You might wonder why talking about black people in the Bible is important. This topic can feel uncomfortable, especially in our racially charged American culture. If you fall into that uncomfortable category, I invite you not to run away from those feelings but to lean into them. There might be something God wants to reveal and change in you.
How Does the Bible Define People?
The Bible does not define people by skin color. That is something our modern culture has done. The Bible does not speak of any advantage or disadvantage based on your skin color. The closest it gets to discussing skin color as a disadvantage is in contexts where white skin indicates people had leprosy (Exodus 4:6).
The Bible defines people by tribal affiliations and ethnicities. It does not hide people’s ethnicities or origins but highlights them. By doing this, the Bible emphasizes the importance of all people groups and the roles many of them played in the unfolding of history—whether that be the history of humanity, the history of Israel, or the history of the church.
Before we dive deeper, I want to make one point crystal clear. Salvation is not about culture; it is about Christ. God did not give us the Bible to rally one culture around a certain theme. The Bible reveals who God is and shows all humanity our sinfulness and need for a savior. This is true of everyone, regardless of where they come from. However, seeing the wide range of ethnicities mentioned in Scripture makes the gospel’s message relatable to people of all nationalities.
One more point of clarity, when I talk about black people in the Bible, don’t think in terms of the racial construct that we have become familiar with. I want you to think simply about the countries these people came from and the likelihood they were people of darker skin.
Why Can You Be Certain There Are Black People in the Bible?
There are multiple ethnicities represented within Scripture. Most are familiar with Israel and the nations they engaged with, such as the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, etc. However, there were many more ethnicities represented. Since we are talking about black people in the Bible, let me share why it is logical that you would find them in the Bible.
When you read the Bible, much of what happened in the Old Testament occurred in Northern Africa and the Middle East. When you enter the New Testament, the gospel spreads from the central location of Jerusalem and moves into Rome, Greece, Turkey, and further into Africa.
When you consider the history of the Israelites, they spent 400 years in slavery in Egypt, which is in Northern Africa. Even Jesus spent a few years in Egypt to escape Herod after being born in Bethlehem. So yes, even Jesus spent part of his life living in Africa. Aside from Egypt, we find people in Scripture from Libya, Ethiopia, and Sudan—all countries in northern Africa. Considering what races appear in those nations, it is logical to conclude that black people were in the Bible.
Who Are Some Important Black People Mentioned in the Bible?
There are black people in the Bible in the Old and New Testaments. Here are four notable references.
Moses’ Wife
We learn from Numbers 12 that Moses married a Cushite woman. In Biblical times, Cush has always been associated with Africa; some have placed it in modern-day Sudan or Ethiopia.
The Queen of Sheba
In 1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9, the queen of Sheba, a notable woman from Africa, heard of Solomon’s wisdom and came to test him with hard questions. Scholars have long debated the exact location of Sheba, but many believe it was in Ethiopia, Yemen, or southern Arabia.
Simon of Cyrene
Simon of Cyrene had the arduous task of helping Jesus carry his cross. Mark 15:21 and Luke 23:26 tell us Roman soldiers forced Simon to walk behind Jesus, carrying the cross to Golgotha. The Bible notes where Simon was from, drawing attention to his nationality—the ancient city of Cyrene was in modern-day Libya. This further points to the ethnic diversity you discover in significant biblical events.
The Ethiopian Eunuch
In the book of Acts, Philip encountered an Ethiopian eunuch, a high-ranking official serving in the court of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. Again, notice how particular the Bible was in identifying the nationality of this eunuch. The Bible does not hide from ethnicity but embraces it.
What Is it Important to Highlight Black People in the Bible?
I grew up in an all-black neighborhood, yet I have lived in multicultural churches and environments all my life. Honestly, I love it because it is such a wonderful expression of who God is.
Growing up, I would occasionally encounter people who would call Christianity the white man’s religion, and some may still do that today. One major reason for saying this was based on our nation’s history. Christianity was the primary religion of most American slave owners. Instead of teaching the freedom in Christ available to everyone, it was used to oppress black people. During slavery, the Bible was used to justify slavery and keep people enslaved. Black traveling ministers allowed to preach in Sunday services to slaves could not discuss the parts of the gospel that highlight our freedom in Christ. Slave owners feared slaves would hear that and revolt, demanding their freedom. They also neglected to tell slaves the stories of the Israelites when they were enslaved in Egypt. They conveniently left out the story of the enslaved Israelites crying out to God for their freedom. They also did not mention that God heard their prayer and delivered them. Coupled with many portrayals of Biblical figures that assume a European look, many misunderstood Christianity as “the white man’s religion.”
The irony is most of the central figures in the Scriptures were people from Africa and the Middle East. This means they were brown or dark-skinned people.
These misuses of Scripture and mischaracterization of people in Scripture make it necessary to accurately portray the people in the Bible. We do this not because we are trying to make it about race or black and white but because we want to address the scriptures truthfully and accurately. This does not change the message of the gospel or the hope we find in Christ. On the contrary, it helps to break down barriers and show the true ethnic diversity that is common throughout Scripture. When you consider how the Bible was used against black people in the past, it becomes necessary to highlight black people in the Bible, to destroy those past destructive narratives.
How Can Churches Emphasize There Are Black People in the Bible?
I have always loved how the Bible doesn’t try to cover things up. We see our heroes of the faith with all their strengths and weaknesses. Thankfully, the Bible does the same thing with the ethnicity of people.
Churches don’t have to go overboard to emphasize black people in the Bible. However, you should not downplay their existence either. When you see it in the pages of Scripture, say it, and don’t pretend like it is not there. Remember, it is not a black and white thing but a truth and accuracy thing.
Knowing the various cultures of people represented in the Bible and that exist in the church today makes our faith even more attractive. I pray that we tear down all the racial divides and embrace Scripture’s view of ethnicity. After all, heaven will be filled with people from every nationality because that is exactly how God wants it.
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” (Revelation 7:9)
Photo Credit: “The Baptism of the Eunuch” by Rembrandt via Wikimedia Commons
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