Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the concept of race as understood in modern terms is not explicitly addressed. The Scriptures focus more on ethnic groups, nations, tribes, and languages rather than the contemporary notion of race based on physical characteristics. The Bible emphasizes the unity and equality of all human beings as created by God.
Creation and Unity of HumanityThe Bible begins with the creation of humanity in the image of God.
Genesis 1:27 states, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." This foundational truth establishes the inherent dignity and worth of every human being, regardless of ethnic or cultural background.
The unity of humanity is further emphasized in
Acts 17:26 , where Paul, speaking in Athens, declares, "From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands." This passage underscores the common ancestry of all people and God's sovereign plan for the diversity of nations.
Diversity and God's Sovereign PlanThroughout the Bible, there is recognition of the diversity of peoples and nations. The Table of Nations in
Genesis 10 outlines the descendants of Noah's sons and the spread of nations across the earth. This diversity is part of God's design and serves His purposes in history.
The Old Testament often refers to various ethnic groups, such as the Israelites, Egyptians, Canaanites, Moabites, and others. These distinctions are primarily cultural and national rather than racial. God's covenant with Israel was not based on racial superiority but on His sovereign choice and purpose (
Deuteronomy 7:6-8).
The Gospel and the Breaking Down of BarriersThe New Testament reveals the breaking down of ethnic and cultural barriers through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In
Ephesians 2:14-16 , Paul writes, "For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility. By abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees, He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility."
The early church grappled with issues of ethnic division, particularly between Jews and Gentiles. The Council of Jerusalem in
Acts 15 addressed these tensions, affirming that salvation through Jesus Christ is available to all, without distinction.
The Vision of Unity in RevelationThe Bible culminates in a vision of ultimate unity and diversity in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 7:9 describes a scene in heaven: "After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands."
This vision reflects the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan, where people from every ethnic background are united in worship of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. It highlights the inclusivity of the Gospel and the eternal significance of diversity within the body of Christ.
ConclusionWhile the Bible does not address race in the modern sense, it provides a framework for understanding the unity and diversity of humanity. All people are created in the image of God, and through Christ, the barriers that divide are broken down, leading to a vision of eternal unity among all nations and peoples.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Race[GAMES]
ATS Bible Dictionary
RacePsalm 19:5Ecclesiastes 9:11. Various games were instituted among the Greeks and Romans, in honor of their gods, and with the design of training young men to personal vigor and activity, and to intrepidity and skill in war. These games were celebrated at stated places and times, with great pomp; renowned statesmen, legislators, and kings engaged in them; and it was deemed the highest of all honors to be crowned with a simple chaplet of laurel, olive, pine, or parsley, in the presence of the vast assemblage of witnesses who delighted to honor the victor.
The preparatory training was very severe, and every weakening indulgence was forbidden. Among the most famous games were those celebrated on the isthmus of Corinth, hence called the Isthmian games; and to these Paul alludes in his letters to Corinth,11 Corinthians 9:24-27. The foot race was a game of the first rank; other games were the chariot-race, wrestling, boxing, leaping, and throwing the quoit or the javelin. The foot-race well illustrates the Christian warfare, the sacrifices to be made, the diligent bringing the body under subjection, the laying aside every weight, the myriads of spectators lining the course, and among them those previously crowned victors, the exhausting efforts required, (from which the word agonize is derived,) and the glorious prize,Philippians 3:132 Timothy 4:7,8Hebrews 12:1.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To raze.
2. (n.) A root.
3. (n.) The descendants of a common ancestor; a family, tribe, people, or nation, believed or presumed to belong to the same stock; a lineage; a breed.
4. (n.) Company; herd; breed.
5. (n.) A variety of such fixed character that it may be propagated by seed.
6. (n.) Peculiar flavor, taste, or strength, as of wine; that quality, or assemblage of qualities, which indicates origin or kind, as in wine; hence, characteristic flavor; smack.
7. (n.) Hence, characteristic quality or disposition.
8. (n.) A progress; a course; a movement or progression.
9. (n.) Esp., swift progress; rapid course; a running.
10. (n.) Hence: The act or process of running in competition; a contest of speed in any way, as in running, riding, driving, skating, rowing, sailing; in the plural, usually, a meeting for contests in the running of horses; as, he attended the races.
11. (n.) Competitive action of any kind, especially when prolonged; hence, career; course of life.
12. (n.) A strong or rapid current of water, or the channel or passage for such a current; a powerful current or heavy sea, sometimes produced by the meeting of two tides; as, the Portland Race; the Race of Alderney.
13. (n.) The current of water that turns a water wheel, or the channel in which it flows; a mill race.
14. (n.) A channel or guide along which a shuttle is driven back and forth, as in a loom, sewing machine, etc.
15. (v. i.) To run swiftly; to contend in a race; as, the animals raced over the ground; the ships raced from port to port.
16. (v. i.) To run too fast at times, as a marine engine or screw, when the screw is lifted out of water by the action of a heavy sea.
17. (v. t.) To cause to contend in a race; to drive at high speed; as, to race horses.
18. (v. t.) To run a race with.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
RACEras (merox; agon, dromos).
SeeGAMES, I, 2; II, 3.
Greek
1408. dromos -- a course,race... a course,
race. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: dromos Phonetic
Spelling: (drom'-os) Short Definition: a running, course, career Definition: a
...1484. ethnos -- arace, a nation, pl. the nations (as distinct...
... 1483, 1484. ethnos. 1485 . arace, a nation, pl. the... Word Origin probably
from a prim. root Definition arace, a nation, pl. the...
246. allophulos -- of anotherrace
... of anotherrace. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: allophulos Phonetic
Spelling: (al-lof'-oo-los) Short Definition: foreign Definition: foreign, of...
1074. genea --race, family, generation
...race, family, generation. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: genea
Phonetic Spelling: (ghen-eh-ah') Short Definition: a generation Definition: a...
2104b. eugenes -- of noblerace
... 2104a, 2104b. eugenes. 2105 . of noblerace. Transliteration: eugenes
Short Definition: noble-minded. Word Origin from eu and genos...
241. allogenes -- of anotherrace
... of anotherrace. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: allogenes Phonetic Spelling:
(al-log-en-ace') Short Definition: of another nation, a foreigner...
4712. stadion -- a stadium (a Gr. measure of length), by impl. a...
... Phonetic Spelling: (stad'-ee-on) Short Definition: one eighth of a Roman mile
Definition: (a) a stadium, one eighth of a Roman mile, (b) arace-course for...
5443. phule -- a clan or tribe
... a clan or tribe. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: phule Phonetic
Spelling: (foo-lay') Short Definition: a tribe,race Definition: a tribe orrace...
1085. genos -- family, offspring
... family, offspring. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: genos Phonetic
Spelling: (ghen'-os) Short Definition: offspring, family,race, kind Definition...
444. anthropos -- a man, human, mankind
... Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: anthropos Phonetic Spelling:
(anth'-ro-pos) Short Definition: a man, one of the humanrace Definition: a man...
Strong's Hebrew
4793. merots -- a running, arace... 4792, 4793. merots. 4794 . a running, a
race. Transliteration: merots
Phonetic Spelling: (may-rotes') Short Definition:
race. Word
...6154. ereb -- mixture, mixed company
... 1 Kings 10:15), (with the article prefix), {eh'-reb}; from arab; the web (or transverse
threads of cloth); also a mixture, (or mongrelrace) -- Arabia, mingled...
4464. mamzer -- a bastard, child of incest
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition a bastard, child of incest NASB Word
Usage illegitimate birth (1), mongrelrace (1), one of illegitimate birth (1)....
4794. merutsah -- a running, course
... course, running. Or mrutsah {mer-oo-tsaw'}; feminine of merowts; arace (the act),
whether the manner or the progress -- course, running. Compare mrutsah....
2233. zera -- a sowing, seed, offspring
... 6), fertile (1), grain (3), intercourse* (2), line (1), nation (1), offspring (38),
offspring's offspring (1), origin (1), posterity (1),race (1), seed (48...
734. orach -- a way, path
... manner, highway. From 'arach; a well-trodden road (literally or figuratively); also
a caravan -- manner, path,race, rank, traveller, troop, (by-, high-)way....
1984b. halal -- to be boastful, to praise
... make its boast (1), makes a mad (1), makes fools (1), making fools (1), offers praises
(1), praise (90), praised (20), praises (1), praising (5),race madly (1...
3120. Yavan -- a son of Japheth, also his desc. and their land
... Probably from the same as yayin; effervescing (ie Hot and active); Javan, the name
of a son of Joktan, and of therace (Ionians, ie Greeks) descended from him...
Library
The HeavenlyRace
... The HeavenlyRace. A Sermon (No.198).... REV. CH SPURGEON. on the Grand Stand, Epsom
Race-Course. "So run, that ye may obtain.""1 Corinthians 9:24....
The ChristianRace.
... XIII. THE CHRISTIANRACE.... The reason why men are so apt to faint in their
race for heaven, lies chiefly in either of these two things:...
And that thisRace was to Become an Holy People was Declared in...
... THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE APOSTOLIC PREACHING Chapter 93 And that thisrace
was to become an holy people was declared in the Twelve?...
When was the HumanRace Destroyed by a Flood? was it not Before Us...
... Book I. 4 When was the humanrace destroyed by a flood? was it not before us? When?
When was the humanrace destroyed by a flood? was it not before us?...
A Sermon on the BoatRace.
... XXI. A SERMON ON THE BOATRACE.... has won. For ourselves we care not, but we are anxious
to make use of the contest as a parable, before therace is forgotten....
TheRace of Life
... SERMON X. THERACE OF LIFE. John 1:26.... For the Collect says, we have all
arace to run. We have all a journey to make through life....
The ChristianRace.
... CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND LIFE. 370. " The ChristianRace. 370. LM Watts.
The ChristianRace. 1 Awake, our souls, away, our fears...
The ChristianRace.
... CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND LIFE. 368. " The ChristianRace. 368. CM Doddridge.
The ChristianRace. 1 Awake, my soul! stretch every...
Jesus Recognised by all theRace.
... III The Lover Wooing (John i. 19-xii. 50) Jesus Recognised by all theRace.
And it... Style. Time finds therace the same always. Centuries...
The Life of Faith the ChristianRace.
... The Life of Faith The ChristianRace. VI. The ChristianRace. 7,7,7,7. Wer das Kleinod
will erlangen. [324]J. Mentzer.1704. Who would make the prize his own,....
Thesaurus
Race (36 Occurrences)... or the channel or passage for such a current; a powerful current or heavy sea,
sometimes produced by the meeting of two tides; as, the Portland
Race; the
Race...Race-course (1 Occurrence)
Race-course.Race,Race-course. Raced . Multi-Version Concordance
Race-course (1 Occurrence). 1 Corinthians 9:24 Know...
Foot-race (1 Occurrence)
Foot-race. Footprints, Foot-race. Foot-rest . Multi-Version
Concordance Foot-race (1 Occurrence). 1 Corinthians 9:24...
Generation (150 Occurrences)
... grave. Psalm 73:15, "The generation of thy children" = the contemporaryrace.
Isaiah... age. 5. (n.)Race; kind; family; breed; stock. 6...
Syrians (63 Occurrences)
... sir'-i-anz ('aram; Suroi; Assyrian Aramu, Arumu, Arimu): 1. Division of Aram 2.
A SemiticRace 3. Syria and Israel 4. Under Nabateans and Palmyrenes 5. A Mixed...
Giants (18 Occurrences)
... be derived from a root signifying "wonder," and hence "monsters" or "prodigies."
In Numbers 13:33 this name is given to a Canaanitish tribe, arace of large...
Course (87 Occurrences)
... voyage makes many courses; a course measured by a surveyor between two stations;
also, a progress without interruption or rest; a heat; as, one course of arace...
Imputation
... sin to his posterity is implied in the account of the Fall in Genesis 2 and 3, taken
in connection with the subsequent history of the humanrace as recorded in...
Shinar (8 Occurrences)
... 4. The Syriac Sen'ar 5. The Primitive Tongue of Shinar 6. Comparison with the Semitic
Idiom 7. The Testimony of the Sculptures, etc., to theRace 8. The...
Macedonia (23 Occurrences)
... I. The Macedonian People and Land. Ethnologists differ about the origin of the
Macedonianrace and the degree of its affinity to the Hellenes....
Resources
What is the critical race theory, and how should a Christian view it? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to 'run the race set before us' (Hebrews 12:1)? | GotQuestions.orgWhat did Paul mean when he said he had finished the race? | GotQuestions.orgRace: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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