Favoritism

Shelby G. Floyd

March 11, 2007

God Made All Nations from One Man

To the Athenian philosophers Paul declared, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” (Acts 17:26.) Therefore, all people have a common ancestor in Adam.

All People Derive from Noah’s Three Sons

After the flood eight people survived, including Noah and his three sons—Japheth, Ham and Shem. From these three sons all people have derived. Noah had sixteen grandsons. Japheth had 7 sons—43.75 %; Ham had 4 sons—25 %; and Shem had 5 sons—31.25 %. (cf. Genesis 10.) All nations and languages fall into these three divisions. It has been said that the descendants of these three sons still comprise the same ratio in their respective lands.

God Does Not Show Favoritism

God and the Bible generally do not refer to people by race, but by nations and languages. In Peter’s sermon to the Gentile Cornelius, he stated “that God does not show favoritism,” or is “no respecter of persons.” (Acts 10:34.) That simply means that God does not judge people by the color of their skin, wealth, position, power or looks, “but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” (Acts 10:35.) The Lord Jesus Christ also is not a respecter of persons. His critics even acknowledged this:

Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. (Mark 12:14.)

Since God accepts people on this basis, so should we.

God Accepts Any Person Who Fears Him and Does What is Right

Prejudice, bigotry and separateness, is rampant throughout the world. Christ came to bring all people into one salvation and one body—the church. “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:26-28.)