Q:
What
does the Bible say about
interracial
marriage?
| BIBLE Q &
A
Q:
What
does the Bible say about |
............... |
If I become involved with a person of another race who is a Christian and has the same beliefs I do, is it a sin to pursue that relationship and possible marriage? I have heard preaching against it all my life, but now I'm unsure. GWOOD@sta-home.com
A: Some of the Scriptures often used to discourage intermarriage marriage include:
| ..... | Deut. 7:3-4 "Do not intermarry with them.... for they will
turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods....
"
1 Ki. 11:2 "They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, 'You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods...." Ezra 9:14 "Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices?..." |
However, each of these verses points out God's REASON behind forbidding interracial unions: " BECAUSE THEY WILL SURELY TURN YOUR HEARTS AFTER THEIR GODS." It was not the mix of races, per se, that would be detrimental, but the influence and/or compromise of spiritual differences. God wanted to keep his people pure from paganism.
In today's society, however, it would be almost impossible to find someone perfectly German, or perfectly English, etc. Example: My dad is Polish; my mom is German. My ex was half-English and half-Scottish, making my son 1/4 German, 1/4 Polish, 1/4 English, and 1/4 Scottish. So who would fit the requirement for my son to stay "within his own race"?
There is now neither Jew nor Greek, the New Testament says. Such Old Testament laws are not required of believers. (We no longer burn witches, stone delinquent children to death, offer burnt sacrifices, etc.) And while the principle of separation or holiness can certainly be appreciated in such O.T. verses, we ought not allow legalism to destroy the "freedom" we have in Christ (Galatians 5:1).
Spiritual compatibility should be first and foremost a consideration in a lifetime commitment, not what others may think, and not what society dictates. (That same society rationalizes the killing of unborn babies for the sake of mere convenience, and winks at a president's perjury.) Black skin makes someone no less a child of God than a white person's black hair. Blue eyes do not make someone better in God's eyes than brown, etc. Remember the words of old: "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart."