Inconvenient Biblical Teaching - Racism
-the Apostle Paul writing to the 1st church in the City of Rome, 1st century
Romans 10:11-13
[2nd message of the Why I Don't Believe Series]
In the first message of this series we talked about how people who reject Christianity do so because they cannot accept an inconvenient biblical teaching. This whether they understood its biblical context, or if they cannot find a way for their personal feelings or personal views to align with it, or if they just made a stand and is sticking with it no matter what.
Human Nature
This is understandable as we all want to be our own person. No one can tell us what to do (or what to believe or not believe in) -- the bible acknowledges this and calls it free will.
In the previous message we dealt with how some people view the bible as sexist.
Racism / Slavery
Today we will look at a more inconvenient view -- one of the more common reasons why people cannot make themselves to believe Christ. And this is that some people believe that biblical teachings are racist. (That and that it promotes slavery).
The fact is all ancient civilizations practiced slavery of some form. And this is because of a number of reasons.
Evolution
Humanity evolved like that. The Jewish people or their culture, like most if not all cultures look down on other people and other cultures.
New Testament
In the New Testament bible when Christ arrived, He actually pushed back on this and pushed for social justice.
And although He first shared the good news of the kingdom of God to the Jews (as the first part of God's plan), eventually the Apostles Paul, Peter and the other earliest disciples of Jesus taught the gospel of Jesus or salvation through Jesus of Nazareth to everyone -- regardless of nationality, ethnicity, color, gender and social status.
Racism / Slavery
Today we will look at a more inconvenient view -- one of the more common reasons why people cannot make themselves to believe Christ. And this is that some people believe that biblical teachings are racist. (That and that it promotes slavery).
The fact is all ancient civilizations practiced slavery of some form. And this is because of a number of reasons.
Evolution
Humanity evolved like that. The Jewish people or their culture, like most if not all cultures look down on other people and other cultures.
New Testament
In the New Testament bible when Christ arrived, He actually pushed back on this and pushed for social justice.
And although He first shared the good news of the kingdom of God to the Jews (as the first part of God's plan), eventually the Apostles Paul, Peter and the other earliest disciples of Jesus taught the gospel of Jesus or salvation through Jesus of Nazareth to everyone -- regardless of nationality, ethnicity, color, gender and social status.
Jesus is so much ahead of His time. People actually hated him and put him to death because of His radical teachings.
Everyone Who Calls on the Name of the Lord
As we read from the passage above, from the writings of the Apostle Paul (taken from the New Testament bible), we can clearly see that as a follower of Jesus Christ, he was telling the first believers in Rome that there is no distinction between Jews and non-Jews. (For the ancient Jews, there was two kinds of people, it is either you are a Jew or you aren't).
Paul went further on this matter in his letter to the first church in the City of Galatia (now part of modern day Turkey).
Paul who went out in several missionary journeys, wrote the passage below on his letter to the earliest believers in Galatia:
"Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham’s family, and you will be given what God has promised." Galatians 3:28-29
The New Covenant - We Are Family
Christianity, real Christianity was one of the earliest to teach on the equality of humankind -- we are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
Everyone Who Calls on the Name of the Lord
As we read from the passage above, from the writings of the Apostle Paul (taken from the New Testament bible), we can clearly see that as a follower of Jesus Christ, he was telling the first believers in Rome that there is no distinction between Jews and non-Jews. (For the ancient Jews, there was two kinds of people, it is either you are a Jew or you aren't).
Paul went further on this matter in his letter to the first church in the City of Galatia (now part of modern day Turkey).
Paul who went out in several missionary journeys, wrote the passage below on his letter to the earliest believers in Galatia:
"Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham’s family, and you will be given what God has promised." Galatians 3:28-29
The New Covenant - We Are Family
Christianity, real Christianity was one of the earliest to teach on the equality of humankind -- we are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
Granted some believers may be sexist or racist or were (or once were) slave owners, Jesus Christ of Nazareth and then His earliest disciples did not teach sexism or racism. In fact, Jesus was the first teacher in Jewish history to have women and non-Jewish disciples.
The New Testament
The teachings of Jesus we can read about in the New Testament bible. We will need to read it for ourselves to find out what it teaches. And not just go by what other people may be saying against it.
The New Testament consists of the different written accounts of the life of Jesus of Nazareth (Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), the record of the what happened after Jesus ascended into heaven or the early church (Book of Acts), and then the different letters of Peter, John, James, Paul and the other earliest church leaders plus the Book of Revelation, the last book of the bible.
One can read the entire New Testament bible in a few weeks by reading just a few chapters a day.
The teachings of Jesus we can read about in the New Testament bible. We will need to read it for ourselves to find out what it teaches. And not just go by what other people may be saying against it.
The New Testament consists of the different written accounts of the life of Jesus of Nazareth (Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), the record of the what happened after Jesus ascended into heaven or the early church (Book of Acts), and then the different letters of Peter, John, James, Paul and the other earliest church leaders plus the Book of Revelation, the last book of the bible.
One can read the entire New Testament bible in a few weeks by reading just a few chapters a day.
The Letter to Philemon
Paul wrote a letter to Philemon (a believer who owned slaves, it wasn't unusual for someone to in that place and time). Paul's letter was regarding one of Philemon's slaves, Onesimus (who also became a believer).
Real Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a way of life, a belief in the finished, redemptive and reconciliatory work of Christ.
It would be hard for an outsider looking in to truly understand what real Christianity is all about. Until they become one themselves.
Paul wrote a letter to Philemon (a believer who owned slaves, it wasn't unusual for someone to in that place and time). Paul's letter was regarding one of Philemon's slaves, Onesimus (who also became a believer).
Koinonia
Real Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a way of life, a belief in the finished, redemptive and reconciliatory work of Christ.
It would be hard for an outsider looking in to truly understand what real Christianity is all about. Until they become one themselves.
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