In my post last week, I offered pastoral advice for White Christians shepherding ethnic minorities in predominately White contexts. In this post, I offer pastoral advice for ethnic minorities shepherding ethnically white Christians in predominately minority contexts. Of course, overlap exists between the two pieces. For example, both white pastors and minority pastors should shepherd […]
Jesus died to reconcile Jews and Gentiles into one new man, so that they would live in reconciled community with each other (Gal. 2:11-14; Eph. 2:11-3:8). This reconciliation will in many cases create multi-ethnic churches, mono-ethnic churches with ethnic minority members, or mono-ethnic, minority churches with white members. The reconciling power of the gospel urges […]
The multi-ethnic church movement has captivated many Christians. In my capacity as a NT scholar and a preacher, I’m privileged to lecture and preach throughout the country in many multi-ethnic spaces, and in spaces that aspire to be multi-ethnic. I also regularly talk to many Christians who deeply ache for a multi-ethnic church experience. Unfortunately, […]
The past few years, the U.S. has seen an increasing concern about the questionable deaths of black and brown people at the hands of law enforcement. This concern exists in part because of our country’s history of legalized dehumanization of black people and in part because of questionable police shootings of black people in recent […]
Orthodox Christians believe that God is a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three persons in the Trinity are one, but yet distinct. However, the authors of the New Testament identify Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 3-4), while also ascribing to him the status of Yahweh (Rom. 10:8-13). By doing this, the […]
When you hear the phrase “white supremacy,” what comes to mind? Maybe you think of white men dressed in white sheets and committed to the lynching of black bodies. Maybe you think of white men with bald heads and red shoe strings in their black boots, men who are committed to the doctrine of white […]
This is part 2 of Jarvis Williams’ piece. You can read part 1 here. Part 2 of this piece will discuss the idolatry of race from Galatians 4:8-9. We Practiced Idolatry when We Did NOT Know God (v. 8). In Gal. 4:8-11, Paul concludes his argument regarding the superiority of his gospel over his opponents’ […]
God hates idols and idolatry. His greatest desire above all is to glorify himself and to fill the entire creation with his glory and to receive from his creation the glory that he rightly deserves. God makes it abundantly clear in the bible that he wants to be worshipped exclusively by all and above all. […]
Prayer is one of the most important and one of the most difficult spiritual disciplines. One reason prayer is difficult is because we must pause, be still, and focus. Another challenging obstacle to prayer is we don’t feel as though we’re doing anything productive when we pray. Another reason prayer is difficult is because we […]
Racism was one of the first great social evils to infect American Christianity. Racism manifested itself in the egregious institution of slavery, which was rooted in white supremacy. From the founders of this country to American preachers, American Christianity had representatives who sponsored and supported slavery, and who supported and sponsored black inferiority. The enslavement […]
Our country has again witnessed the tragedy of gun violence. This month, white cops shot and killed black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and in St. Paul, MN. A black sniper murdered white policemen and a Latino policeman in Dallas, Texas, while injuring both white and black civilians and cops. Most recently, a gunman assassinated […]
Racial tensions are high in the U.S. With the shootings in Baton Rouge, St. Paul, and Dallas, many Americans are seriously considering how to restore relationships between minority communities and those with legal and civic authority. So many are rightly asking the question, “What are the first steps that Americans need to take to bring […]
The Christian Scriptures teach that the world exists in an already but not yet tension. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Christians and the entire cosmos have been liberated from the slavery of sin’s power (Romans 6). On the other hand, Christians are bound for the new heavens and the new earth, and, along with […]
“The Bible shows us the Lord’s hot pursuit of all peoples and cultures, and this is expressed most completely in the gospel and is fulfilled completely in the kingdom of God. Yet, God’s multi-ethnic vision is not commonly found in North American churches. We are compelled to ask: Is this a theological problem? Apart from […]
For Americans and the country’s residents, this weekend may likely consist of barbecues, fireworks, memorials, and various patriotic gatherings to commemorate and celebrate America’s independence. July 4 is a welcomed holiday and good and right for this nation to celebrate. However, the celebration of, the honoring of, and the worship of America has no place […]
Paul begins Gal. 5:16-26 with the command: “Now, I say walk in the Spirit” (5:16a).[1] Here he recalls the theme of the Spirit from 3:14-5:4. The Spirit is the proof that the blessing of Abraham has been distributed to Jews and Gentiles who have faith in Christ and that the new age has dawned in […]
In Gal. 3:28, Paul states: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”[1] Christians often use this verse to support color-blindness in the church. As I’ve argued elsewhere, color-blindness basically claims that we should be racially neutral and look beyond one’s skin […]
I speak in many different contexts on issues related to reconciliation and multi-ethnic churches. I’ve observed one reason that reconciliation and multi-ethnic churches are difficult to achieve for some churches is because few of them are willing to make the necessary multi-ethnic negotiations for the purpose of pursuing healthy, gospel-centered, multi-ethnic churches. But God, in […]
The first question in the Westminster Larger Catechism is what is the chief end of mankind? The answer is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. The answer means that God created male and female in his own image, so that they would find their joy in him and that they would glorify (honor) him […]
What do you think of when you hear the question: For whom did Jesus die? The answer seems rather obvious: for the world. John 1:29 says, after all, that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. As a result, many interpreters assert Jesus died for the entire world […]
