For Those Wondering About Interracial Marriage

It seems there is discussion if the Bible forbids interracial marriage. It is really baffling that people in the church are having this discussion in the 21st century, but here we are. There have been well written blogs on this issue, so I am going to give a simple answer: no.

People thought God forbid interracial marriage in the Old Testament which he did forbid the people of Israel not because of their race, but for their worship of false gods. Mark Tatlock wrote:

In the Old Testament, interracial marriage was not forbidden on the basis of ethnicity but rather idolatry. Since national membership and faith were linked in identity, ethnicity was linked to idol worship. The basis of God's prohibitions was to prevent false worship from being integrated into the Jewish culture; therefore, an Israelite could not marry a person who was not a true worshipper of God. This is still true for the believer today (2 Corinthians 6:14). For God's people, marriage has always been an issue of faith, not race.

Here is the proof from the book of Deuteronomy:

When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and He clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and stronger than you, and when Yahweh your God gives them over before you and you strike them down, then you shall devote them to destruction. You shall cut no covenant with them and show no favor to them. Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, and they will serve other gods; then the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you, and He will quickly destroy you (Deuteronomy 7:1-4, LSB).

The Bible is clear that marriage is for one man and one woman which does not say about skin color or ethnicity. It does mention that we should make sure whoever we marry worships the one true God. The Bible does not forbid interracial marriage.