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Does the Bible Oppose Interracial Marriage?

Does the Bible Oppose Interracial Marriage?
  • Published Sep 13, 2022

The following is a transcribed Video Q&A, so the text may not read like an edited article would. Scroll to the bottom to view this video in its entirety.  

The Bible does not oppose interracial marriage. And some people have used the Scripture, “to not be unequally yoked” as a justification for denying interracial marriage. But in the Scriptures actually Moses when he married a Cushite woman, who was Ethiopian, and Miriam and Aaron spoke out against them, God punished them. That to me is a clear indication that God has no opposition whatsoever to interracial marriage. Also, the Scriptures say that we are all created equally. We are all created in the image of God. There should be no reason for us to deny marriage of anyone of any ethnicity. Where we need to think about, and where we should not be married to, are those who are Christian and not-Christian. That is the issue. That is unequally yoked. But in terms of ethnicity and cultural background we are free to marry who we want.

Christianity.com: Does the Bible oppose interracial marriage? - Trillia Newbell from christianitydotcom2 on GodTube.

Is There Any Reason Christians Cannot Participate in an Interracial Marriage?

Marla Alupoaicei from Crosswalk shares, “Then there were the foreign wives of Solomon, which led to his downfall (1 Kings 11). It was not so much a matter of these women being foreign (non-Jewish by race), but a matter of these women worshipping foreign gods that was at issue. The concern was always that men's hearts would be turned from God to idols.”

The only interracial marriage that is clearly outlawed in the Bible is marrying outside of the family of God. We are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Jesus is the foundation for a healthy marriage. Spiritual unity is far more important than physical resemblance. Man cares about the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). God explicitly tells us not to marry unbelievers in 2 Corinthians 6:14. This is not out of hatred toward them; the Lord loves everyone and wishes no one perishes (2 Peter 3:9). This is out of a Father’s wisdom because a strand of three is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). When Christ is the center of a marriage the couple thrives. If a marriage is built on the foundation of unity through Christ, there will be blessing and ministry that results from it. It is for a person’s benefit to follow this advice.

To read more from this article, see What Does the Bible Say about Interracial Marriage?

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