Question 1

What does the Bible say about racism?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 1:26God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.All of us are descended from Adam and Eve and equally made in God’s image. This concept is called the Imago Dei (image of God), and it is established in the Bible’s very first chapter.1 Samuel 16:8“The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”James 2:1How 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? . . . if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin.Whether we favor people based on wealth or race, discrimination of any kind stands in blatant contradiction with the Good News revealed through Jesus Christ.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?”John 4:27Just then his [Jesus’] disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?”John 4:39Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus.Samaritans had a half-Jewish ancestry and believed in God, but some of their beliefs about God were unorthodox. Centuries before Jesus, the Samaritans tried to prevent the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem during the time of Ezra (see Ezra 4). In response, the Jews shunned them, and hatred between the two groups had festered for centuries. When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, she questioned why Jesus would even talk to her. Jesus’ disciples were shocked as well! But Jesus made a point of crossing that racial divide with all its cultural and theological messiness.Luke 10:33“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion on him.”Jesus confounded his listeners by making a despised Samaritan the hero of one of his most famous parables.Ephesians 2:14Christ 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.Colossians 3:10-11Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.In the early church, the great racial controversy of the day was between Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews). Over and over, Scripture makes it clear that racism is in violent contradiction with Christ’s desire for unity in his church.John 8:39“Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example.”Romans 2:28-29You are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit.Galatians 3:7The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.Many Jews in the first century placed their confidence in their race and heritage, rather than in God himself. They were proud to be descendants of Abraham and felt entitled to God’s blessings. That racial pride caused them to miss the heart of God’s good news: it is a gift offered to all, accepted only by faith.Acts 11:1-3Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.Acts 15:5Then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.”Acts 15:19“So my [James’s] judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”Galatians 3:8The Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.”The early Jewish believers carried on the traditions God gave their ancestors, including circumcision and Jewish dietary laws. Many assumed that in order to honor and obey God, non-Jews would have to become Jewish and follow their religious laws. But God’s desire was not for the entire world to become Jewish. His desire was for the entire world to know him through his Son, Jesus.John 10:14-16“I [Jesus] am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me . . . I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”Romans 1:16I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.Galatians 3:8The Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.”Jesus was sent to the Jews first, but not because he didn’t care about non-Jews (Gentiles). God promised to Abraham long ago that, through his descendants, the Jews, all nations would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). In John 10, Jesus described how he was the good Shepherd, and he used that imagery to foretell how he will bring even Gentiles into his flock and unite all peoples as one.Galatians 2:11-13When Peter came to Antioch, I [Paul] had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When 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.Peter knew that Gentile believers were his brothers and sisters in Christ. However, it had long been Jewish custom to refuse to eat meals with Gentiles. When certain Jewish believers pressured Peter, he stopped eating meals with Gentile believers—and soon, other Jews withdrew as well. Paul publicly denounced this racism as a contradiction of the message of the gospel.1 Corinthians 9:20-21When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.As an evangelist, Paul understood the difference between cultural traditions and Christian truth. He followed the Jewish law when witnessing to Jews—not because God required it, but because it showed respect and consideration for the consciences of the Jews he witnessed to. When Paul witnessed to the Gentiles, he didn’t follow Jewish laws. That way, the gospel was plain and clear, without any cultural obstacles. The one thing Paul never changed was his obedience to the law of Christ. His evangelism methods never required him to sin. We should all follow Paul’s example in preaching a gospel that is both accessible to all peoples and true for all time.

Question 2

What is the difference between prejudice and racism?

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.”1 Samuel 16:7The Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”Romans 2:11God does not show favoritism.“Prejudice” is showing favor or disfavor to someone simply because of some external characteristic. For example, we might think more highly of someone because he or she looks clean, well-groomed, and well-to-do. And we might assume the worst about someone who comes from a certain part of town. Racism is prejudice based on race. That is, we might make assumptions about a person (either positive or negative) simply because of his or her skin color, accent, or clothing, and then treat that person accordingly. That’s not how God treats people, and neither should we.Daniel 1:3-7The king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. “. . . Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” . . . The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names: Daniel was called Belteshazzar. Hananiah was called Shadrach. Mishael was called Meshach. Azariah was called Abednego.One other aspect that sets racism apart from prejudice is that racism comes from a position of power. For instance, when the king of Babylon conquered Judah, he forced many of his Jewish captives to adopt Babylonian language, culture, and names.Galatians 2:11-12When Peter came to Antioch, I [Paul] had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When 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.The power imbalance of racism doesn’t always come from the top down. In Galatians 2, a subculture of Jewish believers pressured their leaders to show racism against Gentiles, and some of the leadership—even Peter—caved in to that pressure. It took Paul’s confrontation to lead Peter and others to repentance.

Question 3

What is racial trauma?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 1:11-14The Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. . . . They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands.Exodus 1:22Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River.”Racial trauma is trauma that happens because of someone’s connection to a particular race, such as the trauma the people of Israel experienced in Egypt. Trauma can result from a single event, such as losing a child. Trauma can also come from repeated events, such as being treated as inferior and overworked day after day. Such traumas affect each person who experiences them in different ways, and those traumas can create wounds that are passed on for generations.Exodus 14:12“Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”Numbers 14:3-4“Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”Trauma can warp our perceptions related to who we are. Sometimes, we put ourselves in situations where that trauma can continue because it feels natural and familiar to us. After the people of Israel were freed from slavery, they didn’t know how to live in their freedom. They doubted that they could become anything different, even after God had led them safely out of Egypt. Racial trauma can become paralyzing, and unhealthy racial stereotypes become a part of one’s identity. This is called “internalized racism.”Luke 13:1About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.Acts 1:6When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”Racial trauma can come from our own personal experience, but it can also come vicariously through the trauma of others. Trauma can be triggered, such as by watching a video or hearing someone else’s story. A trigger prompts mental and emotional reactions related to a trauma. Any trauma, including racial trauma, can be passed across generations. Even something that happened decades or centuries earlier can be deeply ingrained in a current generation’s psyche.Matthew 10:2-4Here are the names of the twelve apostles: . . . Matthew (the tax collector) . . . Simon (the zealot).Everyone’s trauma, including racial trauma, is unique and experienced in different ways. Matthew’s response to the oppression of the Romans was to join them in oppressing his own people in order to gain wealth and security. Simon, in contrast, became a zealot—a fierce Jewish nationalist who resorted to violence to oppose Roman rule. When they met Jesus, both Matthew and Simon radically rethought how they had been responding to their people’s trauma.

Question 4

In what ways might I be unintentionally racist?

Accepted Answer

Galatians 3:28There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.Colossians 3:11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.Race is more than skin tone. It’s a culture. It’s a context. Some well-meaning people claim they are colorblind and don’t see race. Unfortunately, that mindset often leaves a message of “I don’t acknowledge the significance of your culture. I just enjoy it when you fit into my culture.” People in the early church came from wildly different cultural experiences. A Roman soldier had a very different life than a Jewish woman. A Greek scholar had little in common with a “barbarian” from Scythia (modern-day Ukraine). Paul’s letters don’t deny the cultural differences within the body of Christ. Instead, Paul acknowledges those differences, yet highlights how we are still one body, together.Luke 10:30-33Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.”When someone is very different from us in appearance and in culture, we might feel anxious about interacting with them. It is easy to pass by such people in our daily lives. In the case of the good Samaritan, that man had very good reasons to be anxious. Jews hated Samaritans! Yet the good Samaritan still went out of his way to care for the injured Jewish man. Our racism might not be rooted in hatred, but simply in anxiety and unfamiliarity. A good way to overcome racism is by tolerating our own discomfort and crossing the road to interact with people different from us.Acts 10:15-29The voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” The same vision was repeated three times. . . . Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. . . . as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you. Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.” So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?” They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer.” . . . Peter 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.”Peter grew up in a Jewish culture that forbade eating with Gentiles. It took multiple visions and repeated prompting from the Holy Spirit to prepare Peter to meet with Cornelius, the first Gentile convert. We, too, may need several promptings and experiences to become comfortable interacting with people of another race. Seek out such experiences: Watch a movie, read a book, join a bowling league with people of a different race, or visit a church that’s primarily of a different race than you. Stepping outside our comfort zones can have great benefits—just ask Peter.Acts 15:5-11Some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.” . . . Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”One way we might unintentionally slight people of other races is by expecting them to fit into our own culture’s norms. Many Jewish believers thought that Gentiles had to become Jewish in order to be good Christians. Peter, Paul, James, and other early church leaders firmly opposed this, and for good reason. When we force brothers and sisters in Christ to conform to our culture in order to fellowship with us, we are hindering the growth of the body of Christ.1 Corinthians 9:20-22When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. . . . Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.Forcing others to adopt our culture is a form of racism; so is our refusing to adjust to someone else’s culture. When we respect and appreciate others—their heritage, their food, their customs, their way of life—that shows we care about them. And when people feel cared for, that opens their hearts to our witness about Jesus.Leviticus 19:33–34“Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”Matthew 28:19“Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”Sadly, it can be easy to donate to mission work for people in a distant culture, yet feel uncomfortable or even hostile when people from that same culture move in down the street. Our money and our prayers can make a great difference in peoples’ lives, but our love is put to its truest test when we live it out face to face.

Question 5

What can I do about my racist tendencies?

Accepted Answer

Romans 12:9Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.Trying to be politically correct and avoid offense is too low a bar. To overcome our ingrained racial biases, we must intentionally choose to love and appreciate those who are different from us.Proverbs 12:1To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.Matthew 5:23-24“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”Accepting correction is wise. However, seeking out correction is wiser. Don’t just rely on others to call out your racist tendencies—actively learn how you can do better. Ask questions. Read articles. Watch interviews. Ponder Scripture. Then take what you learn and live it out. This approach is called a “growth mindset,” and it’s a healthy habit for many situations in life.Romans 12:16Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!Racial harmony starts with getting to know people. Spend time with people of other races. Listen and learn in humility. Such friendships help our hearts and minds to grow beyond our prejudices.Acts 20:21I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.1 Corinthians 9:20-21When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. . . . When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ.It’s okay to acknowledge racial and cultural differences. In fact, it’s helpful. Paul counted Jew and Gentile as equal brothers and sisters in Christ, yet he also adapted to their different cultural contexts. For instance, he followed Jewish ceremonial laws when he was in a Jewish culture, and he ate meals with Gentiles when he was in a Gentile culture. If we claim to be colorblind and refuse to acknowledge the differences of other cultures, we will never get to know or understand each other at a deeper level.Esther 3:5-6When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.Haman’s hatred of Mordecai led him to seek the destruction of all Jewish people. We must be careful never to make assumptions about a group of people based on our feelings about one person in that group. We often form opinions about an entire group of people (a racial group, a nationality, an occupation, members of a church denomination or even a club at school) based on the actions of one individual. Everyone should be approached as an individual, a person loved by God. We need to constantly check ourselves for blind spots and biases.Colossians 3:11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.Ephesians 2:19-21Now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. . . . We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.While understanding differences is important, understanding what we have in common bonds us together: a shared hobby, a similar sense of humor, a relatable parenting experience—or, most significantly, the same hope in Christ! When we identify these points of connection, we are able to build bonds while still respecting our differences.Philippians 4:8Now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.Galatians 6:7-9You will always harvest what you plant. . . . So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.Changing our thought patterns and correcting our biases takes conscious and repeated effort.Acts 11:2-3When Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.Galatians 2:11-13When Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When 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.Often our racist tendencies are ingrained in us through the culture around us and reinforced by peer pressure. Something as small and simple as eating a meal with a Gentile was against common Jewish practice at the time. Like Paul, we should challenge racist peer pressure boldly. That sets a clear standard for us and others, and it helps people who may be targets of that racism.John 10:16“I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”1 Corinthians 12:15If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.1 Corinthians 12:27All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.The good Shepherd has many different sheep. The body of Christ has many different parts. All believers belong to Christ—and without each other, we represent him to the world in an incomplete way. Overcoming racism helps everyone in the family of God to experience a sense of belonging on this side of eternity.

Question 6

How can I overcome and heal the hurt I have experienced from racism?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 4:2How long will you people ruin my reputation? How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies?Psalm 6:7My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.Psalm 35:15-17I am attacked by people I don’t even know; they slander me constantly. They mock me and call me names; they snarl at me. How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? Rescue me from their fierce attacks.Lamentations 3:49-50My tears flow endlessly; they will not stop until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees.Many heroes in the Bible experienced injustice and cruelty from their enemies. In response, they grieved. They cried out. They expressed their pain to God and called for him to act. This practice is called lament. The first step to overcoming the hurt we experience from racism is acknowledging our hurt honestly before God.Proverbs 6:16-19There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.Isaiah 1:17“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”Acts 3:14You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer.God hates injustice. When we are grieving and angry over the injustices of racism, he is too. Jesus himself experienced a corrupt trial and an unjust death. Know that God doesn’t just see your hurt—he feels it, too.Deuteronomy 24:17-18“True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt. Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from your slavery. That is why I have given you this command.”Deuteronomy 32:7“Remember the days of long ago; think about the generations past. Ask your father, and he will inform you. Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you.”Scripture doesn’t only record the parting of the Red Sea. It also records the years of bondage in Egypt. It’s wise to remember and learn from history, even the painful parts. When the Israelites became their own nation, their suffering in Egypt was to become a source of empathy toward others—a reminder to provide others with the justice their ancestors were denied. It also became a reminder of God’s power and deliverance. Racial history may be painful, and that pain should never be swept aside or forgotten—it should be faced honestly and processed. This is how we learn and grow.Matthew 5:4-10“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. . . . God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. . . . God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”Romans 8:38I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.Racism takes things away from you—but racism can’t take away your position with God through Christ. Remember that the One who matters most loves you. He died for you, and he has given you something no one can take away.Isaiah 1:17“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”Romans 12:19Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.Luke 18:7-8“Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”There is a difference between pursuing justice and pursuing revenge. Justice is change for the better. Revenge inflicts pain to get even. God calls us to pursue justice, not revenge, and he promises that he is the final Judge. There are some injustices that humans ignore or even perpetuate. Despite our efforts, change is often slow or incomplete. In such instances, pray—not as an alternative to action, but as a guidance for your action. Ask God for wisdom in how to respond to injustice, and trust that he is acting against injustice too.Matthew 5:44-48“Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. . . . If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. . . . But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”Acts 7:59-60As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.In directing his followers, Jesus didn’t stop by calling us to avoid revenge. He called us to love our enemies! Stephen, the first martyr, prayed for his enemies, even as they were killing him. Such love is incredibly difficult—but incredibly powerful. It plants a seed that can break through the hardest soil.Acts 8:1Saul [also known as Paul] was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.Acts 9:1-2Saul [Paul] was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. . . . He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.1 Timothy 1:15-16This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.Saul, more commonly known as the apostle Paul, led the charge in murdering and imprisoning the followers of Jesus. Yet God changed him and used him in incredible ways. No matter how badly we have been hurt, we cannot put certain sins—and certain sinners—outside the reach of God’s grace.Matthew 5:43-45“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.”Matthew 6:14-15“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”Romans 5:8God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.People in our world view forgiveness as something that belongs to us—to give or withhold as we choose. Hating our enemies is considered good and natural. But Jesus flipped that on its head. He forgave us when we had done nothing to deserve his grace, and he did this at great cost to himself. He calls us to do the same for those who have hurt us. When you forgive a racist, you are not saying that racism is excusable, that your hurt is not real, or that you are willing to put yourself in a position to be harmed. Ultimately, forgiveness is about a change in your heart. It is choosing to pray for their repentance rather than for their downfall. In this way, we imitate the love our heavenly Father shows to us.Acts 7:59-60As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.Stephen was brutally murdered. Yet Stephen forgave his murderers even while they showed no sign of repentance. Don’t wait for the world to admit it is wrong before you start the process of forgiveness. Don’t wait for people to say they are sorry—that may never happen. You already know racism is wrong. God knows, and God sees the wrongs that are done to us.Proverbs 13:20Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.John 13:15“I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”1 Corinthians 11:1You should imitate me [Paul], just as I imitate Christ.Racism is complex, traumatic, and difficult. Surround yourself with people who are working hard to live well in all aspects of their faith—people who have wrestled with their pain but have chosen forgiveness over bitterness; people who are bold in standing up for justice without falling into hatred. Learn from them how they imitate Jesus, and strive to imitate Jesus too.Ephesians 4:31-32Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.2 Peter 3:9The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.Sometimes, it feels like peace and reconciliation are impossible. Our bitterness is too deep to allow us to forgive, and the hatred shown by others is too deep for them to unlearn. Take comfort that God is not finished with you—and he is not finished with them, either.

Question 7

What does racial reconciliation look like?

Accepted Answer

2 Corinthians 5:18-20God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.Colossians 3:11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.God wants all people to reconcile with him and with one another—and it is our mission to make this message known. If we only witness and fellowship with people of the same race and culture, we are missing a foundational aspect of God’s Kingdom. Racial reconciliation should start among believers within the church.Matthew 5:23-24“If you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”1 John 4:20If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?”Reconciliation isn’t an optional priority. It’s an urgent call—a way of living out our love for God himself.1 Corinthians 9:20-22When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. . . . Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.Reconciliation starts with respecting each other’s cultures. This may mean eating unfamiliar foods, learning new social conventions, worshiping God with different people, using different music and worship styles. When we make an effort to engage with another person’s culture and follow their lead, we will start to understand them better, and they will feel more comfortable being themselves around us.James 2:14-16What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? . . . Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?If you are part of an oppressive or offending group, don’t be afraid to acknowledge racial offense—even if it may be unintentional. But also realize that an apology may not be desired or well received by someone who has been hurt. Sometimes, apologizing for racism is just a way to deal with feelings of guilt without it leading to any real action or change. Authentic love means living out our apologies and taking part in real and healthy changes in society.Exodus 1:13-14The Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. They made their lives bitter.Lamentations 3:20I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.Lamentations 5:1-2Lord, remember what has happened to us. See how we have been disgraced! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners.Romans 12:15Weep with those who weep.Colonization. The African slave trade. The Holocaust. There are many events in history that impact race relations today. When someone’s heritage has suffered deep tragedy, minimizing that tragedy is not a path to reconciliation. Instead, listen. Empathize. Validate. Show your love and respect for a wronged person by mourning with them.Matthew 18:21-22Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”Colossians 3:12-13Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.Reconciliation can be messy. People from different cultures and experiences often don’t understand where the other is coming from, which makes it easy to offend each other. Reconciliation isn’t about just forgiving past wrongs—it’s a choice to work through current struggles too.Matthew 18:15“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.”Luke 17:3“So watch yourselves! If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.”Reconciliation isn’t passive—or passive-aggressive. It requires open, honest communication about what is and isn’t healthy for a relationship. Reconciliation takes all sides working together, and that can’t happen if one side is blind to what they are doing wrong.Matthew 10:16“Look, I [Jesus] am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.”Matthew 18:16-17“But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.”Sometimes, reconciliation takes a mediator. Even then, reconciliation isn’t always possible with an individual offender, and boundaries must be set. Jesus calls us to be innocent and kind, but he also calls us to take precautions against wolves within the flock.Matthew 5:44-48“I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. . . . If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?”It’s easy to love a trusted friend—someone we are comfortable with, someone who has supported us. But it’s hard to love someone who makes our lives uncomfortable. God’s love isn’t conditional or earned. He calls us to imitate that love, even when we don’t receive love in return.Revelation 7:9-10After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. . . . And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”We will spend eternity with believers of every nation and language. Let’s make every effort to learn to love each other here on earth.

Question 8

How can I be a friend to people who have been hurt by racism?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 11:2Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.Proverbs 12:1It is stupid to hate correction.James 1:19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.When someone has been hurt by racism, it’s important to listen to them. That might be uncomfortable. You might feel defensive. However, be careful not to invalidate their perspective or feelings. Listen. Learn. Let what they are saying sink in. Their decision to trust you with a difficult experience should not be treated lightly. You will never truly understand what it is like to have their exact experience, but if you listen, you can learn how to empathize and love them better.Luke 7:3-5When the [Roman] officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.”John 4:9The [Samaritan] 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?”The Jewish people considered Samaritans half-breeds and heretics. They also hated their Roman oppressors. Yet both the woman at the well and the Roman centurion were treated by Jesus as individuals rather than as faceless representatives of their race. When we interact with people of another race, it is critical to value who they are as individuals and not treat them as our “black friend” or “Asian friend” or “white friend.”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.”Deuteronomy 10:17-19“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. . . . He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”Isaiah 1:7Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed.Zechariah 7:9-10“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor.”It is not enough to be innocent of racism ourselves. Wherever there is injustice and oppression, including on the basis of race, believers have a responsibility to engage and respond. Racism involves more than just individual actions. Laws, court systems, and social structures can favor one race over another, and it takes intentional effort to change ingrained and systemic injustices. True love for others requires our action.

Question 9

Is interracial marriage unbiblical?

Accepted Answer

Deuteronomy 7:1-4“When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you . . . You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods.”2 Corinthians 6:14Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?Some have argued that the Bible is against interracial marriage because of the commands against marrying Canaanites in the Old Testament or Paul’s warning against “teaming up” with unbelievers. However, reading the context of both passages shows that race isn’t the issue—instead, it’s a matter of belief. In both cases, the sole concern is that a believer might be led away from the faith by the wrong partner. If someone of a different race is a believer, that concern is irrelevant.Matthew 1:5-6Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David.Two clear examples of godly interracial marriage in the Bible are the stories of Rahab (a Canaanite) and Ruth (a Moabite). Both these women were foreign to Israel, yet they became believers in the one true God. Afterward, both married Israelite men and became part of the family line of King David—and Jesus. Scripture praises both Rahab and Ruth for their godly character.Daniel 2:43“This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix.”Colossians 3:11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.Revelation 7:9-10After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”Daniel 2:43 is another Scripture commonly misused against interracial marriage. However, this verse is not a command to believers. It is a prophecy about a specific political context in history. If the mixing of races is morally wrong and corrupts a kingdom’s culture, why would the Kingdom of God be designed to embrace and protect cultural diversity?1 Corinthians 7:9A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord.In this passage, the apostle Paul has every opportunity to mention that marriage should be within racial boundaries. However, the only boundary Paul sets is that marriage should be between a believing man and a believing woman.

Question 10

Does the Bible support racism?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 1:27So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.Psalm 139:13-14You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.All human beings are created in the image of God. Whoever you are—whatever your skin color, whether you’re a man or a woman, old or young—you are made in God’s image. Your value comes from the fact that God made you and loves you.Revelation 7:9After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.Scripture makes it clear that eternity will be a kaleidoscope of cultures! Our heritage and culture doesn’t affect our salvation, but it is part of who we are and what eternity will look like.Genesis 9:20-25After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. Then Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover their father. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked. When Noah woke up from his stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done. Then he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham: “May Canaan be cursed! May he be the lowest of servants to his relatives.”Genesis 10:6The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.“The Curse of Ham” is a famous racist claim. Beginning in the 16th century or so, pro-slavery advocates started using Genesis 9 as a text to justify enslaving Africans. In this passage, Noah’s son, Ham, looks at his drunken and naked father. Instead of covering Noah to reduce his embarrassment, Ham leaves him there and goes to tell his brothers—possibly to mock Noah. Shem and Japheth, in contrast, carefully cover their father without looking at his naked body. When Noah learns what happened, he pronounces a curse to punish Ham’s sin. Slavery proponents noted that Ham was the ancestor of Africans, so therefore, slavery was a just fulfillment of Noah’s curse. Some even claimed that dark skin was a sign of this curse.This interpretation blatantly ignores central points of the passage. For one, the “curse of Ham” is a misnomer, a misinterpretation of Scripture. The curse was directed at Ham’s son Canaan, not Ham himself. Though Scripture isn’t explicit, many suspect Canaan was involved in the sordid event—which would explain Noah’s choice to curse him. That curse was later fulfilled in the conflict between the Israelites and the Canaanites. Ham’s other sons—Cush, Mizraim, and Put—are the ones historically identified with starting nations in Africa, and they had nothing to do with the events in Genesis 9. The “curse of Ham” is a horrific example of twisting Scripture to justify human sin—in this case, the sin of human slavery.Genesis 15:16“After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”Deuteronomy 12:29-31“When the Lord your God goes ahead of you and destroys the nations and you drive them out and live in their land, do not fall into the trap of following their customs and worshiping their gods. . . . for they perform for their gods every detestable act that the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.”Deuteronomy 7:1-4“When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous than you. When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods.”Did God call Israel to commit genocide? The destruction of the Canaanite peoples is an uncomfortable topic. This is a question commonly asked of God’s character. While it is a large subject with many pieces, here are a few insights from Scripture that can give us confidence in God’s goodness.First, God showed mercy until judgment was unavoidable. In Genesis 15, he specifically told Abraham that the sins of the people of Canaan were not yet significant enough to warrant their destruction. Second, Some sins of the Canaanites were truly horrific. Child sacrifice was just one of the evil practices God was punishing in his judgment. Third, some specific Canaanites were spared, such as Rahab and her family who trusted in God (Joshua 2). Fourth, God prohibited marriage with the Canaanites based on their beliefs, not their race. Rahab (a Canaanite) and Ruth (a Moabite) were both foreigners who rejected their false gods to worship the one true God. They are both listed in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1).Leviticus 19:9-10“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”Leviticus 19:33-34“Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”God insisted that foreigners should be treated the same as Israelites. Typically, a resident alien wouldn’t own land. They might be struggling to learn a new language, and their unfamiliarity with their environment would make them easy victims for financial abuse. Not only did God sternly condemn such abuse, but he instituted a financial safety net: gleaning. Gleaning was a practice of leaving the leftovers of a harvest out in the fields and allowing the poor to harvest it for their own food. God made it clear that his love was not limited only to Israel.Deuteronomy 7:6-8“You are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. . . . The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors.”Deuteronomy 9:4-6“After the Lord your God has done this for you, don’t say in your hearts, ‘The Lord has given us this land because we are such good people!’ No . . . The Lord your God will drive these nations out ahead of you only because of their wickedness, and to fulfill the oath he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You must recognize that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people.”God’s special care for Israel had nothing to do with racial superiority, political strength, or even moral merit. Instead, it had everything to do with God’s loving fulfillment of promises he had freely given.Genesis 22:18“Through your [Abraham’s] descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”Numbers 15:14-15“If any foreigners visit you or live among you and want to present a special gift as a pleasing aroma to the Lord, they must follow these same procedures. Native-born Israelites and foreigners are equal before the Lord and are subject to the same decrees. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation.”1 Kings 8:41-43“In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you [the Lord]. . . . all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do.”Isaiah 49:6He [the Lord] says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”Throughout Scripture, God made it clear that he was not only Israel’s God—he was the God of everyone. Israel was a key part of his plan to bless all the nations of the earth. While that plan was not made clear until Jesus came, throughout the Old Testament many non-Jews who came to know and love the God of Israel.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.”Acts 11:2-18When Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said. Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. . . . “And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?” When 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.”Ephesians 2:11-14Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. . . . but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ 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.The Jews had a history of conflict with non-Jews (Gentiles). The Jews were called to reject the idolatry of the cultures around them and follow God’s instructions. Because of this—and because of the centuries of persecution and oppression they had experienced from other nations—the Jews viewed Gentiles as enemies of God. The first Christians were Jewish, and they felt the same way. Yet God soon showed them his plan was bigger than they had imagined. Strangers, invaders, and enemies had now become brothers and sisters in Christ!Romans 2:28-29You are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit.Galatians 3:28There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.Ephesians 2:8-9God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.Colossians 3:11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.Most of us are Gentiles. We don’t have a Jewish heritage. We aren’t part of God’s chosen people by birth or by a circumcision ceremony. But our salvation isn’t dependent on our race. It isn’t dependent on our gender. It isn’t dependent on our education, our financial means, our social status, or religious ceremonies and good deeds. We all belong to God’s family because we believe in God’s freely given gift.

Question 11

Does the Bible support the practice of slavery?

Accepted Answer

Ephesians 6:5-6Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you.Titus 2:9Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back.1 Peter 2:18You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel.When we think of the word “slavery,” we often think of the evils that happened in the American Antebellum South. People were kidnapped and forced into slavery. They were dehumanized, treated as nothing more than beasts of burden, and forbidden education—all because of greed and racism. They were abused through beatings, whippings, burdened with heavy workloads, and even forced to serve as sex slaves. Masters had the ultimate authority and no accountability. Sadly, verses like Titus 2:9, Ephesians 6:5-6, and 1 Peter 2:18 were misused to justify and enforce this horrific practice.Many critics of Christianity today will quote verses like these out of context and claim the Bible endorses slavery. This argument relies on three things: first, the shock factor of the word “slave” and its horrific connotations in our modern world; second, quoting the verses apart from their textual and historical context; third, assuming that by not forcibly eradicating slavery, God approved of slavery and its abusive practices. This is not a simple issue that can be understood by a handful of Scripture texts. It requires study of the full context of Scripture and how slavery worked in ancient cultures.Ephesians 6:5-9Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. Masters, 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.Titus 2:9-10Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.1 Peter 2:18-19You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.These are the exact same Scriptures as you see above, but this time quoted in the larger context of surrounding verses. On their own, the original verses have been used to imply that masters have a God-given authority to demand absolute obedience from their slaves and punish them however they wish—that masters are intrinsically superior. Within the larger context, these verses make it clear that threats and cruelty are wrong, that slave and free are equal before God, and that slaves aren’t called to obedience because of a master’s inherent superiority. Instead, slaves are called to obedience because that reflects Christ’s character and becomes a witness to God’s good news.Exodus 21:16“Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves.”1 Timothy 1:10-11The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.In both old and new testaments, kidnapping people and selling them into slavery is condemned on the strongest terms. The transatlantic slave trade that abused millions of Africans was built on this form of kidnapping that the Bible so strongly opposes.Deuteronomy 15:12“If a fellow Hebrew sells himself or herself to be your servant and serves you for six years, in the seventh year you must set that servant free.”Deuteronomy 24:20-21“When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.”1 Corinthians 7:23Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it.Slavery in the ancient world was not based on concepts of racism like it was in America. In fact, many people in the ancient world sold themselves into slavery, often to people of their own race. If someone had fallen on financial hard times, there were no unemployment benefits or homeless shelters. Gleaning—the gathering of food left behind in the fields and vineyards after every harvest—was one way God provided for the less fortunate in ancient Israel. But if someone had a large debt or was unable to glean enough food, what then? Selling oneself into slavery (sometimes for a limited time period) was a desperate emergency option.Deuteronomy 23:15-16“If slaves should escape from their masters and take refuge with you, you must not hand them over to their masters. Let them live among you in any town they choose, and do not oppress them.”In the Antebellum American South and in most places in the ancient world, escaped slaves were supposed to be captured and returned to their masters. In ancient Israel, God explicitly prohibited this.Exodus 21:9-11“If the slave’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave but as a daughter. If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy. If he fails in any of these three obligations, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment.”In the Antebellum American South, masters often forced their slaves to have sex with them without obligation. In the Old Testament, God insisted on marriage, and he insisted that as wives, slave women deserved all the same rights as free women. If after marrying a slave, the husband did not give his slave wife her rights as a wife but kept treating her as a slave, she had every right to leave as a free woman.Exodus 21:12-27“Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death. . . . If a man beats his male or female slave with a club and the slave dies as a result, the owner must be punished. But if the slave recovers within a day or two, then the owner shall not be punished, since the slave is his property. . . . If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye and the eye is blinded, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. And if a man knocks out the tooth of his male or female slave, he must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.”Many skeptics quote Exodus 21:20-21 out of context, claiming, “The Bible says masters can beat their slaves within an inch of their life without punishment because slaves aren’t people, they’re property!” But looking just a few verses earlier in the passage, we see that the word “punished” refers specifically to the death penalty. If slaves weren’t viewed as people, why would the death penalty be enforced on masters who killed their slaves? The verse goes on to say that if a slave doesn’t die, the master is exempted from the death penalty.But why does the verse say, “since the slave is his property”? Again, looking a few verses later, we get an answer: Whether the slave dies or not, the master isn’t exempted from consequences. There we read that if a master so much as knocks his slave’s tooth out, then the master is punished financially by losing his slave. That slave goes free. Out of context, Exodus 21:20-21 seems to support abuse, but in context, it’s a strong civil law against abuse.Deuteronomy 24:1-4“Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house. When she leaves his house, she is free to marry another man. But if the second husband also turns against her, writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away, or if he dies, the first husband may not marry her again, for she has been defiled. That would be detestable to the Lord.”Matthew 19:8Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.”1 Corinthians 7:23Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it.Divorce is not a desirable thing. It does not fulfill God’s desire that marriage be loving and for life. Yet if Old Testament laws had ignored divorce, divorce would have happened without regulation, and husbands would have cast their wives onto the streets and married new ones (or remarried old ones) on a whim. The civil laws about divorce in the Old Testament were a concession to human stubbornness and sin. God recognized that a loving relationship could not be legally enforced, so laws were written to allow divorce yet restrict it in order to help prevent abuse.In a similar way, slavery (or indentured servitude) is not a desirable thing. It was not part of God’s original plan for human relationships. But in that ancient context, if someone was in deep debt or desperately poor, selling oneself into slavery—at least for a time—was sometimes the only way to survive. The Old Testament instructions about slavery were a concession for the economic realities of the time and were meant to limit the evils of slavery.1 Timothy 6:17Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.James 2:2-4Suppose 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?Wealth and social standing is temporary and shouldn’t hold sway in a Christian context. We are all servants of the same Master. The early church lived this out. Being rich didn’t earn you a leadership position in the church, and many slaves became elders.Philemon 1:16-18He [Onesimus] is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. . . . If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.The book of Philemon is the story of a slave, Onesimus, who ran away from his Christian master, Philemon. Through unknown circumstances, Onesimus met up with the apostle Paul in prison and became a Christian. Paul then wrote a letter to Philemon explaining what had happened, and encouraged the two men to reconcile as brothers in Christ. This mindset—that slaves should be treated as equal brothers, not property—undermined the foundations of slavery. Reading between the lines, many scholars believe that Paul was requesting for Philemon to free Onesimus (see Philemon 1:8-16, 21 in particular). We don’t know all the details of Onesimus and Philemon’s story or how it ended. Still, many respected Christian leaders in the early church—including Clement of Rome—were slaves or former slaves, and some early church traditions claim Onesimus himself became the bishop of Ephesus.1 Timothy 5:2Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.Philemon 1:16He [Onesimus] is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. . . . If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.Changing the way we define a relationship changes the way we live out that relationship. A brother does not treat his sister with impurity, and no one would treat a beloved brother as mere property. Paul may not have preached the forcible eradication of slavery, but he planted the seeds of its destruction.Zechariah 7:9-10“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor.”James 1:27Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.From the Old Testament to the New, justice is an important theme. Undermining slavery and creating a better social safety net for those in need was one of the ways early Christians changed their culture for the better. William Wilberforce, Moses Brown, Harriet Tubman, Reverend Thomas James, Fredrick Douglass, Austin Steward, and many other Christians spearheaded the fight against slavery in the 1700s and 1800s. In our modern day, sex trafficking is a growing slave trade that many Christian organizations are combating. There will always be injustice in our world, and Christians should always be on the front lines, caring for the poor, the vulnerable, and the enslaved.1 Samuel 16:7“The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”Matthew 20:25-28Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”Ephesians 6:8-9Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. Masters, 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.James 2:1My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?The kingdom of this world is built around the master and the slave, the wealthy and the poor, the admired and the despised, the oppressor and the oppressed. The Kingdom of God is built on something far different. It is not the powerful who are admired, but the slaves—those who put the needs of others above their own; the ones who complete the necessary task, no matter how inglorious or menial; the ones who, rather than seeking glory for themselves, seek glory for their master. Jesus was not a conqueror or a politician. He washed feet, and he calls us to do the same.

Question 12

Is Christianity “white” and Western?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 11:31One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans.Matthew 1:1This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham.Abraham came from Ur (modern-day Iraq), an Eastern country. Jesus, like most of the people in the Bible, was Jewish, a descendant of Abraham. He was brown, not white. Naturally, when people in Europe became Christians, the artwork they made of Jesus was based on the people they saw around them. In more recent centuries, as Western missionaries shared their faith, the pictures and images they shared of Jesus were from their white Western culture—creating the mistaken impression that Jesus was white. Nowadays, Christian artists in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and all over the world often paint Jesus like the people they know. With that said, Jesus was Jewish, and should be portrayed as Jewish. His racial and cultural context played an important role in God’s plan.Numbers 12:6-8The Lord said to them, “. . . why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”Esther 4:15-16Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”Luke 1:38Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”John 21:16Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.The most famous heroes of Scripture: Moses, Elijah, David, Esther, Mary, Peter, Paul, etc., were not white. The vast majority of people in Scripture were brown-skinned and came from Middle Eastern people groups, not from the European West.1 Kings 10:1, 6-9When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. . . . She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! . . . Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel.”Jeremiah 38:7-12Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important court official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. . . . “My lord the king,” he said, “these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone.” So the king told Ebed-melech, “Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.”Luke 23:26As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.Acts 8:27-38So he [Philip] started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. . . . Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.One of King Solomon’s most distinguished visitors was the Queen of Sheba, whom many scholars believe was black. The prophet Jeremiah was saved from starvation by a black man. Simon of Cyrene (modern Libya) may have been black. The Ethiopian eunuch was most likely black. These are just a few (of many) examples of black people playing important and honorable roles in the history of the Christian faith.Acts 10:1-47In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. . . . Then 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.” . . . Then Peter asked, “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”Cornelius may be the only named white believer we know of in the entire Bible. Cornelius was an Italian Roman soldier and the first known Gentile to become a believer. The beauty of Cornelius’s story is that it highlights how a non-Jew from a foreign land like Cornelius—someone who “didn’t belong”—was welcomed into the family of believers and confirmed by the Holy Spirit.Acts 2:7-12“How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.Revelation 7:9-10I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”The Bible does not limit God’s Good News to any one race or cultural context. Every race and every culture is offered the message of God’s forgiveness and grace. In eternity, we will worship God together in many languages yet with one voice!