The Bible on Race and Culture

The Bible and Race

All men are descended from Adam and Noah, giving them common ancestors which makes all humans related to one another, in some manner (Gen 1:28, 10:1ff).

God divided men at Babel into various linguistic/cultural groups (Gen 11:1, 8-9).

The promise of the Gospel given to Abraham was that ALL nations would be blessed in him—not just those directly descended from him (Gen 12:3).

Throughout the Old Testament the dividing line between men was NEVER race BUT religion—between those who worshipped and served the one true God from those who worshipped and served idols (e.g., Gen 3:16, 4:16ff, 12:1, etc.)

During this time, occasionally, even pagan kings and peoples repented of their sins and acknowledged that the Lord was God (Ruth, Jonah, Daniel, etc.).

The Lord Jesus declared that His gospel was for all men, all nations, all tribes and all languages (Matt 28:19ff).

Within His Church, there was to be no distinctions between Jew, Greek or Roman for all had access to God the Father through Jesus the Son (Gal 3:28, Rm 10:12, Jas 2:4).

One day, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:10-11).

Therefore the Gospel is to be freely offered to all men, regardless of ethnic, cultural or national origin (Matt 24:14, 35:32, Rm 9:23, Rm 16:26, etc.).

The Church is to “disciple” these “nations” to obey Christ in everything (Matt 28:19ff).

The distinguishing mark of being a disciple of Jesus Christ is love for the brethren—the commitment to do what is right and good for another regardless of personal cost (John 13:35, 15:12, Rm 5:8).

Therefore, any doctrine or practice that makes unlawful distinctions between Christians based on race, ethnicity or national origin is a violation of the Lord’s most basic commandment to love one another and hence, a disciplinable offense (Gal 3:28, Rm 14:10,19 Phil 2:1ff).

On Culture and Religion

All culture is religion externalized; i.e., the outward manifestation of a peoples’ most basic values and beliefs. As the Gospel penetrates a culture, it will change it to reflect God’s unchanging Moral Law. This may take many generations to achieve. A culture that has not been significantly affected by the Gospel may retain many unbiblical and even immoral values and practices. These unsanctified cultural traits can and should be lovingly, kindly and gently examined, rebuked and corrected as a normal part of Christian growth (Heb 10:24, Col 3:16, etc.).

However, Christians are allowed to retain certain aspects of their cultural and ethnic customs (e.g., food, styles of music, art, literature, language, architecture, etc.) provided that such practices do not contradict the doctrine of love and the Moral Law (cf. Acts 15:1ff, Rm 14:1ff).

The ONLY distinction that matters is between those who acknowledge Jesus as Lord, from those who do not. Those who confess His Lordship, regardless of ethnicity, language or race, have been adopted into God’s family and are to be united with all other believers in love and service (1 Peter 2:9).

Final Thoughts:

Political Correctness, Multiculturalism and the like are all heretical attempts to undo what God did at Babel. Men want unity on their terms, rather than His—the very essence of Original Sin.

However, for true unity, men must submit to King Jesus and acknowledge His Lordship over every area of life. Christ unifies diverse peoples within one Church, one Family, which itself is a down payment on the perfect community of the Eternal State.

We can and should respect, appreciate and even celebrate God’s providential acts in the history of our own national and ethnic origins—but we must never forget that our ultimate loyalty is always to King Jesus and His Kingdom. Those who confess Jesus as Lord, regardless of race, color or language, are bound together by His blood, made into a new People with a common destiny.

There is never room in God’s church for hatred, animosity, arrogance, contempt or bitterness towards other believers. Those who claim His name but hate his children are liars… 1 Jn 4:20

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