Are interracial marriages wrong?

The prohibition of marriage in the Old Testament was rooted in God’s desire to keep the Israelites free from the influence of idolatrous and heathen nations: “Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly” (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).

Several have brought applied to our day and say that we cannot marry between races. This belief has no biblical merit because the purpose is not the same. People today reject interracial marriages because of the sinful attitude of racism, not because they are trying to do God’s will (cp. James 2:1-9). In Christ, there are no differences among any people or races. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The only prohibition which we have today concerning marriage of this type is Paul’s commandment in 2 Corinthians 6:14: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” Paul is not forbidding the marriage of Christians with non-Christians, but he is commanding Christians not be bound with someone who will pull you away from serving God.

Kyle Campbell