Does the bible condone slavery?

Here's a short twitter conversation I had a few months back:

So, let's start with the verse in which he (the person in the above photo) is referring to: 

Colossians 3:18-4:1 (NIV):

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for The Lord. 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for The Lord, not for human masters, 

since you know that you will receive an inheritance from The Lord as a reward. It is in the lord you are serving. 

Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs and there is no favoritism. 

Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven."

When I first read this, I felt a strew of emotions, I was pretty, dare I say, pissed off, hurt and confused, it ultimately turned me off. Then I remembered my God, his promises and exactly what he stood for and knew that there was no possibility of him advocating for our definition of slavery. This is a literal interpretation of the bible therefore I looked deeper and caught up on some of my history. Once I did so,I realized, the question "Does the bible condone slavery" can be answered pretty simply. 

In biblical days, a "slave" was someone who provides a "Master" with their loyalty/allegiance, working for them in exchange for food, clothes, proper housing etc. the basic necessities. In Medieval times, this was referred to as a "vassal". In today's 21st century society, this is called a Job. The Bible's definition of slave is not the modern-day, westernized rendition of the word, similar to the fact that in the bible, an "ass" is referring to a donkey, however, In modern western society, it surely does not translate into that anymore. 
This clarification was genuinely a breath of fresh air for myself because it had initially raised a lot of questions. 

As for the comment "this is what western slave masters utilized in order to oppress a race" that simply goes right back to what I said before in the photo about having a false interpretation. Take God's word for what he intended it to be not for it's man-made interpretations. In order to be able to decipher between What The Lord said/intended and what man has manipulated the word into for their own benefit, entails spending time with The Lord, meditating on the word and praying for clarity, wisdom and understanding. In this case it also entailed having a bit of historic knowledge which you'd be sure to find when reading on in the bible.

This Natvice post was pretty short and sweet, Hope that clears the air!
If you have any questions at all you can always reach me at my email,or the other links provided on the homepage!

~Nathia