifying God.
Comment: Youngblood opens remarking that the Biblical notion of freedom is expressed in both spiritual and social ramifications of salvation in Christ. While I agree with Youngblood, I would like to expand the thought adding the perspective that freedom is a natural right.
The concept of natural rights begins with the architecture of man from a Judeo-Christian God perspective and centers on several key concepts. God created a male embodiment from the Earth then breathed a soul into the embodiment; Genesis 2:7. Woman was created from man. Humans were also created in or of God's image according to his likeness; Genesis 1:26-27, 5:1, 9:6. Many interpreters have thought to locate the God's image in human reason, creativity, speech, spiritual nature, or some aspect of humans. It is more likely that it is the whole of man rather than some part or aspect of him, that is the image of God (Marshall, Millard, Packer, and Wiseman, 1996, p. 499). Therefore, the Biblical model of a human is an embodiment of which within there is an image and a soul. The soul is the steward of the embodiment and image. The Bible provides the framework for accurate and righteous stewardship. When connecting the architecture of humans to a natural right to be free, the concept that God cannot rebel against himself (sin) and is free from this rebellion is the basis for imprinting the right to be free upon humans since the image is in humans. Thus, humans assume the natural right of freedom from the image in them.
This thought which originated from Rabbinical thinking has extended into Christian thought. Freedom is simply one right. In general, God's in image in humans gives humans dignity, all their natural rights, and purpose. Wrapping all this together, the framework for provisioning dignity, rights, and purpose are expressed as a comprehensive framework throughout the Judeo-Christian Bible in terms of commandments, principles, and concepts that are connected to and elevate Christ in humans.
Natural freedom is also extended to mobility or the freedom of movement as humans are architected with legs and feet that permits humans to move throughout space-time. God, himself, enjoy mobility walking through the Garden of Eden, passing over the waters, wrestling with Jacob; Genesis 1:2, 3:8, 32:24-30. Of course, there is also a spiritual mobility stated both in positive and negative terms. Walking in Christ or in the light as opposed to walking in darkness. The focus in this prose is on the natural and not so much on the spiritual.
Humans are also architected with arms and hands that permit them to perform work and create things. The Judeo-Christian God and Jesus Christ creates. He created a universe, is like a potter molding our lives , and Chirst was a carpenter. The mind-brian phenomena is where the human essence, the soul, assumes free will in order to self-determine their path or walk in life. Humans are able to pickup then transport objects and created things using their freedom of movement and free will in order to make something of the talents they possess; Matthew 25:14-30. Christians, in particular, are given a mission to share knowledge and go out into the world (be mobile); Matthew 28:18-20. Humans are to do what they have to offer the world, use their skills and talents; Ecclesiastes 9:10. In short, this is the underpinning of a natural economy which is a capital economy.
Capital economies are linked to freedom since humans are free to pursue their purpose in life. When a free person acts on God-given talents, abilities, and skills then the capital economy duly compensates for needed resources. That compensation is used to give levity to the image and improve the quality of life such that humans can live a dignified life. From a spiritual perspective, every human is needed in order for the body of Christ to fully function as each is a contributor to the whole. None are a cog or gear in a machine but instead a living breathing participant in the whole.
In conclusion, freedom is founded on Salvation in Christ that connects other natural rights in support of providing dignity and purpose to humans. The American Forefather's understood this notion of freedom and the connection to productive work in a capital economy. They saw the potential for America and leveraged a system of government that, to them, was self-evident as nature's way to guarantee the rights. They wrote these Biblical concepts into the founding documents after witnessing two competitive systems. The Jamestown colony was under tyrannical rule, martial law, disease, famine, and infighting. The Plymouth colony was under a constitution of the Mayflower Compact and thriving as a society of the people, by the people, and for the people. The Forefathers choose the constitutional solution.
Reference:
Marshall, H., Millard, A., Packer, J., and Wiseman, D. (1996). New bible dictionary: image. (3rd ed.). inter-Varsity Press: England. pp 498-500.
Youngblood, K. (2003). Holman illustrated bible dictionary: freedom. Holman Bible Publishers: Nashville.
