Monotheism, Biblical Traditions, and Race Relations

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Monotheism, Biblical Traditions, and Race Relations

In the Hebrew Bible, various aspects of theism exist though monotheistic faith stands out, and the New Testament largely continues with Jewish monotheism. This Element examines diverse aspects of monotheism in the Hebrew Bible and their implications to others or race relations. Also, it investigates monotheistic faith in the New Testament writings and its impact on race relations, including the work of Jesus and Paul's apostolic mission. While inclusive monotheism fosters race relations, exclusive monotheism harms race relations. This Element also engages contemporary biblical interpretations about the Bible, monotheistic faith, and race/ethnicity.

Judah

According to the Synoptic Gospels, Judas Iscariot is the betrayer of Jesus. Because of his betrayal, Jesus is arrested easily or fast and tried and crucified eventually. But strictly speaking, Jesus's crucifixion would occur even without Judas' betrayal. In fact, Jesus became the target of arrest because he was dangerous in the eyes of Rome and Jerusalem. He was dangerous because his message and actions challenged the power system of the Roman Empire. He was against the system. He was supposed to be hated and killed by the power.
Therefore, we should not think that Judas helped Jesus die and that he cooperated with God by betraying him as if God planned to kill him. Judas's action was simply evil and is condemned. He cooperated not with God but with political-religious authorities. He did not understand God's will or Jesus's work.

Again, we must make it clear that God's plan is not Jesus's crucifixion. God wants Jesus to reveal the good news of God (not the good news of Rome) and his righteousness. Jesus did his best doing the work of God, risking his life. He was put to death because of his faithfulness to God and because of his recalcitrant spirit against the system. But God raised him from the dead.

Therefore, Judas Iscariot cannot be thanked for at all. Jesus's crucifixion or resurrection occurred not because of Judas's betrayal. His crucifixion resulted because he boldly proclaimed God's good news and his righteousness without sparing his life. His resurrection occurred because of God's power.

The high view of Judas comes from the later Gnostic Gospel--The Gospel of Judas Iscariot-- in which he is portrayed as a true disciple who understands God's plan for Jesus's sacrifice.

Communal Revival and the New Testament

I presented at the 2021 Ellison-Jones Convocation at Virginia Union University.  

For a full document, click this link.

"The past 16 years are just like a twinkling of an eye. This is my 17th year teaching at this beloved school—Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology. I cannot enumerate all the blessings I have received from this school and the larger community beyond this since 2005. I thank all my students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends from near and far for their unwavering support of me. In particular, I thank Dean John Guns for his transparent leadership and fervent hope for our school.

        I am excited to be part of this year's Ellison-Jones Convocation as a presenter. My topic is communal revival and the New Testament. What I present to you is my interpretation of communal revival from the perspective of the New Testament. I am going to talk about Paul’s “body of Christ” metaphor and Jesus’s preaching of the gospel of God."

A New Translation of 1 Corinthians 12:27

Ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε σῶμα Χριστοῦ καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέρους (Hymeis de este sōma Christou kai melē ek merous, 1 Cor 12:27). 

My new translation: "Now you are the Christic body and parts of each other." Indeed, I translated 1 Cor 12:12-27 again and understood the text better because of that. 

I intended the Greek noun melos to be translated as a part, not as a member so that readers would not equate it with a social member. We should not forget that the source domain of Paul's body metaphor is the human body.

Marginality and human transformation

[Photo courtesy of Inhee Lee]

We all live in a harsh world. To a different degree, we experience marginality. I believe marginality is a creative space for transformation. There are three moments or attitudes which are conducive to human transformation:

"I am no-one" is an attitude that I am nothing before God. I am the dust (ʿāpār, Gen 2:7; hebel, Eccl 1:2)! We are the dust and need the grace of God. When you confess that "I am no-one," God would say you are not no-one.

"I am some-one" is a mode that I reclaim that I am. I am more than the dust. I am given the breath of life (nišmat ḥyym, Gen 2:7). I am the spirit. Nothing or no one can bring me down. I am that I am.

"I am one-for-others" is a commitment that I have a moral duty to support others. I am a living being (nepeš, Gen 2:7) and find joy in living with them. 

A Transformative Reading of the Bible 

Sometimes "unfinished" is better than completed

When you are done 90% with the chapter you write, move on to the next chapter. Leaving it unfinished means you can come back any time and revise it better at a later time. Coming back and forth between chapters is also a good strategy. The bottom line is never hanging on to one chapter forever. Sometimes "unfinished" is better than completed. At times, something clearer may pop up out of the blue when you are away from what you do. 

[photo courtesy of Inhee Lee]