Today, there is great confusion and misunderstanding about the Biblical terms bondservant or slave.  Our idea of slavery fits with our American culture and the atrocities that existed within the culture of illegal slavery in the 1700 and 1800s until after the Civil War. 

This is not consistent with the idea of slavery found in the pages of the Bible.  Slavery was a very different issue in New Testament Biblical times, which is the context in which Paul addresses this issue of bondslaves and masters.  This slavery was often a volunteer servitude much like that of an employee in a company today.  It is important for us to understand that the evils of slavery and the slave trade do not represent Paul's idea or perspective of a bondservant/slave as he writes and encourages them not to take advantage of their masters.