Question from a WordTruth.Com friend:

>> Would you please send me references in the Bible
>> on the subject of interracial marriage?
 

WordTruth.Com Response:

This subject seems to be coming up a lot these days. There are still many pastors that teach  some form of marital division between different groups of people.  Frankly, there is no biblical support for this view.  In fact, to understand this issue, you need to consider first the subject of "race" because this will make a huge difference in the answer to your question.

First, how many "races" of people are there?  The word of God speaks of only one race -- the human race.  Clearly,  God created the first man and first woman from whom He expected the world to be populated (Gen. 1:26-30). In the book of Acts, look at Paul's statement regarding God, "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings" (Acts 17:26, NKJV).  The people of the world are roughly categorized by the nations from which they were born.  But every one is of the human race.  There is no concept of "races" as we think of it today where people are distinguished by the color of their skin.  This is an unbiblical, unscientific, and arbitrary designation.

Having said that, are there any commands or limitations on the one you choose to marry?  There may be family traditions that guide this.  We see this in the families of Abraham (Gen. 24:3-4), Isaac (Gen. 28:1), and Jacob (Gen. 34:13-14). There were no biblical commands but a concern that the wife taken by their sons would share the same godly heritage.

Later, of the nation of Israel, God did command them not to take husbands or wives from among the other nations  because they would lead them astray in the worship of pagan idols (Exo. 34:12-16). Again, the emphasis for Israel was purity in their worship of the One true and living God.  That was a clear mission for Israel.  There was no concept of different "races" or inferior "races" of any kind.  The issue was spiritual purity.

In the New Testament, the only limitation is again what we saw in the Old Testament -- an admonition that a believer should not marry an unbeliever (2 Cor.6:14).  As far as people of different nations intermarrying, here is what the Bible says:
 

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:26-28 NKJV)

As long as two people are believers in the LORD Jesus Christ, and they love one another enough to commit to a lifetime of mutual sacrificial love for one another, then there is no reason they should not be permitted to marry.

Having said that, I should also note that though this is God's design from Scripture, people rarely live out this truth.  There are still prejudices that people hold against "interracial" marriages -- I use that term only because it is a common word.  I advise anyone considering marriage to undergo premarital counseling.  It is a worthwhile investment in the rest of your life together.

When two people who marry in spite of the prejudice against such a marriage, the need for good Christian premarital counseling is even greater.  The two people need to understand how to deal with the conflict that will ensue.  Also, the family and cultural traditions of people from different nations can present great challenges to a marital relationship.  Premarital counseling from a pastor or Christian counselor can also help the couple understand and deal with these challenges.

Well, David, I hope this provides you with a basic overview of the issue of interracial marriage.  Let me know if you have any additional questions after studying this response.

May the LORD Jesus Christ bless you with His wisdom and
the courage to follow Him!

     Randy Lariscy :-)
     Director - WordTruth Ministries
 

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Copyright 5/14/2000, Randy Lariscy.