Question
What is said in the Bible about prejudice among society and the church in the bible?
Answer
The bible is clear on this subject. It is sinful to think of ourselves as better than others because we have a particular skin color. It is also wrong for us to look down on and mistreat others because they have a different skin color.
When it comes to sin, we have all committed sin against God, if we have reached the age of knowing right from wrong. No matter what our skin color, our problem is, we have violated the Law of God and stand condemned before Him. We are condemned because of our evil unlawful actions, not because of particular skin color, economic status or any other external factor.
ROM 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Seeing that we all have the same problem, sin, we all must come to God the same way that He has determined, believing in Jesus to be the Son of God, repenting of our sins, confessing Him before men and being baptized (immersed) in water for the forgiveness of our sins. When this is done in trusting faith, we, no matter what our skin color or social background, become one in Christ Jesus.
GAL 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
GAL 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
GAL 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
GAL 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
Among God’s people, there is no room for distinctions made along racial,me social, economic or any other lines contrived by men. We all are brothers and sisters in Christ and should treat one another in a loving manner.
JAM 2:1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
JAM 2:2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,
JAM 2:3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,”and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”
JAM 2:4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
JAM 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
JAM 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?
JAM 2:7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
JAM 2:8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,”you are doing well.
JAM 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
JAM 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
JAM 2:11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,”also said, “Do not commit murder.”Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
JAM 2:12 So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
JAM 2:13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
As to mixed (racially, socially or otherwise), there are no prohibition placed upon us in the New Testament. However, depending on conditions in society, there might be more problems for those who marry others from different backgrounds. Even so, there is still no prohibition by God along this line. The most important thing to anyone considering marriage should be, are they a Christian and is the one they are going to marry a faithful Christian. Depending and serving the One who has created marriage to begin with, is the greatest thing we can do to make sure marriage is all that God intended it to be.
By Gary Hunt