Non-believer and Multi-ethnic Marriages: A Biblical Perspective

There are many believers in dire straits seeking answers to tormenting questions such as, are mix marriages allowed, meaning between people of two ethnicities, may I marry an unbeliever, or what do I do when I am married to an unbeliever?

The research of Old Testament multi-ethnic weddings helps to define the contours of what makes a marriage between people of two ethnicities acceptable, in other words mix marriages. This and the "unbeliever" issue is also explained in detail from the pages of the Old and New Testament.

Although YHWH made a special covenant with Abraham and his descendants, people of foreign descent who forsook the gods of their nations in order to serve Him could find acceptance in the Israelite community.

As God-fearers, these Gentiles participated in the religious life of Israel and enjoyed the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant. Furthermore, they could reside within Israel without any stigma attached to them (e.g. Rahab) and become Israelites in every sense of the word (e.g. Ruth). Moreover, YHWH defended Moses’ Cushite wife when Miriam despised her because of her foreign ancestry.

Thus, multi-ethnic marriages between Israelites and non-Israelites were just as valid as Israelite-Israelite unions under the proper circumstances.

Come journey with me as we explore all the factual evidence from the pages of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, especially the worrying verse of 1 Cor 7:12-14:

"To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy."

Book Size: A5

Number of Pages: 27