To Uphold Scriptural Teaching of the Church as One Chosen Generation in Spite of Existence of Various Earthly Races

Ov. 4-19

To Uphold Scriptural Teaching of the Church as One Chosen Generation in Spite of Existence of Various Earthly Races

WHEREAS, The word race can broadly be used to refer to the entire human race, all of whom are descended from Adam and Eve (“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living,” Gen. 3:20 NKJV); and

WHEREAS, The word race has also come to refer to various bloodlines or lineages, which the Scriptures acknowledge (“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,” Acts 17:26 NKJV; see also Genesis 10; Deut. 18:9–14; Acts 2:5–12); and

WHEREAS, The apostle Peter uses the language of Isaiah, “my chosen people” (Isaiah 43:20; 65:22), in 1 Peter 2:9, to speak of the Church as a people not in reference to a single earthly race but rather to the chosen people of God, the sons of Abraham by faith; and

WHEREAS, As those of the Church, the chosen generation, we are given to proclaim not the doctrines of the world, but rather the words of the prophets and apostles that proclaim Jesus Christ crucified for all nations; therefore be it

Resolved, That we reject any racism in the Church — that is, excluding another from the Body of Christ or hating a brother in Christ because of his race (1 John 3:15; Matt. 5:21–22), deeming a neighbor as subhuman because of his race (Gen. 1:27; Prov.

14:21)— because these acts break the Fifth Commandment; and be it further

Resolved, That we recognize and affirm our Lord’s promise to the Church that we are a “chosen lineage” or “chosen generation” (1 Peter 2:9 NKJV), which is the lineage of all those called into the promise; and be it further

Resolved , That we rejoice that as the Church, the lineage of the promise, we are given to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9), a proclamation to be proclaimed to all nations (Matt. 28:16–20); and be it further

Resolved, That we affirm that the Church, with the hope and the prayer that the Lord restore him to the Church, the chosen lineage of the promise , denounces and calls to repentance anyone who excludes another from the Body of Christ, hates a brother in Christ because of his race, or deems a neighbor as subhuman because of his race; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Wyoming District in convention memorialize the Synod to affirm that the Church denounces anyone who excludes another from the Body of Christ, hates a brother in Christ because of his race, or deems a neighbor as subhuman because of his race and that they be called to repentance with the hope and the prayer that the Lord restore them to the Church, the chosen lineage of the promise.

Wyoming District