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 PrintableVersion Christianity & nationalityIn this article, I propose to briefly consider Christianity and Nationality. This is highly relevant to Christians living in today’s multi-ethnic society. The reason for the article is the perceived lack of understanding of the biblical view of nationality and the purpose is to promote a Scriptural perspective of the subject. BackgroundChristianity and nationality both separately and together have exerted tremendous power over the lives of human beings. They have influenced the thoughts and actions of countless numbers of people for good in various countries over many centuries. However, we are also painfully aware of the terrible abuses perpetrated by men against their fellow men in the name of religion and politics — the Crusades, the Holocaust and ethnic cleansing come horribly to mind. DefinitionsNationality may be defined as a badge of identification; nationhood as belonging to a particular group of people; and nationalism as a love for one’s kind. A nation comprises a group of people sharing a common sense of identity developed over time on a piece of land. T.C. Mitchell states: ‘There are three principal characteristics of a people which are sufficiently distinctive to form some nuance of their name. These are race or physical type; language, which is one constituent of culture; and the geographical area in which they live or the political unit in which they are organised’ (p.815). ChangeMitchell proceeds to state that these characteristics are open to change. Nations redefine their sense of identity from generation to generation as people join through birth and immigration and others leave through death and emigration. ‘Second and third generation’ black people, for example, consider themselves to be Welsh, Scottish or English. RaceIt may be salient to note that in respect of the concept of race that this is a social construction as biologically there is only one race of human beings. Ken Ham et al state: ‘There is really only one race — the human race. Scripture distinguishes people by tribal or national groupings, not by skin colour or physical appearances’ (p.8). According to Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk there are 12,000 ethno-linguistic peoples in the world (p.15), i.e. an ethnic or racial group speaking its own language. The accusation made against the Welsh language, for instance, that it’s a racist device, is inaccurate as language isn’t a racist but a linguistic issue. Indeed, numerous languages are spoken by the same group of people or ‘racial group’. IdentityThe word ‘nation’ is used in the Old Testament to denote a people, originally a multitude (see Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies, p.285). The same meaning applies to it in the New Testament, where it’s used to translate the Greek word, ethnos, from which comes the word ‘ethnic’. Nationality is therefore analogous with ethnicity (see Vine’s Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words, p.784). CreationGod’s first creative act entailed division (Genesis1.4). He continued step by step to separate creatively until he reached the pinnacle of his creation, man, whom He created separately as male and female. God’s first commandment to man, popularly referred to as the ‘Cultural Mandate’ (Genesis 1.28), explains his purpose on earth, which is to cultivate the earth and its resources. J. Elwyn Davies remarks: ‘The Word of God teaches us that God has purposed to bring nations into being. It follows, therefore, that Christians, of all people, should respect what he has ordained’ (p.9). ProvidenceIt’s noticeable that the ‘Cultural Mandate’ wasn’t withdrawn after the Fall but was renewed (Genesis 9.1). However, men sought uniformity at Babel (Genesis 11.1-9), thus disobeying God’s commandment, and so he intervened to ‘scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth’ (Genesis 11.9). In his own good time, he separated the nations and their languages from each other. To quote Albert Barnes in his commentary on Acts 17.26: ‘God had, in his plan, fixed the times when each country should be settled, and the rise, the prosperity, and the fall of each nation’ (p.263). SalvationGod promised to bless all the nations in Abraham (Genesis 12.3) so ‘that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles (i.e. nations) through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith’ (Galatians 3.14). God elected Israel to be his chosen people in order to be a light to the nations (Exodus 19.6, cf. 1 Peter 2.9). Christ’s Great Commission to his church was for ‘all nations’ (Matthew 28.19) and his redemptive work applied to ‘every...nation’ (Revelation 5.9) so that believers ‘of all nations’ (Revelation 7.9) will worship him in heaven. The nation concept is maintained to the end of the Bible (Revelation 22.2), where there’s an indication of the awareness of national identity in heaven itself. John Stott maintains that Scripture ‘declares that the New Jerusalem will be enriched by ... the colourful mosaic of human cultures’ (p.223). God’s glory is paramount and both the ‘Cultural Mandate’ and the Great Commission serve this ultimate purpose. HonourGod honoured nationhood by the Incarnation of his Son into membership of the Jewish nation (Matthew 1.1-17). It’s significant also that numbered among Christ’s human ancestors is Ruth, who was not a Jew but a Moabite. This indicates that nationhood is more than a matter of biological affiliation as it involves identification with a people (Ruth 1.16). Contrast Ruth’s attitude with that of Jezebel, who imposed her Phoenician nationality upon the king and people of Israel (1 Kings 21.25). Although Paul was ordained by God to be a light to the Gentiles (Acts 13.47), yet he continued to own his national identity (Romans 11.1). A healthy nationalism doesn’t preclude a wholesome internationalism. We have a duty to ensure the welfare of vulnerable asylum-seeking refugees, who are strangers in our midst (Exodus 22.21). Unity in Christ transcends all boundaries, including those of nationality (Galatians 3.28). However, unity differs from uniformity and so national distinctions are not obliterated any more than gender differences. CultureWe dishonour God when we dismiss our God-given legitimate national identity and adopt another persona. God’s glory in salvation is amplified in its various manifestations in different national expressions (note the manifold or multi-coloured grace of God in 1 Peter 4.10). One common worldwide language would ease communication among the nations, but the array of the world’s 7,148 languages magnifies ‘the wonderful works of God’ (Acts 2.11). ImperialismImperialism is the abuse of nationhood and so violates the tenth commandment (Exodus 20.17). Imperialism, however, may occur in a more subtle manner through the migration of people from one nation to another leading to the demise of the indigenous culture (colonialism by the back door). Will such incomers act like Ruth or Jezebel? Geerhardus Vos asserts: ‘Nationalism, within proper limits, has the divine sanction; an imperialism that would, in the interest of one people, obliterate all lines of distinction is everywhere condemned as contrary to the divine will’ (p.60). StateThe state is an institution which has been divinely entrusted with authority to govern justly (Romans 13.1-5). A nation may have its own state or it may be without a state of its own. God may permit a strong nation to lord over a weak nation but that’s not a sign of his approval (e.g. Isaiah 10.5-19). We are obliged to pay allegiance to the state but our primary loyalty is to God (Matthew 22.21). OppressionMinority language speakers (like Welsh) often feel frustrated as a linguistic minority in their own country in the face of English language dominance. Their personal experience of Welshness therefore enables them to appreciate the powerlessness felt by other disadvantaged groups in society. Conversely, speaking more than one language affords Welsh speakers the advantage of an increased awareness of the value of other cultures. RecommendationsWe need to relate to each other in an informed and sensitive manner whatever our national identity. This means that we need to: * Be willing to examine our own prejudices and attitudes towards our respective languages and cultures. ConclusionI’ve attempted to briefly consider Christianity and Nationality. God created nations, controls their destinies with his providence and intervenes in their lives with his salvation by means of his church to fulfill his purposes. The Psalmist declares: ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord’ (Psalms 33.12). We would echo this statement and proclaim that ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation’ (Proverbs 14:34). Peter DaviesReferencesBarnes, A. (n.d.) A Popular Family Commentary On The New Testament, vol. 3 (Acts Of The Apostles), Blackie & Son Ltd. © Evangelicals Now - July 2006 |
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