A Biblical View of Diversity

This is an edited excerpt from my previously published article, “Racism, Revelation and Recipes: Towards Christian Inter-Cultural Communities” (Christian Educator’s Journal, April 2008). It lays out a biblical-theological perspective on ethnic diversity and racism. I regard this as still a work-in-progress.

A Biblical-Theological Perspective on Diversity & Racism

1. Diversity, in and of itself, is a God-created good that reflects the unity (oneness) and diversity (three-ness) of the Triune God.

God’s Inter-Cultural Vision

Sermon for Maranatha CRC, Cambridge  – Oct. 4, 2009

Texts: Genesis 11:1-9, Acts 2:1-13, (Revelation 7:9-10, Matt. 28:18-20)

As a church, you have been going through a series of sermons based on the theme of a Healthy Church Walks in the Steps of Jesus. Although Jesus himself did not do a lot of cross-cultural ministry (he did some, like the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4), in Matthew 28 he did commission his Jewish disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” (v. 19). In fact, the word “nations” in the original Greek is “ethnos” where we get the word “ethnic”. And “all nations” is often Jewish shorthand to mean the Gentiles. So, the Great Commission was originally a cross-cultural commission – go and make disciples of all ethnicities. And this vision of all nations is echoed by the apostle John’s vision in Revelation 7:9, where he sees “a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, worshipping before the Lamb,” which is Jesus Christ our Lord.