Leading Through Servanthood

Apostolic Leaders.org

Open Letter

To The Reader,

    Many of us have been raised to believe that it is not right for people of one skin color to marry people of another skin color.  However this tradition cannot be backed up with scripture.  This is instead a tool of division and the body of Christ is no place for it.

    Is it a division?  Absolutely it is.  If we divide people based on their skin color, we must go beyond that and divide them according to height, weight, hair color, etc.  For example, if a white person should not marry a black person because the children will neither be completely white nor completely black, then the same theory would stand for why a short person should not marry a tall person.  If a short person marries a tall person, what will their children be?  Will they be tall, short, or somewhere in between?  Seems silly, doesn’t it?  Well so is dividing people simply because of the color of their skin.  None of us choose the color of our skin any more than we choose our height.

    As a matter of fact, race is a myth.  “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”, (Gen. 1:27).  He created mankind.  In the Bible, the word “race” is only used four times.  In all four cases it has nothing to do with skin color (Psalm 19:5; Ecclesiastes 9:11; 1 Corinthians 9:24; Hebrews 12:1).  Using the word race to describe people who look different was made up by society in order to group people in certain categories.  It was not God’s doing.

    What does scripture say about divisions in the body of Christ?  Romans 16:17-20 says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.  For your obedience is come abroad unto all men.  I am glad therefore on your behalf:  but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.  And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.  Amen”.  1 Corinthians 1:10 says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment”.  1 Corinthians 3:3 says, “For ye are yet carnal:  for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men”.  1 Corinthians 11:18 says, “For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you:  and I partly believe it”.  We need to avoid these divisions.  Why?  Mark 3:24 and 25 tells us that “if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand”.

    We are told in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:  for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty”.  Nowhere here does it say anything about skin color.  It is specifically instructing Christians neither to have evil associations nor to marry sinners.

    Nowhere in the Bible did the Lord ever say not to marry someone based on their skin color.  He did, however, repeatedly instruct Israel not to marry certain nationalities or groups of people because of the sin those peoples were committing (Deuteronomy 7:1-11, 20:16-18; Joshua 23:11-16).  Why?  Deuteronomy 7:4 says, “For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly”.  And 7:6 says, “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God:  the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth”.

    Once we are in Christ, we are all members of the body of Christ.  One body with many members is still one body (Romans 12:3-5).  Galatians 3:26-29 says, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:  for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”.

    Many people mention the Canaanites when they argue in opposition to people of one skin color marrying people of another.  They point to the incident in Genesis 9:22, where Ham saw the nakedness of his father Noah, in order to shore up their belief.  So let’s break it down.  Noah’s son Ham was black.  We know this because of his name.  Ham means hot, burnt, or dark.   However the incident described in Genesis 9:22 didn’t even occur until Ham was a grown man (long after he had been named), and then the curse itself was pronounced on his son Canaan (who may not have been black).  It had nothing to do with skin color and everything to do with sin.  The Israelites were later instructed not to marry Canaanites and other peoples (Deuteronomy 7:1-11, 20:16-18; Joshua 23:11-16) because of the sin these people were committing.  Again, it had nothing to do with their skin color and everything to do with sin.

    Read Acts 10.  In verse 15 the Lord tells Peter, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common”.  That is a direct commandment from the Lord that we all too often overlook.  When the Lord makes a person clean, we are not to differentiate (or mark as different).  Peter explains in verses 34-36, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.  The word of God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ:  (he is Lord of all)”.  Do you see it?  If God Himself is no respecter of persons, then who are we to be?  Who are we to set ourselves higher than one person or another?

    Paul also makes it clear in Acts 17:22-31 when he speaks on Mars hill.  Specifically in versus 24-28 he says, “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring”.

    Just as in the time of the apostles, there are those today who don’t want to accept that we are all one when we are in Christ.  To do so would be to turn their back on what they were taught - and for many that is impossible.  They would rather be wrong than admit their parents, pastor, and even culture may have been mistaken.  But it doesn’t matter because the Lord does what He wills.  We either stand in His way or walk with Him.

With prayer and hope that you choose to walk with the Lord,

 

Pastor Nicholas and Janell Blizzard

Concerning Race and Racism