WHAT DOES THE ‘BIBLE’ SAY ABOUT INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE?
By Pastor Greg Hooker
Before we look into this sometimes controversial subject, I want to make clear that we will be taking the Bible in its context and at its word to derive an answer to this important and sensitive subject. It make no deference what you and I ‘think’, but what the Lord says about it that matters.
Now having said that, let’s look at an example in Deuteronomy 7:3-4 in which God commanded His people not to marry outside of their race:
3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
4 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.”
The reason the Lord makes this harsh command is because the people living within the land He promised to His people were pagans. They worshipped false gods and would lead the children of Israel down a path to paganism. So the main reason God forbade the Israelites from marrying them had nothing to do with race or skin color, but because the people living there were worshippers of the Devil and observed satanic practices. For an example of this see Malachi 2:11.
When we look over to the New Testament we find a passage that is often misinterpreted to teach that interracial marriage is wrong:
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
It’s a common and sometimes deliberatemistake to only read the first five words leaving the verse completely out of context. By the way, this is one of the Devils favorite tricks! When this happens a false doctrine is created and perpetrated. Let’s look at those five words alone:
“Be ye not unequally yoked together...”
As you can see, these five words alone could be used to support many things the Lord didn’t intend, because we did not finish what He said. To get the full meaning of what’s being taught, we must finish what He stated:
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
Wow! Do you see what a difference that made when we added the rest of the Lords words?! Just like in Deuteronomy above, God is telling us not to be “yoked together with unbelievers”. He goes on to say there can be no fellowship with “righteousness” and “darkness” - oil and water will not mix.
Again the Lord says that “light” and “darkness” cannot coexist. Light always dispels darkness. God always dispels the darkness of Satan.
The bottom line is this, as the Israelites were told not to intermingle with “pagans”. so Christians are not to intermingle with “unbelievers”. This, or any other passage, when taken in context, does not teach that interracial marriage is wrong. In fact, the great man Moses married a woman of ‘Cush’, which was a black race of Ethiopia (Numbers 12).
Later, Aaron and Mariam rebuke Moses for this and it displeased the Lord greatly. In response to Miriam’s criticism, God does not get angry at Moses, He gets angry at Miriam. The criticism has to do with Moses’ marriage and Moses’ authority. The most explicit statement relates to the marriage: “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.” Then God strikes Miriam with leprosy.
Just as the Israelites (believers in the one true God) were commanded not to marry idolaters, so Christians (believers in the one true God) are commanded not to marry unbelievers. The Bible never says that interracial marriage is wrong. Anyone who teaches or forbids interracial marriage is doing so without biblical authority.
In conclusion, interracial marriage is not a sin, for we are “ONE in Christ Jesus.” All races will make up the Bride of Christ! Those teaching otherwise are not doing so on biblically grounds.
By Pastor Greg Hooker
Before we look into this sometimes controversial subject, I want to make clear that we will be taking the Bible in its context and at its word to derive an answer to this important and sensitive subject. It make no deference what you and I ‘think’, but what the Lord says about it that matters.
Now having said that, let’s look at an example in Deuteronomy 7:3-4 in which God commanded His people not to marry outside of their race:
3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
4 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.”
The reason the Lord makes this harsh command is because the people living within the land He promised to His people were pagans. They worshipped false gods and would lead the children of Israel down a path to paganism. So the main reason God forbade the Israelites from marrying them had nothing to do with race or skin color, but because the people living there were worshippers of the Devil and observed satanic practices. For an example of this see Malachi 2:11.
When we look over to the New Testament we find a passage that is often misinterpreted to teach that interracial marriage is wrong:
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
It’s a common and sometimes deliberatemistake to only read the first five words leaving the verse completely out of context. By the way, this is one of the Devils favorite tricks! When this happens a false doctrine is created and perpetrated. Let’s look at those five words alone:
“Be ye not unequally yoked together...”
As you can see, these five words alone could be used to support many things the Lord didn’t intend, because we did not finish what He said. To get the full meaning of what’s being taught, we must finish what He stated:
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
Wow! Do you see what a difference that made when we added the rest of the Lords words?! Just like in Deuteronomy above, God is telling us not to be “yoked together with unbelievers”. He goes on to say there can be no fellowship with “righteousness” and “darkness” - oil and water will not mix.
Again the Lord says that “light” and “darkness” cannot coexist. Light always dispels darkness. God always dispels the darkness of Satan.
The bottom line is this, as the Israelites were told not to intermingle with “pagans”. so Christians are not to intermingle with “unbelievers”. This, or any other passage, when taken in context, does not teach that interracial marriage is wrong. In fact, the great man Moses married a woman of ‘Cush’, which was a black race of Ethiopia (Numbers 12).
Later, Aaron and Mariam rebuke Moses for this and it displeased the Lord greatly. In response to Miriam’s criticism, God does not get angry at Moses, He gets angry at Miriam. The criticism has to do with Moses’ marriage and Moses’ authority. The most explicit statement relates to the marriage: “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.” Then God strikes Miriam with leprosy.
Just as the Israelites (believers in the one true God) were commanded not to marry idolaters, so Christians (believers in the one true God) are commanded not to marry unbelievers. The Bible never says that interracial marriage is wrong. Anyone who teaches or forbids interracial marriage is doing so without biblical authority.
In conclusion, interracial marriage is not a sin, for we are “ONE in Christ Jesus.” All races will make up the Bride of Christ! Those teaching otherwise are not doing so on biblically grounds.