So in this paper I will define racism as: a form of social categorization, conscious or unconscious, through words and actions (including body language) that distinguish members of a social group other than one’s own group—based on notions of ‘immutable’ traits linked to birth origin (usually physical)—as inherently inferior and/or dangerous in some way. Such ‘racial’ classifications tend to ‘arise’ in multi-ethnic contexts ‘in which one ethnic group dominates, or attempts to dominate,’ one or more other such groups. The most common form of ‘racist’ social categorization today has to do with skin color, based on centuries of social dominance in European based societies of people with light (‘white’) skin (associated with European cultures) over people with darker skin tones. A social dominance supported for centuries by both theological and pseudo-scientific ideas of biological ‘white’ superiority that were used to justify both the European slave-trade and colonial expansion and rule. Thus ‘racism’, like nationalism, tends to survive as a systemic ‘body of knowledge…’ ‘oriented towards the way a particular social world is and… ought to be’. And for this reason, many minorities in these societies continue to experience this institutional dimension of racism as ‘a constant social pressure …towards a degree of belonging or conformity with which they do not feel comfortable’ [Jenkins 1998: 82-86].

One consequence of this modern history-specific definition of racism is that it overshadows other similar attempts at social dominance in multi-ethnic societies of different times and in different places. For similar forms of social categorization of groups of people considered inferior by a dominant ethnic group—based on repugnant lifestyle characteristics or speech peculiarities as well as identifiable physical traits—have occurred in the past and continue in the present. For this reason Jenkins (cited above) prefers to speak of ‘racisms’ rather than just ‘racism’. This plural understanding of ‘racisms’ opens a way for us as Christians to draw lessons from the New Testament. For the apostles had to deal with the social power of different yet similar forms of systemic partiality and racism that threatened the unity of the early church as it became increasingly multi-ethnic.

FOOTNOTE

[1] Bracketed author names, publishing date and page numbers refer to the ‘RESOURCES CITED’ that are listed by author at the end of this paper.

Less than two weeks after Jesus ascended to heaven [30 AD],[2] the Father poured out his Spirit not only on a group of 120 Aramaic-speaking Jewish disciples from Galilee and Judea, but also on thousands of others—including many visiting and immigrant diaspora Jews who were baptized that day (Acts 1:15; 2:1-4,33, 37-38,41). Now while the new local Jewish believers would also have been Aramaic-speakers, most of the foreign Jews—representing many other languages and dialects (2:5-11)—would only have spoken some Greek as a common language. Yet while all were included in the gatherings of the Jerusalem church—both in the temple worship and in home-fellowships —not all were being equally cared for, in spite of the earlier statement about all of them sharing everything in common (2:44-46). Even though some of the immigrant diaspora Jews were well off and able to sell local property to contribute to the needs of the Church (4:36-37),[3] the more vulnerable among them (like widows) were being overlooked by the dominant group of Aramaic-speaking local Jews.

In those days when the number of disciples was multiplying, murmuring grew among the 'Greeks' [Gr. Helleeniston][4] against the 'Hebrews',  because their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministry (of aid). ·The Twelve then summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, 'It is not appropriate that we should leave the word of God (unspoken) to serve tables. ·Therefore brothers and sisters[5], be on the lookout for seven men among YOU[6] having a good testimony—full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom—whom we may appoint to oversee this work...’ ·…The whole congregation…chose: Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; Philip; Prochorus; Nicanor; Timon; Parmenas and Nicolas—a proselyte[7] from Antioch. ·They set them before the apostles and when they had prayed they laid their hands on them. (Acts 6:1-3,5-6 PH[8])

FOOTNOTES (section 1.1)

[2] The dates given in this article are my own estimates as presented in: ‘A Plausible Chronology of Jesus Life and of the Early Part of Paul’s life’ -  in the membership section of this website. The purple font indicates a hyperlink to a particular page on the website.

[3] Citing Kistemaker, Wagner writes that it was the dream of older diaspora Jews in those days to finish their days in Jerusalem and be buried there, though the ones who actually were able to do this were the more affluent ones [Wagner 2000: 138).

[4] That is, Jews from the Greek-speaking Diaspora. The ‘Hebrews’ would be the local Hebrew and Aramaic-speaking Jews

[5] The Greek word adelphos has both a male and female form, so in the plural it can be translated as ‘brothers and sisters’.

[6] Since modern English does not have a 2^nd person plural pronoun or verb form, I use ‘YOU’ to indicate when the Greek text indicates this.

[7] Greek: proseeluton, i.e. someone not born a Jew yet who had become one by baptism and circumcision. All these men have Greek names.

[8] Unless otherwise indicated, the NT texts are my own translation, taken from my unpublished Harmony of Paul's Life and Letters (PH).

[9] After the first mixed group of 3,000 joined the fellowship at Pentecost, a ‘daily addition’ followed (Acts 2:41,47) and soon yielding a total membership of 5,000 men (Acts 4:4) or about 15,000 counting women and children [Wagner 2000: 101], plus many more (5:14 & 6:1a).

[10] Diaspora Jews were often looked down on as ‘those conformed to the nations’ [Gr. ethnikos], Jesus' use of this term (Mat.6:7; 18:17) does not suggest that this was his attitude, only that this was how his Galilean and Judean listeners tended to look down on any compatriots (like diaspora Jews) who they suspected of having conformed their behavior to the people of other nations [Gr. ethne] among whom they lived—as opposed to conforming  to the correct ‘Judean’ way [Gr. ioudiakos] of practicing the Torah (Gal.2:14, see section 1.4).

Not Philip, however (8:5-13). He bravely reaches out across the cultural divide to a city of hated Samaritans—a different ethnic group [Gr. ethnos] (Acts 8:9). Yet when he is successful, even God finds it necessary to have these ‘foreigners’ (Lk.17:18 NIV[12]) wait to receive the Holy Spirit until two of the leading apostles in the Jerusalem church can come and become participant-observers in this event (Acts 8:14-25). Well, at least Samaritans practice circumcision and keep to a kosher diet. So God will need to take the initiative and do something else, first through Peter, to show the Jerusalem church that the problem is not just a lack of ‘inclusion’. Yet Jesus will also soon reveal himself to the chief persecutor, Saul (Act.9:1-6; 26:9-11) and personally show him the deeper roots of the problem (see section 2).

FOOTNOTES (section 1.2)

[11] The synagogue of the ‘Libertines’, a Latin word meaning ‘free people’. These Jews, mostly from North Africa, may have been Berbers, since these still call themselves ‘Imazigen’ (‘free people’). Yet some of those disputing with Stephen in the synagogue were also ‘from Cilicia and Asia’. Thus Saul (Paul), who was born in Cilicia, may have been one of these  (Acts 26:9-10a).  

[12] The literal meaning of the Greek word translated ‘foreigners’ in this text (allo-genees) is ‘different birth-origin’, suggesting that Judean ‘superiority’ towards Samaritans and non-Jews contained a ‘racist’ dimension that even tainted their attitude toward diaspora Jews (See footnote [10]).

As the story progresses, we see how Peter needs a revelation and a nudge from the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:10-16,19-20) before he is willing to go into the home of a non-Jew. For he still thought it was…

‘…an unlawful thing for a Jewish man to… come into the home of a foreigner. But God has shown me that I should not speak of any human being as inferior or unclean.’ (Acts 10:28)

Both have had recently seen the Holy Spirit come on a group of ‘foreigners’—in Samaria[12] (8:14-17). And both have observed Jesus himself sharing food with Samaritans for two days, as well as using their beds and toilets—an event that took place long before either Peter and John had been filled with the Spirit, back when both of them were still under the influence of Jewish avoidance of any shared activities with Samaritans (Jn.4:9b,27,40). Perhaps God also chose Peter because of a deep humbling experience—because he had thought himself a better Jesus-follower than his fellow disciples—and a subsequent softening of his heart due to the way Jesus spoke with him following his three-fold denial (Mk.14:29-30; Jn.21:15-17).[14]

Peter's visit to Cornelius (which took place sometime between 36 and 44 AD) is not only about God finally opening the door of faith to uncircumcised ‘Gentiles’ (Acts 11:18, see section 1.4.). Nor is it just about God confronting the partiality of several individuals, i.e. Peter and the six men from Joppa who accompanied him that day (10:8,45; 11:12). It is more about God's ongoing challenge to the systemic partiality still operating in the Jerusalem church, in spite of what they had already seen him doing—by giving leadership roles to diaspora Jews (section 1.1), and by uniting of Samaritan ‘foreigners’ with Galileans and Judeans in one ‘church’ (8:17; 9:31, section 1.2). For the Cornelius story exposes the discriminatory attitudes of a large group of traditional Judean believers in the Jerusalem church (11:1-2). These not only boldly and publicly challenge the behavior of the most senior apostle, but they use demeaning, even 'racist' language (‘Foreskin’-men, [Gr. andras akrobustian])[15] when referring to this new group of baptized and Spirit-filled believers from other ethnic groups (11:2)! Perhaps this is why Peter took six Judean ‘brothers’ with him to Caesarea, in order to have a perfect number of witnesses back in Jerusalem (7)—these six plus Peter—to confirm what God had done in the home of Cornelius (Acts 11:12b).

Peter's Judean critics eventually accept his explanation and grudgingly raise no more objections at the time (11:18). Yet the 'racist' attitudes towards non-Jews persist in the Jerusalem church, as we shall see.[16]

FOOTNOTES (section 1.3)

[13] Literally ‘righteous with’. When Paul uses this word here he has in mind both our relational righteousness with God (as in Rom.5:17 [Barclay 1975a: 5]) and also with people (as in 1 Tim.6:11 [Barclay 1975b; 134]). Also in Eph.5:1,9 [Barclay 1976: 164], where our relational righteousness towards others is meant to imitate the relational righteousness God our Father has shown toward us (Rom.1:17; 3:5,21-26).

[14] Even after seeing the resurrected Jesus on three previous occasions (Lk.24:34; Jn.20:19,26), Peter was still depressed and considering going back to his former occupation (Jn.21:3). Several contemporary Christian leaders emphasize that becoming more vulnerable through shared lament during times of grief and loss can play an important role in helping members of a dominant culture gain empathy for those of minority cultures that have experienced racism (Peter Scazzero: https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/podcast/detail/Why-We-Must-Learn-to-Grieve-to-Address-Racial-Injustice-/?v=4096ee8eef7d). See also [Vroegop 2020].

[15] In the Septuagint, the Greek word akrobustia always translates the Hebrew word for ‘foreskin’(e.g. Ex.4:25), or ‘penis-tip’ in the Vulgate. The ‘nicer’ word in the Septuagint for ‘uncircumcised-ones’ [Gr. a-peritmeetoi] (e.g. 1 Sam.14:6) is only used once in the New Testament (Acts 7:51). Otherwise the demeaning term is used, mainly by Paul to expose the racist language of his contemporary fellow Jews (e.g. Eph.2:11).

[16] While diaspora Jews as a minority ethnic group outside the homeland were themselves frequently the target of another form of ‘racism’ (what we call ‘antisemitism’ today), they were still used to being the dominant culture in the synagogue and in Jerusalem. Citing Jeremias, De Ridder writes, ‘the social point of view of the Jewish community in Jesus' day was dominated by the idea of racial purity’—from about the 2^nd century BC, with the Hillel Pharisees even regarding proselytes as impure [De Ridder 1975: 98-100,103].

The church in Antioch got its start through diaspora Jews who had to leave Jerusalem because of persecution [+33 AD] (Acts 8:1, see section 2). Why then does Luke place his account of the establishment of this church much later, after the story of Cornelius (11:19-21)? Probably because of what the Jerusalem church had done when they heard how an initially Jewish church in Antioch (11:19-20a) was including more and more Greek-speakers [Gr. hellenistas] (11:20b-21). They'd sent to Antioch a trusted diaspora Jew—‘a Levite, a Cyprian by birth [Gr. to genai]’[17]—called ‘Barnabas’ (11:22; 4:36a), who seemed ideal for this task. Not only did Barnabas have a Greek-speaking background and a spiritual gift of ‘encouragement’, but he also had a strong connection to Jerusalem. Having been a property owner there who had gained favor with the Jerusalem church leaders as a large donor (4:36b-37), he would surely be able to loyally keep the lid on any potential problems caused by diaspora Jews in that city.

Unfortunately, the leaders in the Jerusalem church get more than they bargained for. For Barnabas goes to Tarsus and recruits Saul (11:29-30) [+44 AD], the former persecutor of the church that he had met a decade earlier in Jerusalem [+35 AD] (9:26-30; Gal.1:18-19). While others there had been worried about Saul as a troublemaker and a danger to himself and the church, Barnabas seemed more impressed with him as an effective evangelist and teacher among Greek-speaking Jews. So in the Antioch church, Saul (Paul) soon joins Barnabas and three other diaspora Jews on the leadership team of ‘prophets and teachers’ (13:1).[18] A year later [+45 AD], he takes a young uncircumcised ‘Greek’ [Gr. helleen] believer named Titus along when he and Barnabas visit the Jerusalem church (11:26-30; Gal.2:1). Well, that put the cat among the pigeons—drawing out a very public and vocal reaction from the powerful ‘circumcision’ faction within the Jerusalem church. Yet Barnabas and Saul (‘we’)  stand up to the social power of this group while gaining the support of the main church leaders—‘James, Peter and John’. As a result, Titus is not ‘compelled to be circumcised’ (Gal.2:2b,4-6).

This incident begins with Peter visiting the Antioch church by himself [+48 AD]. While there he readily shares table-fellowship with his non-Jewish brothers and sisters, in obedience to the revelation that God had given him (section 1.3). So why doesn't he boldly stand his ground again this time, when some ‘men from James’ arrive in Antioch and start pushing the Mosaic ‘custom’ of circumcision on the non-Jewish male believers? Keep in mind that Peter is the most senior of the original apostles . So he has more individual status than anyone in the Jerusalem church—including these visiting teachers! And why do Barnabas and the other ‘Judeans’ [Gr. Ioudiaoi] in the Antioch church initially follow Peter's lead?[19] Why is Paul the only one who stands up to all of them? And why does he identify their behavior as ‘hypocrisy’?

From these two texts we see that this incident happens after Paul and Barnabas have returned to Antioch from having established other multi-ethnic churches in four South Galatian cities (Acts 13:14-14:27). Also note that this incident happens shortly before Paul sends a letter to these churches (‘Galatians’), since it is mentioned in this letter. Later we will look at what else he writes in this letter about his own story—namely about two things that distinguish him from Peter, Barnabas and the others (sections 2.1 & 2.2).

Now we've seen already how Peter's revelation only led to a kind of compartmentalization of his worldview. For while he could behave in a new way with believers of other nations in Caesarea and initially in Antioch, he could only do so freely as long as such interactions didn't seriously intersect with his Judean world. When they do finally intersect in Antioch, he suddenly ‘fears’ negative consequences. But what negative consequences? 

I said to Cephas in front of them all, 'If you,[22] being inherently [Gr. huparkhon] a Jew, live "conformed to the nations" [Gr. ethnikos] and not "conformed to Judeans"  [Gr. ioudaikos], why are you compelling the nations [Gr. ethne] to "live like Judeans" [Gr. ioudaizein]. ·We who are Jews physically, and not "of-the-nations sinners" [Gr. ek ethnen hamartoloi], ·know that a human being is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ. For by the works of the Law: “no one of flesh will be justified” [Ps.143:2b LXX]! ·Yet…while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are also perceived to be "sinners" [Gr. hamartoloi]! (Gal.2:14-17)

[17] The Greek word genos refers to a person’s identity by origin—sometimes referring to his or her place of birth (like here and in Acts 18:2 & 24). But sometimes to his or her birth origin in a family or ethnic group (like in Acts 7:12,19; 13:26; 2 Cor.11:26 or with Paul, Gal.1:14; Phil.3:5),

[18] Lucius of Cyrene may have been the one from Cyrene who helped start the church after fleeing from Jerusalem (11:20). Simeon (a Jewish name) also had a Latin name, ‘Niger’ (meaning ‘black’). So he too may have had a connection to Jerusalem church—as a North African who came to Jesus through Stephen's preaching in the ‘Libertines’ (a Latin word) synagogue (Acts 6:9, footnote [11]).

[19] In describing what these leaders ‘saw’ and ‘agreed’ to in this text, Paul uses the ‘racist’ term first, akrobustias (v.7), and then ethne (v.9). Perhaps Paul is using the first one to indicate a common attitude in the church , or maybe the word that one of the three leaders actually used.

[20] I use a green highlight on ‘YOU’ when the Greek plural word used specifically to refer to non-Jews—both in Acts and in Paul's letters.

[21] This Greek word [Ioudaioi] can be translated as either ‘Jews’ or ‘Judeans’, depending on what best fits the context. So it may either refer to: the other ‘Judeans’ that like Barnabas were originally from Judea, or all other ‘Jews’ in the Antioch church.

[22] A pronoun highlighted in light blue indicates that the persons being addressed or referred to (you, me) or groups (we, us) are Jewish.

[23] In Philippians (3:3-5) Paul is challenging Jewish superiority (‘boasting’) based on the physical status of both circumcision and birth origin.

[26] The Greek word pleethos describes a ‘multitude’ (KJV). So Luke is describing a bigger gathering present than just the church leaders.

[27] Part of what Peter says (Acts 15:7-10) may refer to something he learned from Paul during their interaction in Antioch (section 1.4). Namely, that ‘the Law’ had been a powerful ‘yoke’ that even the Jews had found difficult to ‘bear’ (See Gal.4:21; 5:1b).

[28] In contrast to how the Jerusalem leaders use this Greek verb, see how Paul uses it (section 2.4)—and also as a noun [Gr. stoikheia] (section 2.2)

[29] In 1 Thes.4:3; 1 Cor.5:1,11; 6:9-20; 2 Cor.12:20-21; Col.3:5-11; Eph.5:3-5; 1 Tim.1:8-11. He'd already written against it in his Galatian letter (5:19).

‘I will… ·extricate [Gr. exairoumenos] you out of this people and out of the nations [Gr. ethne] to whom I am now sending you: ·to open their eyes—that on their turning from darkness towards light, and from the authority [Gr. exousia] of Satan into that of God, they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified towards me by faith’. (Acts 26:16b-18)

The Greek word I translate ‘extricate’ means to ‘choose out’ or to ‘pluck out’. So in order for Paul to be able to share both themes of his gospel for the nations (‘forgiveness of sins’ and ‘an inheritance’ under God's authority), he needed to practice cooperating with the Spirit in what it means to be ‘extricated’ from both the social power operating over his own people, as well as the social power operating over the other nations to which God, his 'Father' would send him.

The Lord Jesus Christ, ·…gave himself for our sins so that he might extricate [Gr. exeleetai] us out of this present evil age[35] according to the will of our God and Father. (Gal.1:4)

By living away from Jerusalem for fourteen years, Paul learned to identify both with fellow Jews and with people of other cultures without giving into the influences of evil social power in either context (1 Cor.9:19-23). 

In another letter [probably written toward the end of 56 AD], Paul informs the Corinthian church of another incident that had been part of this training period, some ‘fourteen’ years earlier [i.e. +43 AD]. It began with an incredible heavenly vision (2 Cor.12:2) but concluded with pain and loss due to some kind of bodily handicap (‘in my flesh’). When Paul asked God repeatedly that this infirmity be taken away, God told him that through through this physical vulnerability he would learn to depend solely on God's grace (2 Cor.12:7-10; 11:29-30). Thus not on the physical stamina he used to enjoy or on the social status he could claim—due to his pure Jewish pedigree, his Judean upbringing and education as a Pharisee and his calling as an apostle (Phil.3:4-7; 2 Cor.11:21-23a)—nor even his Roman citizenship. So because of this fourteen-year-old infirmity, he was able to challenge the social power of racism out of his vulnerability much like Peter did.[14] Not only in a confident way, but in a Christ-like way, like when Titus experienced Judean racism on their Jerusalem visit after this experience [+45 AD], and like when the ‘men from James’ came to Antioch during Peter's visit several years later [+48 AD] (see section 1.4).

FOOTNOTES (section 2.1)

[30] See footnote [16], and also Rom.11:1; 9:3-4a.

[31] The Greek words [anatethrammenos de] (lit. ‘but nurtured’) in Acts 21:3b distinguish the 2^nd part in a classic Greek literary triad (place of the home where a person was ‘raised’ as a child) from the 1^st part of the triad (place of birth and infanthood until weaned). So Paul identified himself ethnically with other Judeans. For Jerusalem was not only the site of Paul's formal education (the 3^rd part of the triad) but was also where he was raised (the 2^nd part of the triad), from around the time he was weaned (+ three years old [Van Unnik 2009: 17-45; Stein 1993: 464-465].

[32] By harmonizing these texts, we see that Paul had to leave Damascus for Arabia pretty quickly after arriving. And in another text (2 Cor.11:32)  we learn that it wasn't only the Damascus Jews that wanted to arrest or kill him, but also King Aretas of the non-Jewish Arabs (‘Damascenes’).

[33] The churches he wanted to visit with Barnabas, on their way to revisit the Galatian churches they had established together (Acts 15:36,40; 16:1).

[34] The only place this vision fits in Paul's own account is during the 2-week visit to Jerusalem 3 years after his conversion (Gal.1:18; Acts 9:26-29).

[35] In this text, and the previous one, Paul echoes Jesus' words about his choice taking us out of the ‘world’ [Gr. kosmos] (Jn.5:19; 17:14-16), out of this ‘evil age’ [Gr. aionos] (see footnote [41]), such that we no longer belong under the social power system of our own ‘people’ any more than Jesus did (section 2.2).

One of the main issues Paul is dealing with in his first letter (Galatians), involves the minority ethnic groups in these churches[36] being intimidated by teachers from his own Jewish ethnic group into submitting to various Jewish customs—like male-circumcision (Gal.6:12), the Jewish calendar (4:10), and many other commands in the Mosaic Law (4:21)—as biblical requirements for being part of the Jesus-community. To Paul, these cultural additions are an attack on the Gospel itself, representing a ‘perverted’ gospel that is in actual fact, ‘no gospel at all’ (1:6-7 NIV). And he tells these believers of other nations (‘YOU’) that Christ will be of no benefit at all to them if they submit to a ‘gospel’ that preserves the social system that all Jews in Paul's day grew up with, either in the synagogue and in Judea—which includes both Jewish (‘circumcision’) believers in a dominant social position and tolerance of 'racist' attitudes towards other ethnic groups as ‘Foreskin’ people [15] (5:2,6; see section 1.4).

The Gospel that Paul learned from Jesus, however, is not only for individuals but also for groups of believers of all nations. I will again use different coloured fonts to identify when individual believers are in focus (‘me’ as a Jew, and ‘you’ singular regardless of ethnicity; 3:28b). Also when either Jewish believers as a group are in focus (‘we’,‘the ones [previously] under the Law’) or those of other ethnic groups (‘YOU’, plural), and when all ethnic groups in the church are in focus (‘YOU’ plural). In the same way I will use two different fonts to indicate that Paul's Gospel has two themes: redemption through the cross, and inheritance through the Spirit.

It pleased God…·to reveal his Son in me that I might proclaim good news of him among the nations [Gr. ethne]… ·Foreseeing that God would justify the nations [Gr. ethne] through faith, the Scripture proclaimed the Good News in advance to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations [Gr. ethne] will be blessed”[37]… ·Christ…has redeemed us... ·so that the blessing of Abraham might come on the nations [Gr. ethne]…, that we might receive the promise: the Spirit… ·—the inheritance… God gave to Abraham by a promise. ·Seeing YOU are all one (status) in Christ Jesus, there is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither bond nor free, nor is there male and female. ·For if YOU belong to Christ, YOU are Abraham's seed[38] and heirs according to the promise. (Gal.1:15-16; 3:8a,14,18, 28-29) 

·Now, I am saying: the heir is no different from a servant as long as he is a minor, even though lord of the estate, ·…until the planned-in-advance-placing [Gr. pro-thesmia] by the father… ·When the fulness of the time came, God sent out his Son… ·to redeem the ones under the Law—that we might receive the placement-of-sons [Gr. huio-thesia]. ·Since YOU are sons, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into our heart, crying out “Abba! Father!”. ·Therefore you are no longer a servant, but…an heir. (Gal. 4:1-2,4-7)

In these texts Paul points to both themes of his gospel for all nations by identifying it with God's promise to Abraham, which included both justification (‘redemption’ through the cross) and a promised blessing (‘inheritance through the Spirit’). Notice how in both texts Paul speaks of our ‘redemption’ in Christ as being the precondition for people of all nations receiving the preplanned ‘placement of sons’ [Gr. huio-thesia]—by which all believers become ‘(co-)heirs’ of their ‘Abba, Father’ through ‘the Spirit in our heart'. Also notice how this family inheritance theme is the main focus of Paul's ‘revelation‘all nations both in Galatians (1:16; 4:6) and in his Ephesian letter (Eph.3:2-6).

The heir…, as long as he is a minor [Gr. neepios]… ·is under guardians and household administrators …until the planned-in-advance-placing [Gr. pro-thesmia] by the Father  ·Even so, when we were under-age-children [Gr. neepioi] we were enslaved under the elemental powers [Gr. stoikheia] of this world [Gr. kosmou]. ·But when the fulness of the time came, God sent out his Son—born of a woman, growing up under the Law ·…that we might receive the placement of sons [Gr. huio-thesia]..., ·the Spirit of his Son into our heart…crying out ‘Abba, Father!’ …·During the time when YOU did not know God, YOU were enslaved to those that are not by nature gods. ·So after YOU have come to know God, …why are YOU turning again to those weak and destitute elemental powers [Gr. stoikheia]? …Desiring to be enslaved again from above, ·YOU now observe (Jewish) days, months, seasonal events and years! ·I fear for YOU, lest my hard work on YOUR behalf be in vain… ·Before…, we were kept 'enclosed-together' under the Law…., ·…our childhood-tutor [Gr. paidagogos] towards Christ… ·But since this faith has come we are no longer under a childhood tutor [Gr. paidagogos]… ·…If YOU belong to Christ, then YOU (too) are…heirs according to the promise. (Gal.4:1-5,8-11; 3:23-25,29)

First, Paul describes an initial phase in God's plan during which people of all nations (both ‘we’ Jews and ‘YOU’ of other nations) were like ‘under-age-children’ in God's family. A new phase began when ‘God sent out his Son’ so that, after our redemption in Christ (Gal. 4:5a), all who put their faith in him might receive the ‘placement of sons’ [Gr. huio-thesia] by ‘the Spirit’ coming ‘into our heart’. In a third time reference, Paul uses a related Greek word to speak of this as a ‘planned-in-advance-placing’ [Gr. pro-thesmia] that occurred prior to the initial phase I've already described. For in Ephesians he tells how God—as our Father and as the Father of Jesus—chose us for the ‘placement of sons’ [Gr. huiothesia] as our destiny, ‘from before the foundation of the world [Gr. kosmou] (Eph.1:2-5).

Second, notice the references to the ‘elemental powers’ [Gr. stoikheia][40] that were part of the ‘world-system’ [Gr. kosmou],[41] and how we were all ‘enslaved under’ them (or ‘enclosed-together’) ‘during the time when’ all people were ‘minors’. By using comparisons to ‘guardians’, ‘administrators’ and ‘childhood-tutors’ in a family ‘household’, and by including the Law that God himself gave to Israel (and by saying that Jesus himself initially lived ‘under’ these—before receiving the Spirit), Paul is clearly not speaking about demonic powers. Rather about the social powers that God initially placed over every human family and ethnic group (section 2.3).

The third thing we see in the above verses is how Paul connects these ‘elemental powers’ to the way God's purposes in Christ for all ethnic groups are being undermined by the partiality and racism practiced, by leading members of a dominant (Jewish) ethnic group in the church towards believers of the minority ethnic groups. And some minority group believers (‘YOU’) are capitulating to the pressure from Jewish teachers to embrace not only Jewish calendar customs (‘days, months’, etc.), but also male circumcision (Gal.6:12) and other aspects of the Mosaic Law (4:21)—in order to be accepted as true followers of Jesus. So Paul must remind them that Jewish believers can no longer claim racial superiority as Abraham's ‘seed’. For since the second phase of God's plan has come—in Christ and by the Spirit—minority group believers (‘YOU’) are just as much adult ‘heirs’ of the Father as are Jewish believers. Thus, those who succumb to pressure from a dominant culture in the church, says Paul, are returning to being ‘enslaved from above’ ‘again’, ‘under’ ‘weak and destitute elemental powers [Gr. stoikheia]’. In other words, “If YOU place yourselves under my nation's former ‘childhood-tutor’—which was also ‘weak’ compared to becoming adult heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus by the Spirit, even though it was ‘holy, good and righteous’ (Rom.7:12; 8:1-4,14-17)—then I've wasted my time with YOU. YOU might as well go back to those ‘weak’ elemental powers [Gr. stoikheia] that YOU used to be ‘under’ that were associated with YOUR ‘gods’.”

“Wait a minute”, I can hear these Jewish teachers saying, “How dare you, Paul, compare the biblical customs and rules that we received directly from God with the ‘elemental powers’ that were connected to their ‘gods’!”  Variations on this same protest lie close to the surface among many in dominant ethnic groups today in the church. The same unconscious sense of cultural superiority that Paul saw in many fellow Jews, also based on ‘having’ the Bible in one or more cultures for so much longer than the newer believers—those coming out of an animistic, secular, Muslim or other religious background. Paul's answer to such fellow Jewish teachers is: “Yes, there is great value in ‘having’ the Scriptures for many generations, and in practicing cultural customs based on the Bible. But this doesn't make you superior (Rom.3:1-2). Nor does it give you the right to treat believers of other ethnic groups (who also now have the Spirit) like they are ‘foolish children’ with darkened minds who need to be made dependent on your instruction. For ‘you’ and many in your culture-with-the-Bible often bring ‘dishonor to God's name among the nations’ by the way so many of YOU frequently do not obey his Word (Rom.2:17-24; Gal.6:13)!”

part of the Roman province of Galatia [Wright 2018: 117-122). Only in Pisidian Antioch and Iconium was there a Jewish population large enough for a synagogue. Yet in both cities there were also significant numbers of ‘God-fearers’ and ‘proselytes’ from other ‘ethnic groups’ [Gr. ethne], like ‘Greeks’, who attended the synagogue (Acts 13:16,26,43-44,48; 14:1).

[37] A composite citation: ‘in you all the tribes [Gr. phulee]…, all the nations [Gr. ethne] of the earth will be blessed’ (Gen.12:3b; 22:18 LXX). I use an orange font in this text because Paul clearly applies the promise of the Spirit to believers of all nations, including Israel (‘we’, ‘YOU’).

[38] Paul is addressing believers of other nations, since there is no need to convince Jewish believers that they are ‘Abraham's seed’.

[39] Paul's view is more like that of Jesus—namely that we are ‘lost’ sons and daughters who besides needing redemption are (upon being restored) are then given the ‘ring’ of authority as adult heirs (Lk.15:11-32, Meditation #20), and not some other kind of sinful creature that only becomes a divine family member through being ‘adopted’. See also my explanation of Paul's 3-fold use of huiothesia in another letter (Rom.8:15,23; 9:4; Meditation #5).

[40] This Greek word stoikheia had multiple connotations: a military line up, basic elements of something, and powers in heaven and on earth that give order to the world [Gr. kosmos] (see section 2.3). Hence Paul speaks of being aligned ‘under’ these powers, like children ‘under’ guardians, etc.

[41] The Greek word kosmos (usually translated as ‘the world’ or ‘this world’) refers to the systemic order of everything God created as part of life on our planet—including every nation [Gr. ethnos] (Acts 17:24,26). Two other Greek words often translated in the NT as ‘world’ are oikoumenee (referring to all human habitation in it) and aionon (refering to the time dimension of ‘this world’, that is, ‘this age’, e.g. Rom.12:2; 1 Tim.6:17).

[42] Paul wrote frequently about his revelation of ‘the Mystery [Gr. musterion] of the Gospel’ (Eph.6:19): that was hidden for ages, that is for the nations and that is revealed by the Spirit (Rom.16:25-26; 11:25; Col.1:25-27; 2:2; 1 Cor. 2:1,7-10; 1 Tim. 3:9,16; also 1 Cor.15:51 when it is connected to Rom.8:23). Jesus also spoke in parables about ‘the Mystery [Gr. musterion] of the Kingdom’ that was not obvious without explanation (Mk.4:11-12).

Paul not only relates the partiality and racism of these Jewish teachers in the Galatian churches to the ‘elemental powers’ of the old world-system [Gr. kosmos], but he does the same in his letter to the Colossian church—and in greater detail. Understanding what he says in this letter can help us deal with these issues in the global church today. Especially because of the way he recognizes that the partiality and racism facing the church in Colossae wasn't just the result of Judean superiority and religious legalism. Even so today, the global church is confronted with more than one dominant culture, and not just the institutional remnants of Western colonialism and European (‘white’) racism. For Paul saw the dangers of partiality and racism coming from at least two other dominant social groups in Colossian society—'Greeks’ and others with a “freeborn” social status.

YOU have put off the old humanity together with its practices, ·and have put on the new one… ·Here there is not: Greek[43] and Judean; "Circumcised" and "Foreskin" [Gr. akrobustia]; "barbarian", "savage", "slave", "free”.(Col.3:9b-11)

Watch out that no one takes YOU captive through the philosophy and empty deception drawn from human tradition—drawn from the elemental powers [Gr. stoikheia] of this world [Gr. kosmou] and not drawn from Christ. ·For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form; ·and YOU have been given fullness in him who is the head of every primal chiefdom [Gr. arkhees] and authority [Gr. exousias]. (Col.2:8-10)

Paul's word order in the first text cited suggests that Greeks looked down on Jews (‘Judeans’) in much the same way that Jews (the ‘Circumcised’) looked down on them (as ‘Foreskin’ people). And just as with the Galatians, Paul emphasizes that all believers are part of a ‘new humanity’ in Christ. Also that believers from socially despised minority groups must not allow either human ideas (‘philosophy’) or empty and deceptive ‘human traditions’ related to the ‘elemental powers of the world-system [Gr. kosmou]’[40] to again take them captive—now that they have received the same fulness of God's Spirit that ‘dwells’ in Christ. In combining these two citations we see again how Paul views partiality and racism as human social ‘philosophy’, and how such social ideas are connected to human social ‘traditions’—which have taken root also in the pejorative language that dominant groups use (consciously or unconsciously) when speaking of one or more other social or ethnic groups.

Using the language of circumcision, he again explains the double meaning of the cross—the forgiveness of ('our') sins and the 'stripping off' of the power of social authorities and their systems. He uses this image first to show why his non-Jewish readers (‘YOU’) no longer need to be ‘under’ the Jewish custom of circumcision and other cultural ‘rules’, and then to show his Jewish readers how both meanings of the cross—apply to all believers (‘our’, ‘us’, 'YOU'), including them:

So YOU[46]—being dead in the offences and the “foreskin” of YOUR flesh[47]—he has made YOU alive-together with him: forgiving all our offenses. ·Blotting out the handwriting of the rules…that was opposed to us, he also took it out of the center—nailing it to the cross. ·Stripping off the primal chiefs [Gr. arkhas] and authorities [Gr. exousias], triumphing over them in it, he made a public show of them… ·…With the Messiah YOU have died away from the world [Gr. kosmos]—away from its elemental powers [Gr. stoikheion].[48] (Col.2:13-15,20a)

Here again Paul identifies the ‘elemental powers’ of the world-system with human social ‘rules’ related to specific nations and ethnic groups (including those related to Israel). But he also identifies these social rules with the ‘primal chiefs [Gr. arkhas] and authorities [Gr. exousias]’[49]—those who occupy the positions of social power, the ‘primal chiefdoms and authorities' that God had created through Christ. Because these were also created ‘towards’ him—towards his coming—Christ has supreme authority as ‘the primal chief’ [Gr. arkhee] (Col.1:18)[50] to alter the place of these social powers in our human story. So through the cross, God did more than just forgive ‘all our offenses’. For all believers, the cross also has taken away the central, dominant roles that these social powers—both cultural ‘rules’ and those in positions of social power—used to play in corporate life as we knew it.[51] Yet the cross was only the first of Christ's accomplishments in giving us a new relationship to those in positions of social power. In his Ephesians letter Paul writes:

The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father…, ·…raised [Gr. egeiras] him from the dead and seated [Gr. kathisas] him at his own right hand among the celestial ones, ·far above every primal chiefdom [Gr. arkees] and authority [Gr. exousias] and power and lordship… ·“He has subjected all things under his feet” [Ps.8:6b], ·and has made him the head over all things to the church, ·…his body… ·In [Gr. en] Christ Jesus (he) has raised us together [Gr. sun-egeiran] and has seated us together [Gr. sun-ekathisen] among the celestial ones. (Eph.1:17,20b-23a; 2:6)

Through Christ's resurrection, God—as ‘the glorious Father’ to both Jesus and to us (Eph.1:2-3)—raised [Gr. egeiras] Jesus as a human being and then by his ascension seated [Gr. kathisas] him in a position at his right hand ‘among the celestial ones’—giving him a place ‘far above’ every position of social power that he had originally created. Yet both powerful actions had us in mind, as members of Christ's body—‘the (multi-ethnic) Church’. For through the pre-planned ‘placement of sons’ by the Spirit (Eph.1:5; Gal.4:5, section 2.2), God—‘in Christ Jesus’—‘has raised-together [Gr. sun-egeiran] believers of every ethnic group in the church, whom he then has also 'seated-together [Gr. sun-ekathisen] as 'co-heirs' (of Jesus and of each other, Eph.3:6; Rom.8:17) 'among the celestial ones'. What Christ has done, and what he has led us into, have both begun to fulfil the text from the Psalms that describes what it means to be human (Ps.8:4). First ‘made a little lower than heavenly beings’ [Heb. elohim = ‘gods’] (Ps.8:5a ESV)[52], we were commissioned to rule over God's earthly creation. But our human destiny is has always been to be ‘crowned with glory and honor’ and have ‘all things put under his (our) feet’ as human beings (8:5b-6). What Paul says in the above text is affirmed by another NT author who speaks of how this text was first fulfilled in Jesus so that he might lead ‘many sons (and daughters) to glory’ (Heb.2:5-11). At the same time, Paul understood that this text will only be fully fulfilled when Jesus returns—when we receive transformed bodies like his, and when ‘every primal chiefdom [Gr. arkeen] and authority [Gr. exousian]’ not yet reconciled to his reign is abolished (1 Cor.15:20-27a,51).

By citing this text, Paul no doubt also has a number of other Scripture texts in mind that speak of each other nation being assigned a heavenly being (‘gods’, ‘sons of God’, ‘the host of heaven’ etc.)—in parallel to the way God assigned himself to the nation of Israel (e.g. Dt.32:8; 4:7,19; Mic.4:5; Ps.33:6-10 etc.). Paul's view of the ‘world’ [Gr. kosmon] as the system[41] of everything that God created in the heavens as well as on the earth was rooted in the Torah (Gen.2:1 LXX; Acts 17:24). And both the Torah and the Prophets speak of there being actual ‘gods’ [Heb. elohim] connected to other nations (e.g. Dt.4:34; 6:13-14). So Paul knew that God had built ethnic diversity and a hierarchy of power and roles into the way he created all nations, including Israel (Gen.10:31; Dt.26:19; Acts 17:26).

Yet while Paul acknowledged the existence of these ‘gods’ (which he prefers to refer to as ‘primal chiefdoms and authorities’), he also knows from the Scriptures that these social powers—on both the heavenly and earthly levels—have become complicit in human sinfulness and thus are influenced by the evil that has entered the ‘world-system’ as a result (Rom.5:12). And so they too are subject to divine judgment (Gen.6:1-4, Jud.6; Ps.82:1-8; Is.24:21-22). Further, Paul maintains the Scripture's distinction between such ‘gods’, which are real, and the ‘carved images’ that people make to represent them (‘idols’), which are ‘worthless’ (Dt.5:7-8a; 4:27-28; 17:25: Is.41:29; 44:10). He also maintains the biblical distinction between these ‘gods’ (or ‘heavenly hosts’) and the one true God and his supreme lordship over all nations (Ps.86:8-9; 95:3; 96:4; Dan.11:36).[53] In comparison to the one true God of Israel, all the other gods are not really ‘gods at all’)—including those human rulers who claim to be ‘gods’ (Jer.2:11 ⇒ Gal.4:8), and many of them can more appropriately be called ‘demons’ (Ps.96:5 LXX). Now, however, God's supreme lordship is embodied in Jesus, his ‘anointed one’ [Gr. christos; Heb. meshiach ]

We know that “an idol in this world is nothing”, and that “there is no other God except (the) One. ·For even if there are those called ‘gods’, whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’ —·yet for us: One God, the Father from whom all things came and towards whom we live; and One Lord, Jesus Christ through whom all things came and through whom we live. (1 Cor.8:4a-6)

To summarize, Paul sees human social ideas and traditions (including partiality and racism) as part of the social systems that human beings were initially subject to in their respective ethnic groups. These systems are upheld by the ‘primal chiefdoms’ and ‘authorities’—both the visible human ones in each earthly society as well as the invisible heavenly ones that were linked to these. Although these social powers were created through Christ and towards him, they have also been corrupted to one degree or another, as have the institutions and systems they oversee. When Jesus came as a human being, as God's promised ‘anointed one’ (Messiah/Christ), he did so not just to die for our sins but also to challenge and change the world-system through God's new creation—a multi-ethnic family kingdom. So as adult sons and daughters of this kingdom planted in the world-system [Gr. kosmos] (Mat.13:38; 2 Cor.6:18), our first task is to bear witness to this new social reality in the church.

FOOTNOTES (section 2.3)

[43] ‘Greek’ refers to the educated class in Roman society and ‘Judean’ to the dominant group in synagogues. Besides the Jewish racist epithet for non-Jews (‘Foreskin’), the Greek racist epithet ‘barbarian’ refers to foreigners in general, and ‘Scythian’ to those deemed uncivilized ‘savages’.

[44] Paul then speaks of ‘elemental powers’ dictating ‘rules’ (Col.2:20b) related to diet and religious festivals (2:16; also mentioned in his Galatian letter) as well as to cultural ‘dos and don'ts’, folk wisdom, worship regulations (2:21-23a), a ‘humbling of the mind’ in relation to supernatural experiences and to ascetic ‘body control’ (2:18,23b). These are but ‘a shadow of the things to come with the embodiment of the Messiah’ (2:17). Leslie Newbigin speaks of the stoikheia as ‘norms, roles, and structures’, an ‘ordered structure of power’ designed by God ‘to guide and protect human life’ through ‘law, custom, and tradition’ [Newbigin 1989: 205-206,203]. Hendrik Berkhof identifies the]stoikheia with ‘religio-social structures’ of ‘the clan or tribe…which for centuries gave form and content’ to the life of a particular group [Berkhof 1977: 34,20]. See sections 2.4 and 2.5 for how dealing with social powers is different from dealing with as demonic ones.

[45] I have yet to find any NT text suggesting that Satan and demonic powers were created with Christ's coming in mind, or that they could eventually be reconciled to him. So while Paul sees Christ as the head of these social powers, he also sees that they are not currently in right relationship to him, just like most human beings—since most human beings too still need to be reconciled to God through Christ.

[46] Note how in these next two citations (from Colossians and Ephesians) Paul is mainly addressing the non-Jewish minority ethnic groups in the church (‘YOU’) who have been (or are still being) subjected to the dominant social power of Judean-based racism and Jewish customs. But his description of the elemental powers (footnote [44]) suggest he is also addressing minority ethnic groups subject to a dominant 'Greek' culture.

[47] Paul doesn't only use ‘the flesh’ in relation to sin or the body, but also related to ethnic or racial identity under the old order (e.g. Rom.9:3-4a).

[48] See footnote [43] for some more of the ‘elemental (social) powers’ identified by Paul in this passage (Col.2:16-23).

[49] Paul’s co-worker, Luke, uses these two Greek words together twice: to speak of earthly positions of social power (‘primary rule and authority’, Lk.20:20) and to speak of human beings that occupy these positions (‘primary rulers and authorities’, Lk.12:11). Paul himself does so four times to refer to ‘all’ positions of social power, heavenly or earthly (Col.1:16; 2:10; Eph.1:21; 1 Cor.15:24), and four times to refer to those who occupy these positions—either in heaven (Eph.3:10; 6:12) or on earth (Tit.3:1), or on both levels (Col.2:15).

[50] This Greek word [Gr. arkhee] can also be translated as ‘the beginning’, as most translations usually render it in this verse (1:18). But then it loses the impact of what Paul is saying about Christ in relation to the ‘primal chiefdoms [arkhai] and authorities in this passage (1:16).

[51] At the same time Paul says that, in the broader society, believers are still subject to such earthly ‘authorities’ [Gr. exousias] and so must honour them as ‘God's officials’ [Gr. leitourgoi theou] since their job is still to use their social power to do good and to punish evil (Tit.3:1; Rom.13:1-7).

[52] In the Septuagint version of the Psalm, people were made ‘a little while’ [Gr. brakhu] lower than angels [Gr. angelous]’ (Ps.8:6a; Heb.2:7a).

[53] This can also be seen in the way God is often described or addressed in the Prophets, as ‘the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel’ (2 Sam.7:26-27; Is.37:16; 54:5; 47:4; Jer.23:36; 51:19; 44:7; 46:25; 48:1; Zeph. 2:9). Also in the Writings (1 Chr.17:24; Ps.46:7; 59:5).

·Neither "Circumcised" nor "Foreskin" is anything compared to a new creation! ·To all who ‘line up under’ [Gr. stoikheesousin] this principle [Gr. kanoni]: peace and mercy be upon them, including the Israel of God. (Gal.6:12-16)

As we saw in the previous sections, Jesus—God's new ‘anointed one’ (‘Christ’, ‘Messiah’)—ushered in a ‘new  creation’ (section 2.2) by confronting and triumphing over the social powers through the cross (section 2.3). Therefore, as adult ‘co-heirs’ in his ‘body’, believers of all ethnic groups in the church need to follow their ‘Head’ and also ‘line up under’ [Gr. stoikheesousin] the cross.[54] And dying with Christ to the social powers of the old ‘world-system’ [Gr. kosmos] means that we must stop letting ourselves be ‘dictated to’ either by the ‘rules’ of our own ethnic group in the church, or by the ‘rules’ or demeaning language and status (‘foreskin’) that members of a dominant ethnic group—consciously or unconsciously—try to impose on us as members of a minority group.

Secondly, ‘lining up under’ the cross also involves treating the old ‘world-system’ as having been ‘crucified to me’. This does not mean that each believer loses his or her ethnic identity; for Paul still identifies with the members of his own ethnic group in the church (‘the Israel of God’) who are lining up under the cross. But it does mean: personally refusing to go along with any superiority (‘boasting’) or racist language (‘foreskin’) coming from members of my own ethnic group towards other ethnic groups; and refusing to impose our ethnic ‘rules’ on them—consciously or unconsciously—in the church (see Gal.2:11-15, section 1.4). For to the believers of different ethnic groups in the church in Rome, Paul applies the principle of the cross as follows:

Though territorial boundaries between nations were part of the old world-system created by God (Gen.10:5,20,31-32; Acts.17:26), these no longer exist in the ‘new humanity’ he is now creating in Christ.[56] But these boundaries and ‘human regulations’ became mixed with institutional evils—like racism based on physical characteristics (“Foreskin”) and historical ‘enmity’ directed ‘against’ certain nations and minority ethnic groups [Gr. ethne]. Yet according to Paul, Jesus' death only laid the foundation for dealing with such institutional evils and injustices. For God now calls on believing individuals and ethnic groups in the church to join with Jesus in treating these aspects of the old world-system as dead by breaking down barriers between ethnic groups and promoting reconciliation. And by putting to death not only individual worldly behaviors, but also ethnic ‘passions’ and ‘angry indignation, …vilification and shameful talk’—conscious or unconscious—directed at other ethnic groups (Col.3:5,8,11).

Whatever ethnic group you belong to, ‘lining up under’ the cross means coming to acknowledge that there are rules, traditions, ideas and enmities (towards those ‘foreign’ to us) in your culture that you must die to. For even traditional "Christian" cultures have found selective ways to use the Scriptures to support attitudes and actions of cultural superiority directed towards one or more other groups. Also to whitewash or ignore historical and current acts of enmity towards people of other nations and ethnic groups. Lining up under the cross means I must choose to humbly listen and not be defensive when brothers and sisters of minority ethnic groups speak of being overlooked, disadvantaged or hurt due to the conscious or unconscious behavior of others in my culture who are still being dictated to by its social powers.

In his Galatian letter, Paul speaks of a second way that we are to confront the ‘elemental powers’ [Gr. stoikheia] in the church, again using the verb form of this Greek word.

Do not use YOUR freedom…for indulging 'the flesh', but instead through love, each of YOU serve the other… ·Walk in the Spirit and YOU will not fulfill the desires of the flesh… ·…, such as… ·…rivalry, divisiveness, factionalism…and such things. ·Those who belong to the Messiah, Jesus, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ·If we live in the Spirit, let us also line up under [Gr. stoikomen] the Spirit—·not becoming conceited. (Gal.5:13,16,19,20-21,24-25)

One of the ways we confront the powers in this way is through making it a priority that all understand and learn how to ‘administer’ our ethnic diversity in the church according to God's eternal purpose—which isn't automatically obvious to everyone—in bringing nations together as fellow adult heirs (Eph.3:4-6, section 2.2)

This grace was given… ·to enlighten all concerning the administration of “the Mystery” which for ages was kept hidden…— ·to the intent that now, through the church, the many-and-varied wisdom of God might be made known to the primal chiefs [Gr. arkhais]  and authorities [Gr. exousiais] among the celestial ones, ·according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord. (Eph.3:7,9-11)

Paul challenges the ethnic groups in the church in Rome to apply this in two ways. First by joining with Jesus in taking on the hurts of the socially ‘weaker’ members—individuals and groups—in the church, led by God's Spirit of patient endurance and encouragement. And second through multi-ethnic worship.

Not that I have already… become fully mature [Gr. te-teleiomai], …·but I am single-mindedly letting go of the things that are indeed behind and straining forward to… ·…the envisioned goal…of the higher calling of God in Christ Jesus. ·Let this be our focus, as many then as are mature ones [Gr. teleioi]… ·Only let us be lining up under [Gr. stoikhein] that towards which we have come.[58] (Phil.3:12-16)

Paul not only practiced this in his own life, but he modeled it as a church leader in God's new social order.

God wants to make known among the nations… the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in YOU… ·Him we proclaim: admonishing every human being, and in all wisdom teaching each one so that we might present every person mature [Gr. teleion] in Christ. (Col.1:27-28)

Paul understood what Jesus taught about leadership in the Father's kingdom as being radically different from social leadership under the old world-system. Instead of using his authority to ‘exercise dominion over’ people in the churches or to act like a problem-solving ‘benefactor’, he chose to treat them as adult brothers and sisters who shared the same family table with him, and as co-workers (Lk.22:25-30a, Mat.23:1-10; 2 Cor.1:24; 6:1,18).

These letters also show his concern that the Holy Spirit not be used as a new form of social power whereby certain spiritual gifts (like speaking in tongues) confer a higher status (1 Cor.7:6-7; 12:1-25). The same is true of his letter to the church in Rome. Not only does he challenge an attitude of superiority among Jewish believers, particularly one Jewish teacher (‘you’, singular; Rom.1:14-16; 2:1,17-23); but he seems to challenge educated ‘Greeks’ who have a superiority complex as well (3:9). Both need to hear the Gospel laid out again to them (1:14-16), for at least one Greek leader (‘you’, singular) is teaching that he and others like him have now taken the place of Jews in the church (11:17-22). Further, another leading figure (‘you’, singular) from an immigrant group seems to be holding on to ‘enmity’ towards ‘the higher authorities’, related to the Roman empire (13:1-5). Thus, leading figures in the church's minority groups also need to ‘line up under the cross and the Spirit’, to set an example for all believers. Otherwise, they too can end up using their social power to re-create ethnic divisions in the church (16:17-18), or to try (consciously or unconsciously) to replace an older dominant ethnic group with a new one.[60]

FOOTNOTES (section 2.4)

[54] Contrast Paul’s use of this Greek verb with how the Jerusalem church leaders used it when speaking with Paul (Acts 21:25, end of section 1.5)

[55] The Greek word, dikaio-sunee, (lit. ‘righteous-with’), according to some commentators can better be translated as ‘relational righteousness’. See footnote [13]

[56] Notice that while the diversity of clans, languages and nations in Genesis 10 are still visible in John’s vision (Rev.7:9), territories are absent.

[57] Note that in the context of this Psalm, a social group is treating an individual as an alien and a stranger (69:8).

[58] This text is also about lining up under the Spirit. For while we have already in Christ become adult sons and daughters through the Spirit of ‘placement as sons’ as co-heirs with Christ (Rom.8:15-17a; Gal.4:1-7, section 2.2), the Spirit only represents the ‘first fruits’ and the ‘deposit’ on the full inheritance and maturity that will be ours when our body is transformed (Rom.8:23; Eph.1:13b-14, section 2.3; 1 Cor.15:50-52)—when nations also fully inherit the pre-planned multi-ethnic kingdom at Christ's return as the last adversarial ‘primal chiefdoms and authorities’ are finally abolished (1 Cor.15:21-24; Mat.25:31-34) and when the creation itself is delivered from slavery to corruption (Rom.8:18-21).

[59] How Paul dealt with the problems in Corinth is another case study in social power and leadership in a multi-ethnic church, particularly section 5 in Part II, ‘How Paul's gospel affects the way he deals with the ‘mess’ in Corinth. Members of my website can read both Part I and Part II of ‘The Corinthian Church Mess—the Backstory’, a two-part teaching I gave to our YWAM Amsterdam community in 2011.

[60] Paul's letter to the believers in Rome is a virtual case study in how Paul dealt with social power and leadership in a multi-ethnic church. Members of my website can read this article at: ‘Dealing With Divisive Ethnic Group Leaders in the Church in Rome’.

·For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the primal chiefs Gr. arkas], against the authorities [Gr. exousias], against the cosmic powers [Gr. kosmokratoras] behind the darkness of this age, against the spiritually wicked things among the celestial ones.·Because of this, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist (them) in the evil day, and having fully employed each (implement, be able) to stand. ·Stand therefore:

The first kind of confrontation is with persons in positions of social power (the primal chiefs and the authorities). Since these were created through Christ and for him, and since he is their ‘head’ (see section 2.4), the most powerful weapons needed for this confrontation are ‘truth’, ‘righteousness’ and ‘readiness for (proclaiming and demonstrating) the Good News of Peace’. In Jesus' encounter with Pilate, his defence involved bearing witness to truth—by both announcing and demonstrating the advent of a new kingdom of peace, one that does not operate like earthly kingdoms. Pilate's response illustrates how truth is not a priority for most political authorities (Jn.18:36-38). Yet his cynical question ‘What is truth [Gr. a-leetheia]?’ is still an important one. The Greek word for ‘truth’ suggests the idea of something ‘not-hidden’, implying that ‘truth’ is not as readily known as most people think. Jesus himself said that ‘truth’ can only be known in a relationship with him, and through the revelation that comes from ‘abiding in’ his word and obeying it (Jn.8:31-32,38-39). So as Paul is about to face Roman authorities as a ‘chained ambassador’ (above text), he asks for prayer that both his words and his actions will ‘boldly make known the Mystery of the Gospel’—concerning the new multi-ethnic family kingdom that Jesus (and the Spirit) came to bring (Eph.3:4-6, section 2.2) as well as the reconciliation that is possible through the cross (2 Cor.5:14,18-20)—also for those in positions of social power (Col.1:16-20, section 2.3).

Notice that spiritual language formulas and raising our voices in such confrontations are not mentioned as weapons in the above text. Instead we need to take our cue from Jesus: both from his encounters with social powers, and from his words about similar confrontations that we can expect (Lk.12:11-12). Also in confrontations with demonic powers (Lk.10:18-20). In both cases Jesus walked with authority in the Spirit because of his close relationship with the Father—always reflecting the maturity and holiness of his character, while humbly limiting himself to saying only what he heard from the Father (Jn.8:28) and doing only what he saw the Father doing (Jn.5:19-20). This means that he took on these confrontations only when the Father led him into them. For he sometimes avoided full-on confrontation with the social powers (Jn.8:59; Jn.11:45-54) or remained silent in their presence (Lk.23:8-9). He also avoided being manipulated into taking a position of social power himself (Jn.6:15; Lk.12:13-14). And when his disciples showed too much interest in exerting social power themselves, or in occupying positions of social power in the new social order of the kingdom, he confronted them immediately.[64]

So like Jesus, we need to arm ourselves with the weapons of the Spirit, in order to be prepared to engage in such confrontations with systemic social powers—first doing so when we see that these have infiltrated the church, and only engaging such systemic powers outside the church when the Father (by the Spirit) leads us to do so. One pastor (Roger Forster), when teaching on the social powers in the Amsterdam School of Missions that I led, told us that their churches would usually only ‘resist’ the unjust actions of the social powers outside the church when such actions affected someone in the church, or persons closely connected to someone in the church. That is, of course, unless the Spirit specifically led them to do so on other occasions. And they would do so as a group, not as individuals. Like Jesus, our job is not to fight injustice in general, but to do so as sons and daughters of the kingdom (Mat.13:38b): first in the church and outside it when so led. Nor is it our job to forcibly bring change, but rather to bear witness in every social sphere of every nation [Gr. ethne] to the new creation social order—a new kind of multi-ethnic family kingdom—that has been inaugurated by its king, Jesus, and by the Spirit (Mat.24:14; 8:11).

Because social power continues to play an important role in human societies, we must understand our authority in Christ while also being responsible members of human families, ethnic groups, institutions and nations. Sometimes social change will come through us, sometimes the devil's schemes will bring reversals. But ultimately the ‘world-system’ [Gr. kosmos] will be transformed into our Father's kingdom when Jesus returns and the angels weed out of it ‘all offensive things’ as well as all persons who ‘practice lawlessness’ (Mat.13:38a,41,43).

FOOTNOTES (section 2.5)

[61] Again I'm using different colored fonts to show that power confrontations should focus less on the ‘flesh and blood’ people in positions of social power and more on the celestials ones behind these positions, as well as on the celestial demonic powers directly connected to ‘the evil one’.

[62] Greek, dikaio-sunee. See footnote [13].

[63] In Colossians, Paul speaks of ‘elemental powers’ in a more impersonal way, as social ideas, traditions, rules, and practices, but with a connection to ‘primal chiefs and authorities’ that operate on both an earthly and a celestial level (section 2.3). Note also how in Galatians he identifies the ‘elemental powers’ with ‘the Law’, which is connected to God himself (section 2.2).

[64] Like when his disciples wanted to call down fire on Samaritans, to stop someone else from driving out demons, and to keep little children from bothering Jesus (Lk.10:49-55; 18:15-16), or when they jockeyed for positions of prominence in the kingdom (Lk.9:46-48; Mk.10:35-44; Lk.22:24-30).

Several years ago I was asked by a Nigerian colleague, ‘Jim, what makes you so different?’ I mentioned two experiences I had in my early twenties. First, an eye-opening experience while spending a summer in Harlem, New York, and second a ‘Peter-like’ revelation during a time of prayer before leaving for a two-year alternate service stint in Indonesia. Both experiences enabled me to build genuine reciprocal relationships with people of color. But it was only as I was preparing to teach on intercultural-relationships for the first time (in my early thirties) that I discovered the revelation that Paul had received during the decade following his conversion (section 2.2). It is his revelation that has actually had the greatest impact on both my ministry (among Muslim neighbors and alongside co-workers from other ethnic groups), and on my teaching over the past forty years.

Due to a renewed focus in the USA and Europe on the issues of partiality and racism sparked by the death of George Floyd in 2020, it is no longer only people of color in these societies that see these issues as an ongoing problem. Yet Paul says to those in the church today: This is not just a diversity problem that needs to be fixed by better diversity management from the top. For God in Christ is changing the familiar world-system by creating a new social order. The real problem that even most Christians don’t see is that social powers connected to the old world-systems need to give way to a new kind of multi-ethnic family kingdom of fellow adults. Think of a healthy marriage between and a Christian man and woman. They each come from a different family system yet must together create a new one—one in which Jesus alone is the head and where neither the gender nor the family culture of one partner dominates in the new family system. The Jerusalem church sought the help of the Spirit to promote more inclusion and better ethnic diversity management, but they kept trying to do so within the old Jew-Gentile world-system of Jewish culture—in which partiality towards Jews and even racism towards non-Jews still held sway. Likewise in the church today. In Europe and America, most people that want to find a solution to partiality and racism are still trying to find it within the old two-category system of partiality towards Europeans (‘white’ people), if not also racism towards non-Europeans (‘people of color’).

Jesus personally taught Paul a whole new approach to creating a new multi-ethnic family kingdom of adult sons and daughters, in which all would no longer (even unconsciously) line up under the elemental powers of whatever world-system(s) they each grew up in. Instead, they all would ‘line up under’ the Spirit and the cross together, with maturity for each believer of every ethnic group as their common goal. But this means that we all need to follow Jesus' example: by aligning all our actions with what we see our Father doing (Jn.5:19-20), and by each individual and ethnic group in the church seeking to humbly serve and prefer the other in love (Jn.10:15-16; 13:14-17; 15:12; Phil.2:4-8). In his letter to the Romans, Paul both modeled and taught five important changes (a recap of his suggestions from sections 2.2 to 2.4):

1. Deny the superiority claim (conscious or unconscious) by any dominant cultural group in the church. Like Paul's own Jewish culture claiming a dominant teaching role just because they'd been the ancient custodians of the Scriptures (Rom.2:17-21a).Or like those of the educated Greek culture comparing themselves to uncivilized immigrants (‘barbarians’, Rom.1:14), or those claiming to have the most new converts—compared to all the Jewish ‘branches’ being ‘cut off’ (Rom.11:17-22). Lining up under the cross means acknowledging that even these "superior" cultures, like all others, are still ‘under sin’ (Rom.3:9;sections 2.2 & 2.3). Remember, just because one ethnic group ceases to be dominant doesn't mean another won't emerge to take its place.

2. Practice reciprocal honour and hospitality with people of other ethnic and social groups (Rom.12:10,13b,16).

3. Don't ('you', singular) let things that in the culture of your group ('YOU', plural) are 'good' (like holidays, food preferences, discussion style[65], language, etc.) cause evil to be spoken of them, by assuming that your group's values and practices are the obvious standard for the corporate life of the church (Rom.14:3,5,16-17).

4. Glorify our Father through choosing to listen and bear the pain of other ethnic groups (‘the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me’, ‘mourning with those who mourn’, 15:1-6; 12:15b). See Mark Vroegop's very practical book on the importance of learning to lament together [Vroegop 2020], and footnote [14] for a link to a related podcast by Peter Scazzero.

5. Glorify our Father in multi-cultural praise and worship (Rom.15:6-11). In Meditation #70, I give examples of how we led out in both our mission community and our local church in: reciprocal hospitality, multi-ethnic pain-sharing, and multi-cultural worship. For an illustration (connected to 1 Pet.2:9-10) from the first multi-cultural worship week I organized for our mission community (1997), see Meditation #45.

If you are part of an urban church or Christian ministry that isn't multi-ethnic, you need to first ask the Holy Spirit why not. Why, in God's rapidly globalizing world, is this still the case? Then…

6. Ask the Father to show you which nearby ethnic or multi-ethnic church in your area he wants you to partner with so you can begin practicing Paul's suggestions. You can even do this if you live in a mono-cultural rural area and your church community there is naturally mono-cultural. For you still need to ask the question based on what Jesus said, ‘What is our Father doing now with diverse nations and ethnic groups in his world today, and how can we work with him?’

7. Keep asking the question suggested to me more than fifty years ago by one of the (‘black’) elders in the multi-racial church I was attending in Harlem, New York (1968): ‘How can I (we) ensure that I am (we are) part of the solution, not just another part of the problem?’ And then do the next thing the Holy Spirit tells you to do.

FOOTNOTE

[65] Rev. Eric Law has developed the discipline of ‘mutual invitation’ that I and others have found very helpful in keeping a Western (individualist) discussion style from making it difficult for people of other ethnic groups to participate. See the link on my website page (Immigration and the Church in Europe) to Ron Benefiel's book review of Law's book, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb. 

More resources on this website at the following links (to Bible meditations by the author, as well as to other articles and videos) on these related topics:

• The new multi-ethnic family kingdom social order: Med.#4, Med.#5, Med.#6, Med.#8, Med.#17, also Med.#3.
• The social (guardian) powers and the new goal of maturity in Christ: Meditations #25-32.
• Maturity that avoids the '4 dark paths' that would draw us back into the world-system (Meditations #52-55)
• Social power and church leadership (in the new multi-ethnic family kingdom): Meditations #68-77, also Med.#67.
• Page with articles and video teaching on intercultural issues, including a 'Taste of Heaven' audio clip of multi-ethnic worship: Immigration and the Church in Europe: What is our Father Doing?
• Detailed versions of the meditations plus other intercultural articles and video teaching in the membership section of my website. See listing of these titles on the  sign up as a member page.