September 1, 2026
Dear Saints,
As I mentioned during the evening sermon last Lord’s Day,1 entitled, “There is No Place for Racism in the Church,” I would like to follow up sharing some resource links from which I drew heavily upon critiquing Kinism and Race Realism–both having come to my attention last week. They are well worth your reading to 1) further familiarize yourself with the topic of Kinism/Race Realism if it is new to you; and 2) amply acquaint yourself with good answers from these two articles that I have found to be especially helpful to understand and critique the movement.
First, from The Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, my alma mater in Pittsburgh, in its Summer 2026 Newsletter mailing. The centerfold article by Dr. Jeffrey Stivason, Professor of New Testament Studies (and my church internship mentor during seminary who also preached my ordination service here at PRPC nearly 16 years ago), entitled, “A Word to Kinists: A Biblical Error of ‘Race Realism’ and Related Beliefs.” It is available online as originally published in May here: rpwitness.org/article/a-word-to-kinists.2
Second, an e-news/online article that came out this month from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, “A Critique of Kinism,” by Dr. Ben Dunson, Professor of New Testament: confessional.org/articles/2026/a-critique-of-kinism.3
I review a few quotes from both articles that were in my sermon below. First, let me return to a few of my own thoughts with the main topic and text of the sermon.
In a movie I saw years ago, the daughter of a white slave owner was shocked when she saw a black boy owned by her father bleeding the same color when he cut his arm. We all bleed red. Whatever shade of melanin is reflected in our eyes, hair, or skin, we all bleed the same hue of red.
Or as Paul says, we are are all from “one blood.” Acts 17:26: And [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. Because the one true God made everything at creation including all mankind through His image in the first Adam, all men are to be reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus Christ the Second Adam and within His one body of a diversified unity.
Where do “all nations” who in God’s providence have populated the earth in different locations come from? God’s one act at creation, the blood of Adam (and Eve).
In his commentary on Acts, I. Howard Marshall explains the gist of the meaning in the context of Paul’s sermon to the Greeks at Mars Hill: “From one will then mean ‘from Adam’ as the ancestor of mankind … the New Testament is concerned more with the fate of men as a whole than with the individual nations … The point in any case is the goodness of God in providing for the needs of mankind.”4 I might add that what we see here is descriptive but not prescriptive in the latter part of the verse. There is only one human race. Or as Paul says referencing the foreign people groups he preached to on Mars Hill, we are all his offspring (vss. 27-28). Thus, all men everywhere are to repent before one judge of all, the one God-man, the one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ (vss. 30-31).
Acts is the reverse of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 when people were separated by God’s discipline confusing and separating them with different languages. In Acts 2:1-11, when Pentecost “was fulfilled,” the apostles each spoke a different known language from various people groups represented to enlighten and reunite them all back together in the resurrected Christ. Notice in verse 10 of Acts 2, there were “strangers” in audience from Asia and Egypt in comparison with Acts 17:21: there were strangers (or foreigners) attending there too. The Gospel brings the world’s people groups dispersed by God in discipline back together in Christian discipleship.
A kinist might ask, who is my neighbor? Jesus says, everyone!–with His story of the Good Samaritan, the hero being a foreigner and even a Samaritan whom the Jews hated–just as the woman at the well whom Jesus sought out was, as were many of her own kind who came to Jesus by her and were saved.
Kinists need to be held to account that the Bible says we are all essentially close kin: one blood. And all variations of this one kinship in Adam redeemed in Christ is what we see in the new heavens and new earth in Revelation. Not separated people groups, but a mixed people worshiping in one accord unity around the throne and of the Lamb from all tongues, tribes, and nations. All skin colors. Many nations. One blood. To be one worldwide nation under God united in Christ as His one body, no member denying its close, organic attachment to the others and dismissing them as not needed (1 Corinthians 12). There is only one human race. There is one blood.
What again is Kinism? Dr. Stivason quotes Drew Poplin to summarize that it is “the belief that races should not intermix, but remain in their allotted boundaries set up by God.” Stivason gets at the heart of it: “The underlying problem with Kinism … is racial superiority or what is being called Race Realism.” He focuses on Acts 16:1-5 to disprove such prejudiced premises. Here, Paul and Silas pick up a new protégé, Timothy, the product of an interracial marriage. His mother was a Jew and his father, a Gentile. Yet he was well regarded and ordained: “Paul and the brothers did not rebuke Timothy’s mother for spoiling the bloodlines or mixing the races. Timothy was recognized as a godly and useful brother. The church loved him.” And Paul did ministry with him. He even ordained Timothy laying his own hands upon him. And Paul wrote two letters to Timothy in the New Testament to encourage him to endure in Christian ministry!
Ben Dunson similarly describes the unrealistic racist attempt to enslave Scripture’s message: “Kinists frequently claim that ‘race is real’ (hence: ‘race realism’). What this means for the kinist is that the world has a set number of distinct races, and that race is a mostly unchangeable, permanent biological reality found in a specific group of people. Included among these biological characteristics of different races would be intelligence, and according to some kinists, moral and spiritual capacities.”
Dunson further paints the picture of this eisegetical problem:
“Revelation 7:9 places all of these categories [nations [ethnous], tribes [phylōn], peoples [laōn], and tongues [glōssōn]] together to show that in the new creation, God’s gathered people will be drawn from the full range of kinds of human groupings in the world. Another important word for a people group is found in 1 Peter 2:9: ‘a chosen race [genos]’ … This phrase is applied to the church as the final manifestation of the true Israel of God but was originally simply a reference to Old-Testament Israel. The meaning of ‘race’ (genos) in 1 Peter 2:9, despite the modern connotations of the word ‘race,’ is roughly synonymous with nation in Revelation 7:9. In fact, both ethnos and laos are used as explicit synonyms of genos in 1 Peter 2:9 … One could quibble over any of the precise nuances of the biblical words for people groups provided in the previous two paragraphs. However, doing so would not change the most pertinent fact: none of the key biblical words for people groups come even close to modern ‘biological’ definitions of race. Rather, they are all focused on different ways in which people groups organize themselves and how these groups extend across time.”
Ben Dunson, “A Critique of Kinism”
So basically, Biblically, there really is no such thing as different races. This distinction is not real. It is imagined. It is preferred by prejudice. By real racists. Dunson also points out that the same arguments for Race Realism are those of Critical Race Theory, equally racist. In fact, he says Critical Race Theory is a “mirror image” of Race Realism. This ought further to give cause for pause and alarm. And not take it as lightly but as a serious sin.
Many kinists/race realists declare white folk are superior intellectually–especially compared to blacks. I would point them to neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson’s story portrayed in the movie “Gifted Hands.” Or agricultural scientist George Washington Carver who came up with hundreds of uses for the peanut. Or inventor Garrett Morgan who created the three positioned traffic signal to keep us from crashing into one another. And Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson who both showed enormous courage and character along with their athletic talent. And Fredrick Douglas serving as a US Presidential advisor. And the ancient Church Fathers we all so rely on from North Africa: Tertullian (who gave us the doctrinal term, Trinity), Athanasius (who preserved the doctrine of the Trinity),5 and Augustine (who gave us in the West almost everything).
Many race realists argue it is a scientifically observable fact that black people are genetically more prone to violence (without giving any evidence if at all, and if so by cherry picking narrow, random samples and editing to their own narrative). I would point to Russian Communism, German Nazism, and the Viking exploits–as well as the oft murderous acts of American segregation. Further, one need only watch the television programs 20/20 or 48 Hours to witness a multitude of murderous white-on-white aggression (often against one’s own family members, and nearly never depicting such homicide by other people groups–not to mention immigrants, illegal or otherwise). Whites can be very violent also, even as especially cold, calculated experts. We are all in Adam natural born killers.
Many kinists proclaim that America is a white nation and immigrants must not come here and if they have, they must go back. I point to my article, “The 7th Grievance of the U.S. Declaration of Independence Decries Tyrannical Restrictions on Vital Immigration Growth” (puritanchurch.com/the-7th-grievance-of-the-u-s-declaration-of-independence-against-tyrannical-restrictions-on-vital-immigration-growth). God’s people were told to love foreigners as themselves remembering we too were immigrants. America has always been made up of immigrants. Our Declaration decried King George stopping the colonies’ immigration growth and naturalization as tyranny against them and one of many causes for starting our new nation. Further, everyone not native American is of immigrant descent. But white supremacy prejudice is shown in how no one (to my knowledge) complains about immigrants coming from England, Ireland, Australia, Ukraine, Denmark, or Slovenia.
Kinists deplore interracial marriage. I point them to Numbers 12: Miriam complained against Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman. For that, along with challenging Moses’ authority, God gave her skin leprosy. I remind them of Ruth the Moabitess marrying Boaz and taking God and His people as her God and her people–and Rahab the Canaanite from Jericho seeking mercy and marrying an Israelite: and both being in the lineage of David and Christ in the opening genealogy of Matthew’s Gospel.
Further, against such real racism, consider Philip witnessing to the Ethiopian in Acts 8:26-39 who was reading Isa 53:7-8. Phillip, who was “teleported” by the Holy Spirit to this eunuch, explained and baptized him upon request and this fulfilled Psalm 68:31, Psalm 87:3-4, and Isa 11:10-11, all declaring that among other foreign people groups those from Ethiopia would be saved as Gentiles being brought into Christ, of Whom it was said:
- Isaiah 45:22: Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
- Isaiah 49:6: And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
In his book, The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption, Dennis E Johnson writes:
- “God is a bridge builder. This metaphor could well sum up a diverse but consistent set of themes that run through the book of Acts.”
- “The word has crossed not only spatial distance, but also religious, ethnic, and cultural distance.”
- “When the day of Pentecost was fulfilled, Acts 2:1, this designates the prophetic climax of a period of time. Pentecost was a new creation … the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost marked a major step in God’s restoration of his creation in the last days.”
- On Acts 6:1: “The cultural boundary between two kinds of people, ‘Grecian Jews’ and ‘Hebraic Jews,’ was the crack that could have become a chasm.”
- “These early Christians found, however, that the differences that threaten division can be God’s prod to look beyond oneself, beyond the circle of ‘our kind of people,’ to see the rich diversity of people ‘from every nation, tribe, people, and language,’ being woven by the Spirit into a multicolored, many-textured tapestry (Rev. 7:9-10) … A church that only touches ‘our kind of people’ (in language, culture, social status, and background) is a shrunken distortion of Christ’s ‘holy catholic [universal] church.”
- On Acts 6: “ … the apostles did not send the Hellenists off to start a ‘separate but equal’ church structure in which they could care for their own widows without disturbing Hebrew-speaking Christians with their complaints. The solution to the tensions was not segregation, but selfless love.”
- “The complex problems posed by the church’s mission to embrace all kinds of people demand leaders who can wisely analyze the problems and formulate just and compassionate solutions.”6
These two Scriptures should be belabored here to bear witness to the whole point:
Eph. 2:14-22: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Gal. 3:26-29: For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
This situation is a really big deal. In fact, it was shared by our Presbytery that lead proponents of it are saying it is something to be willing to herald and split churches over. Let us give a witness. To combat this false witness too close to touching us. There is only one human race. We are all of Adam’s one blood.
Race Realism is really racism. And Kinism destroys the kindred spirit of all believers.
Dr. Stivason guides and warns us:
“Acts 16:5 reports the result [of diversity]: ‘So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily’ … When the church fixes its gaze on Christ … the result is strengthening, unity, and growth. But when the church turns its attention to skin color or ethnic distinctions, it shifts from Christ-centeredeness to man-centeredness, and, in doing so, it becomes weak … This is not a small or secondary matter. If left unchecked, such a focus does not merely distract—it can eclipse the gospel itself. And where the gospel is eclipsed, love will not long remain. Brothers and sisters, we must guard against anything that would displace Christ at the center.”
Beloved, there really is only one race. The one human race created by God in Adam’s one blood. God is not a respecter of persons! Whether dealing with Race Realism or Critical Race Theory, we all bleed red.
There is No Place for Racism in the Church.
___________
Other recent online articles:
Footnotes:
- The sermon is available to listen to here: sermonaudio.com/sermons/83126428241581. ↩︎
- Dr. Jeffrey Stivason, “A Word to Kinists: A Biblical Error of ‘Race Realism’ and Related Beliefs”: rpwitness.org/article/a-word-to-kinists. ↩︎
- Dr. Ben Dunson, “A Critique of Kinism”: confessional.org/articles/2026/a-critique-of-kinism. ↩︎
- I. Howard Marshall, Acts (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980), 287-88. ↩︎
- In the sermon I mistakenly said Athanasius was the mentor/cause for Augustine to become a Christian (I know better, a slip of the tongue with a sleep-depraved brain). Rather, it was the Grecian Ambrose. Athanasius fiercely fought against Arianism in the early church and was a major preserver of Trinitarian orthodoxy as represented in the Athanasian Creed. ↩︎
- Dennis Johnson, The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption (Phillipsburg, N.J: P&R Publishing, 1997), ix, 8, 34, 57, 88,102. ↩︎
Categories: Kinism | Race Realism | Racism