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Red: PMS Red 032 Metallic Gray: PMS 877 Black: Pantone Black B “In 2008, many hoped the election of an African-American president would finally bridge the racial divide. Today, we are left wondering why racial tensions have L not abated. John Piper argues that the only solution powerful enough to bring O JOHN PIPER about reconciliation is the gospel of Jesus Christ—the gospel that announces that, O through his blood, Jesus has demolished the dividing wall that separates humanity RACE, CROSS, and brings all ethnicities together into one body, the Church.” D AND THE CHRISTIAN Juan R. Sanchez Jr., Preaching Pastor, High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, Texas; L RAC·ISM council member, the Gospel Coalition I \’ra-si-zem N “Piper has given us an exquisite work on the matter of race, addressing the issue : an explicit or implicit belief or practice with personal sensitivity and practical advice. A must read for those who wish to E that qualitatively distinguishes or values pursue unity God’s way.” S one race over other races. Tony Evans, President, The Urban Alternative; Senior Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship BBLOOODLLINNESS R A JOHN PIPER is pastor for “Leaping off these pages is the power of the gospel to overcome and defeat racism CE Genocide. Terrorism. Hate crimes. In a world preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist and a call to cross-centered, holy justice in our attitudes and actions toward those , C where racism is far from dead, is unity amidst R who are not like us.” O diversities even remotely possible? Church in Minneapolis. He grew up in S S Greenville, South Carolina, graduated from Crawford W. Loritts Jr., author; radio host, Living a Legacy; Senior Pastor, , A Sharing from his own experiences growing Fellowship Bible Church, Roswell, Georgia N D Wheaton College, and earned degrees from T up in the segregated South, pastor John H Fuller Theological Seminary (BD) and the “Piper bequeaths an outstanding—and at times, risky—work on race and ethnicity. E Piper thoughtfully exposes the unremitting C University of Munich (DTheol). John is the His personal testimony from the 1960’s until now, and his exploration of African- H problem of racism. Instead of turning finally to R American writers past and present, demonstrates the complexity of dealing IS organizations, education, famous personalities, author of more than 40 books, including T honestly with the topic of racism. The only question that remains is whether or not IA or government programs to address racial Don’t Waste Your Life, This Momentary N individual members of the church will take deeply to heart this sincere analysis strife, Piper reveals the definitive source of Marriage, and Think, and more than 30 years and become a steadfast, holy force for undoing the problems of racism in North hope—teaching how the good news about of his preaching and teaching is available at P America and the world.” Jesus Christ actively undermines the sins that desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noël, I P feed racial strife, and leads to a many-colored Eric C. Redmond, author, Where Are All The Brothers? Straight Answers to Men’s Ques- have four sons, one daughter (pictured tions About the Church; Senior Pastor, Reformation Alive, Temple Hill, Maryland E and many-cultured kingdom of God. above), and twelve grandchildren. R Learn to pursue ethnic harmony from a biblical JOHN PIPER perspective, and to relate to real people different from yourself, as you take part in the CHRISTIAN LIVING / SOCIAL ISSUES FOREWORD BY TIM KELLER bloodline of Jesus that is comprised of “every tongue, tribe, and nation.” 9 9 2. 2 $ S. U. “Americans have been turning to organizations, education, famous personalities, and ultimately government in an effort to address the ongoing racial strife in our nation. In 2008 many hoped the election of an African-American president would finally bridge the racial divide. Today, we are left wondering why racial tensions have not abated. John Piper argues from specific biblical texts that the only solution powerful enough to overcome racial strife and bring about reconciliation and harmony is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is this gospel that announces that, through his blood, Jesus has demolished the dividing wall that separates humanity along racial lines and has brought all ethnicities together as brothers and sisters into one body—the church. Yet Piper does not end there. He carefully shepherds us through the various implications of the gospel in relation to race and ethnicity. In this sense, the book you hold in your hands is so much more than a book about race and ethnicity. Bloodlines is a prime example of how we are to do the hard work of renewing our minds by replacing old ways of thinking with gospel ways of thinking. Read this book and let it serve as a model of how to prepare your mind for action and to think soberly about God, your sin, Christ, the gospel, and one another for the sake of your soul, Christ’s church, and God’s glory.” Juan R. Sanchez Jr., Preaching Pastor, High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, Texas “John Piper has given us an exquisite work on the matter of race. He addresses the issue with biblical and theological soundness coupled with personal sensitivity and practical advice. This is a must read for those who wish to pursue unity God’s way.” Tony Evans, President, The Urban Alternative; Senior Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship “For years, I have yearned for a biblically sound, theologically anchored resource on race. God has answered that prayer. Leaping off the pages of Bloodlines is the power of the gospel to overcome and defeat racism and a call to cross-centered, holy justice in our attitudes and actions toward those who are not like us. This is an important, foundational work, and I am sure it will be used of God to remind all of us of the power and precious, priceless dignity of the gospel.” Crawford W. Loritts Jr., author; speaker; radio host; Senior Pastor, Fellowship Bible, Roswell, Georgia Bloodlines.28521.i03.indd 1 7/19/11 10:54 AM “Piper bequeaths an outstanding—and at times, risky—work on race and ethnicity, thoroughly soaked in the biblical Christian Hedonism worldview. I found that Piper’s personal testimony from the 1960s until now and his exploration of African-American writers past and present demonstrate the complexity of dealing honestly with the topic for those who seek to honor the Savior. He is right: on race, ‘we have fallen together.’ The only question that remains is whether or not individual members of the church will take deeply to heart this sincere analysis of the cross of Christ and race and then become a steadfast holy force for undoing the problems of racism in the world.” Eric C. Redmond, author, Where Are All the Brothers? Straight Answers to Men’s Questions about the Church; council member, The Gospel Coalition Bloodlines.28521.i03.indd 2 7/19/11 10:54 AM BLOODLINES Bloodlines.28521.i03.indd 3 7/19/11 10:54 AM Other Crossway Books by John Piper What’s the Difference? A Hunger for God God’s Passion for His Glory The Innkeeper Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ The Legacy of Sovereign Joy The Hidden Smile of God Counted Righteous in Christ The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God The Roots of Endurance Don’t Waste Your Life Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die The Prodigal’s Sister When I Don’t Desire God God Is the Gospel What Jesus Demands from the World When the Darkness Will Not Lift Contending for Our All The Future of Justification Spectacular Sins This Momentary Marriage Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ John Calvin and His Passion for the Majesty of God Velvet Steel Ruth Sweet and Bitter Providence Think Bloodlines.28521.i03.indd 4 7/19/11 10:54 AM BLOODLINES RACE, CROSS, AND THE CHRISTIAN JOHN PIPER FOREWORD BY TIM KELLER WHEATON, ILLINOIS Bloodlines.28521.i03.indd 5 7/19/11 10:54 AM Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian Copyright © Desiring God Foundation Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Cover design: Josh Dennis First printing 2011 Printed in the United States of America Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked kjv are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked nasb are from The New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author. Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-2852-1 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-2853-8 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-2854-5 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2855-2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Piper, John, 1946– Bloodlines : race, cross, and the Christian / John Piper ; foreword by Tim Keller. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4335-2852-1 (hc) 1. Reconciliation—Religious aspects—Christianity. 2. Race discrimination—Religious aspects—Christianity. 3. Church and minorities. I. Title. BT738.27.P57 2011 270.089—dc22 2011010732 Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. LB 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Bloodlines.28521.i03.indd 6 7/19/11 10:54 AM To Talitha Ruth Daughter by love and law, sister in the Great Bloodline Bloodlines.28521.i03.indd 7 7/19/11 10:54 AM Bloodlines.28521.i03.indd 8 7/19/11 10:54 AM CONTENTS Foreword by Tim Keller 11 Preface 13 A Note to the Reader on Race and Racism 17 PART ONE OUR WORLD: THE NEED FOR THE GOSPEL Introduction Martin Luther King Jr.: What Was It Like for Those Who 23 Weren’t There? SECTION ONE My Story, My Debt, My World: Why I Wrote the Book 1 My Story: From Greenville to Bethlehem 31 2 The Gospel I Love, the Debt I Owe, and the Church I Serve 43 3 Global Shifting and the New Face of the Church 51 SECTION TWO Black and White and the Blood of Jesus 4 Why This Book Gives Prominence to 59 Black-White Relationships 5 Personal Responsibility and Systemic Intervention 71 6 The Power of the Gospel and the Roots of Racial Strife 87 PART TWO GOD’S WORD: THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL Introduction William Wilberforce: The Importance of Doctrine and 109 “Coronary” Commitment SECTION ONE The Accomplishment of the Gospel 7 The Mission of Jesus and the End of Ethnocentrism 115 8 The Creation of One New Humanity by the Blood of Christ 121 Bloodlines.28521.i03.indd 9 7/19/11 10:54 AM