What does the Bible say about black people?

The kingdom of God, as described in scripture, embraces and celebrates ethnic diversity, explicitly rejecting any notion of racial or ethnic superiority. For this reason, black people are not directly addressed. This divine plan for inclusion began with God's promise to Abraham that through him all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3), setting the foundation for a multi-ethnic kingdom. The New Testament further develops this vision, particularly in the book of Revelation, which depicts a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before God's throne (Revelation 7:9). This imagery emphasizes that diversity isn't merely tolerated in God's kingdom—it's actively celebrated as part of the divine plan.

Scripture consistently emphasizes that entry into God's kingdom is based solely on faith in Jesus Christ, not on ethnic or national background. This principle is powerfully illustrated through the stories of non-Israelite women like Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth, who were incorporated into Jesus's own lineage (Matthew 1:1-17). The Apostle Paul reinforces this teaching by declaring that in Christ, there is no distinction between Jew and Greek (Galatians 3:28), using "Greek" as a broader term for non-Jewish peoples. This radical inclusion challenged the ethnic and social boundaries of the ancient world and continues to challenge similar divisions today.

The early Christian church emerged as a living embodiment of this inclusive vision. Paul's letters repeatedly stress that the church should be a community where people from all backgrounds unite under Christ's leadership (Ephesians 2:14-16). This unity doesn't erase cultural differences but rather celebrates them, as demonstrated in the early church's diversity (Acts 2:5-11). The concept extends beyond mere tolerance to the active celebration of different cultures and ethnicities as part of God's intentional design for humanity. The early church's ability to transcend ethnic boundaries was one of its most distinctive and revolutionary features in the ancient world.

Throughout history, some have attempted to use scripture to justify ethnic or racial superiority through misinterpretation of two key biblical narratives. The first involves the "curse of Cain." After Cain killed his brother Abel, God cursed him and placed a mark upon him (Genesis 4:11-15). Some have historically misinterpreted this "mark" as dark skin, suggesting that Black individuals bear this curse. However, the Bible does not specify the nature of this mark, and there is no scriptural basis for associating it with skin color. In fact, the mark was given as a sign of God's protection, ensuring that no one would kill Cain (Genesis 4:15).

The second misinterpretation involves the "curse of Ham." This centers on Noah's curse upon Canaan, Ham's son, condemning him to servitude (Genesis 9:20-27). Over time, some construed this curse as applying to all of Ham's descendants, who were believed to inhabit Africa, thereby attempting to justify the enslavement and subjugation of Black people. This interpretation lacks biblical support and has been widely debunked by scholars, as it fundamentally contradicts the Bible's message of universal human dignity (Genesis 1:26-27) and God's love for all nations (John 3:16).

These misinterpretations directly contradict Scripture's explicit warnings against nationalistic ideologies that create division among people. The Bible emphasizes that God doesn't choose individuals based on geographic region, bloodline, or national boundaries (Acts 10:34-35, Romans 2:11). This understanding challenges any attempt to conflate God's kingdom with earthly nations or to suggest that any particular ethnic group holds a special status in God's eyes. Instead, scripture teaches that God's kingdom includes people from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Revelation 7:9) and that in Christ there is no distinction between ethnic groups (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11). The early church demonstrated this truth by unifying Jews and Gentiles into one body (Ephesians 2:14-16), setting a model for how the church today should approach ethnic diversity.

Further, the Bible's vision of the new creation includes a "tree of life" whose leaves are "for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:2), symbolizing God's plan for reconciliation among all peoples. This imagery directly contradicts any interpretation that would suggest divine preference for any particular ethnic group or nationality. Instead, it portrays a kingdom with open borders, united under Christ's leadership rather than earthly national boundaries. The metaphor of healing suggests that ethnic divisions and prejudices are wounds that God intends to heal in his kingdom.

The Christian church is called to be a provisional representation of Christ's presence on earth, meaning it should actively reflect this divine commitment to ethnic diversity, to the degree that language and geography allow. This understanding challenges churches to reject practices or attitudes that might favor one ethnic group over another, as such preferences would contradict the inclusive nature of God's kingdom. When anyone elevates characteristics like skin color or ethnicity above devotion to Christ, scripture considers this a form of idolatry that misrepresents God's character (Acts 10:34-35).

Throughout history, entire people groups have faced alienation, discrimination, and persecution due to their differences. The biblical narrative directly confronts such treatment by emphasizing that discrimination based on ethnicity contradicts God's character and plan. The church's role includes actively working against such division and discrimination, recognizing that these actions blaspheme God's name by contradicting His inclusive love for all peoples. This means that churches should not function better when composed of a single ethnicity—in fact, such homogeneity might indicate a failure to fully embody the diverse nature of God's kingdom.

Verses about ethnic unity:

1. Revelation 7:9, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands."

2. Acts 17:26, "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place."

3. Isaiah 2:2-3, "It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.'"

4. Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

5. Revelation 21:24, "By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it."

6. Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

7. Romans 15:9, "And in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy, as it is written, 'Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.'"

8. Psalm 86:9, "All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name."

9. Zechariah 14:16, "Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths."

10. Ephesians 2:14-16, "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility."