Question 1

Does God view all people equally?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 1:27God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.Genesis 5:1-2When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself. He created them male and female, and he blessed them and called them “human.”Joshua 17:3-4Zelophehad, a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons. He had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. These women came to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us a grant of land along with the men of our tribe.” So Joshua gave them a grant of land along with their uncles, as the Lord had commanded.Psalm 33:13-15The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.Proverbs 22:2The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both.All people are created by God, in the image of God, and are equal in the eyes of God.John 3:16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”Acts 10:34-35Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.”Romans 3:22-24We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.Romans 5:18Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.Ephesians 3:5-6God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.God’s salvation is available to everyone.Romans 2:5-6, 10-13Because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. . . . But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.2 Corinthians 5:10We must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.Ephesians 6:8Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.Colossians 3:25If you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.1 Peter 1:17Remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”God will determine punishment or reward as he judges each person equally and individually.

Question 2

How are all believers equal?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 23:8“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.”Galatians 3:26-28You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.Ephesians 2:14-18Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.2 Peter 1:1This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.Faith in Jesus unites all believers as equals, regardless of all other aspects of our identities.1 Corinthians 12:24-25God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.2 Corinthians 8:13-14Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal.James 2:1-4, 9My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? . . . But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.Churches should care for others by focusing on their needs, not their status. That way they will not show favoritism.

Question 3

In what ways are husbands and wives equal?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 2:21-23The Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’”1 Corinthians 7:3-4The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.1 Corinthians 11:11-12Among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.Ephesians 5:20-33Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.1 Peter 3:7You husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.Women and men are created equally in the image of God, so husbands and wives are equal partners in marriage. Because of this, spouses are called to treat one another with love, dignity, and respect. In marriage, Christian spouses submit to one another because they are both submitted to Christ.

Question 4

How should I strive for equality in our relationships with others who are different from me?

Accepted Answer

Leviticus 19:15“Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.”Job 31:13-15“If I have been unfair to my male or female servants when they brought their complaints to me, how could I face God? What could I say when he questioned me? For God created both me and my servants. He created us both in the womb.”Matthew 7:1-2“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”Acts 10:28Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.”Ephesians 6:9Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.We should be careful not to stand in judgment of other people. We may not know all the facts of their circumstances, and we can easily let our own hidden biases shade our opinions. We should do our best to be humble and fair because in the end we will all be held accountable before the same God who has no favorites.

Question 5

Is diversity consistent with equality?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 5:19“If you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”Matthew 10:41-42“If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 12, 18There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. . . . The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. . . . But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.Being equal is not synonymous with being identical. Diversity is a part of God’s plan for today and for eternity. In God’s eyes we are not all alike, yet we are all equal.

Question 6

Are God the Father and God the Son, Jesus, equal?

Accepted Answer

John 1:1In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 5:18The Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.John 10:30“The Father and I [Jesus] are one.”John 17:11“Now I [Jesus] am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.”Galatians 1:3-4May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.Philippians 2:6Though he [Jesus] was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.1 John 5:20We know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.The great mystery of the Scriptures is that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are distinct yet the same God. They are three equal persons yet one God.

Equality