What does the Bible say about ethnic or racial prejudice?

Luke 10:33“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.”

John 4:9The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

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.”

Acts 10:34-35Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.”

Acts 11:18When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

Jesus broke the judgmental stereotypes of his time. He reached across lines of racial and gender prejudice to demonstrate equality and respect for all people. God created us all to be unique so that when we work together, our efforts are more complete, more beautiful, and more effective for everyone. There are few things more powerful and productive than a diverse group of people working in unity.

John 1:46“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

Galatians 2:12-14When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?”

Any form of prejudice is inconsistent with the good news of Jesus. Jesus himself had to suffer the prejudice of the people from his own hometown of Nazareth. Though not surprised, Jesus was clearly upset by their prejudice, and he had to walk away from his work among them. The apostle Paul reminds us that early Christians also struggled with prejudice between the Jews and Gentiles among them. Paul made it very clear that this was not acceptable for believers in Jesus.

Galatians 3:28There 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.

God wants us to consider whether we have any racial prejudices. All the goodness of God and salvation through Jesus Christ is equally available to all people.