The Bible and Ethnic Races
The Bible makes it clear that no one race is superior to another. All human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to die on their behalf (John 3:16). The term “world” includes all ethnic races.
In the Old Testament, God divided humanity into two “racial” groups: Jews and Gentiles. God’s intent was for the Jews to be a kingdom of priests, ministering to the Gentile nations. Sadly, some Jews viewed themselves as superior to the Gentiles.
Nationality, lineage and race do not determine where we stand with God. People like Ruth, Rahab and Luke were all gentiles, yet they found favor with God. Conversely, the religious leaders of Israel, fell from grace because of their disobedience to God (Hosea 4:6).
John the Baptist told the Jews, “Do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones” (Matthew 3:9). And after the Resurrection, Peter told the Jews that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). Jesus Christ put an end to the discrimination destroying the dividing wall of hostility between all ethnic groups (Ephesians 2:14).
God does not show partiality to anyone (Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9). James 2:4 describes those who discriminate against people as “judges with evil thoughts.” Instead, we are to love our neighbors and even enemies as ourselves (James 2:8; Matthew 5:43).
Those who practice racism, prejudice, and discrimination need to ask God for forgiveness because in God’s eyes “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
The Bible doesn’t support the superiority of any ethnic race above another. The eternal distinction is set between those who follow God’s way of life, and those who do not. The wise man said, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). It’s obedience to God’s commandments that makes the division—not their race.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
