The author is a strong proponent of closing the racial distance using the Word of God. Growing up in South Carolina, the author was a strong supporter of segregation during his younger days, but reforms himself as he gains spiritual wisdom while preaching the message of God from the pulpit. He advocates strong faith in unity and racial harmony found in both old and New Testaments. He uses his position as a pastor and leader of Bethlehem Baptist church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to set guidelines to practice racial diversity, tolerance and togetherness. The author not only preaches the acceptance of racial differences but he practices in his personal life and in his own church.
The author discusses the stories of the "origin" of race in Genesis and elsewhere in Bible, and reviews the literature and interprets them in a new light. In chapter 15, the author quotes Genesis 1:27, "So God created in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them." Then in Genesis 5:1-3, "When God created man, He made in the likeness of God........" Paul makes a harmonious statement in Acts 17:26, "And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth." After the Great Flood, the human race that followed from Noah three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth lead to diversity on many fronts and not just racial difference alone. The sons of Ham are Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan. The Canaanites (Arabs) and Cushites (black Africans) emerged from Ham. So the author argues at what point the racial difference becomes God's ordained diversity. There is an interesting discussion in this chapter on pages 208-215 about the marriage of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:21-22) who were ethnically and religiously different and they were the off springs of incest (Genesis 19:36-37). Ruth was also a true devotee of God and she is one of the four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). The sayings of Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:39 support the religious purity and not the racial purity. Similar sentiments are expressed by Moses in Deuteronomy 7:3-4, and Colossians 3:11. In another example, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses for marrying a Cushite woman (Num 12:1), but God becomes angry at Miriam for criticizing Moses (Num 12:7-10).
In appendix 4, "What are the implications of Noah's curse?" there is a scholarly discussion about why Noah's curse is directed to Ham's youngest son Canaan for Ham's sin? I also found chapters 7, "the mission of Jesus and end of ethnocentrism, and appendix 3, "How and why Bethlehem Baptist church pursues ethnic diversity" to be scholarly and theologically sound approach to promote racial unity.
The author discusses the stories of the "origin" of race in Genesis and elsewhere in Bible, and reviews the literature and interprets them in a new light. In chapter 15, the author quotes Genesis 1:27, "So God created in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them." Then in Genesis 5:1-3, "When God created man, He made in the likeness of God........" Paul makes a harmonious statement in Acts 17:26, "And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth." After the Great Flood, the human race that followed from Noah three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth lead to diversity on many fronts and not just racial difference alone. The sons of Ham are Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan. The Canaanites (Arabs) and Cushites (black Africans) emerged from Ham. So the author argues at what point the racial difference becomes God's ordained diversity. There is an interesting discussion in this chapter on pages 208-215 about the marriage of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:21-22) who were ethnically and religiously different and they were the off springs of incest (Genesis 19:36-37). Ruth was also a true devotee of God and she is one of the four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). The sayings of Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:39 support the religious purity and not the racial purity. Similar sentiments are expressed by Moses in Deuteronomy 7:3-4, and Colossians 3:11. In another example, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses for marrying a Cushite woman (Num 12:1), but God becomes angry at Miriam for criticizing Moses (Num 12:7-10).
In appendix 4, "What are the implications of Noah's curse?" there is a scholarly discussion about why Noah's curse is directed to Ham's youngest son Canaan for Ham's sin? I also found chapters 7, "the mission of Jesus and end of ethnocentrism, and appendix 3, "How and why Bethlehem Baptist church pursues ethnic diversity" to be scholarly and theologically sound approach to promote racial unity.
Reference: Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian by John Piper
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