No one can deny the turmoil and division that exists in our country today. While I admit this, I don’t necessarily think it is what we see on the news coverage. It seems we are led to believe that every American citizen is caught up in that division and must declare sides. I have long since removed myself from the news coverage because I don’t feel like I am getting the unfiltered factual news anymore. And this comes from both sides of the political divide.
Now if I haven’t lost you yet, let me address this racial division. What does the Bible have to say about this? Well, first let’s note this is not something new. This racial prejudice has always existed and in the New Testament times was perhaps even deeper than today.
The first Century Jew regarded all people to be in one of 2 groups. One was either a Jew or a Gentile/Greek. The 7th chapter of Mark notes the Jewish prejudice was so strong they too practiced hand washing. But their hand washing had nothing to do with hygiene. It was all about a social contamination. Their mentality was that if a Gentile touched anything and they later touched it as well, it made them spiritually unclean. Jesus clearly condemned this and taught that their problem was an issue of the heart.
The Greeks were also guilty of categorizing people into 2 groups. According to Romans 1:14, these 2 groups were the Greeks and the barbarians. The Greeks were those in New Testament times that spoke the Greek language and held to the Grecian customs. This largely came about during the Grecian Empire established under Alexander the Great. The barbarians were referred to as anyone not subscribing to the culture and the ways of the Greeks.
Thus we have all mankind divided into Jew and Gentile or Greek and barbarian. The context of Romans 1 gives us the simple approach to racial division. The gospel is for all. Paul explained in verse 16,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of GOD to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
Therein lies an interesting and timely lesson for us regarding the Jew and the Greek. We know who the Jews were. Under the Old Law, they were the chosen of GOD, the descendants of Judah. What about the Greeks? As stated earlier, they were those who spoke the Greek language. In the context of Romans 1, the Greek represented anyone not of the Jewish persuasion. So, in reality, the whole of mankind is addressed.
Reading the book of Acts we can see how the Jews struggled with this prejudice. The early Jewish Christians were reluctant to admit the Gentiles into the church. Acts 10 relates the story of Cornelius and his household and how they were used to combat this prejudice.
Later in Acts 17:26, Paul says, “And HE has made from one blood every nation of men…”
When I look at man, I must see beyond skin tone. I must see someone made in the image of GOD. It is only then will the racial divide be truly conquered.
While I don’t think the racial division is what I am being fed by the media and politicians, there is no doubt these tensions exist. They existed in the first Century and they exist today.
It is only when we see things from GOD’S perspective that these prejudices will be gone. Our prejudice will disappear when we see that the grace of GOD that brings salvation has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11).
Oh, I should note that GOD also divides men into 2 groups. But it has nothing to do with ethnicity. In our context of Romans 1, we note the righteousness of GOD in verse 17 and the unrighteousness of men in verse 18. Two groups are named, the righteous and the unrighteous. Jesus used the analogy of roads or gates in Matthew 7. Two groups, two roads, two classifications of men: the saved and the lost. That is how GOD separates and distinguishes.
Saved and lost. In which group will you be????