Whenever we talk about pursuing genuine multiethnic unity in the church or advocate dismantling racial/ethnic hierarchies within the church and our communities, we often receive the response that the Bible doesn’t mention or address issues of race.  That while the Bible uses the word ethnos 161 times, the concept of ethnos was different than our concept of race is today.  That division in Bible times was based on cultural or religious differences not based on physical characteristics.

​

First, the Bible does mention race.  Jeremiah 13:23 asks if the Ethiopian can change his skin.  Acts 13:1 mentions Simeon the black disciple.  The Hebrew Bible mentions “Cush” and related terms some 54 times.  The Septuagint called the Cushites Αἰθίοπες, which was the Greek term for all swarthy-skinned people south of Egypt.  In Numbers 12, Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses because he married a Cushite (dark skinned) woman. 

 

It is certainly true that the concept of stratifying society and our churches based on skin color is a recent phenomenon.  Does that then mean that what the Bible has to say about ethnocentrism doesn’t necessarily relate to the black/white division in the American church?

​

Myth #6: What the Bible has to say about ethnocentrism isn’t relevant to the Black/White division in the American church.

​

This narrative is based on a misconception of our racial issues today.  When we talk about dismantling racial hierarchies in the church, we are talking about dismantling hierarchies based on our assumption that black Christians are inferior to white Christians culturally and theologically.  When we talk about what the Bible has to say about colorblind racism, we are talking about the belief that ethnicity is not relevant, and that there is no need to build cultural intelligence or to acknowledge the reality that black & white Americans experience life differently, both inside and outside the church.  And when we talk about racial disparities in America, we are really talking about disparities experienced between two different ethnic groups, white & black Americans, not disparities experienced by two different racial groups, i.e. all white people and all black people. 

 

Paul preached against ethnocentrism and made ethnic reconciliation a central focus of his ministry.  What we see in the American church today closely mirrors what Paul preached against.