This article has gotten a lot of attention. I hoped that I could address it after Christmas (and still plan on offering a fuller explanation after the holidays) but I would at least like to offer some clarification. Please see the following thread: https://twitter.com/ERLC/status/1342259515702595585

1) I fully and without equivocation acknowledge that Jesus was born as and remains to this day in His exaltation a Jewish man, descended from Abraham and David, in fulfillment of God’s promises.

2a)The phrase “mixed race” was taken from a book published in 1987. Maybe I was naive when I used the phrase back in 2016, but my understanding of the phrase then was essentially synonymous with the idea of “multi-ethnic.”

2b) Admittedly, the term “race” is variously understood today. When I wrote the article in 2016, I did not (nor could I) anticipate how conversations regarding race would shift within society. If I were writing the article today, I would have chosen more careful language.

3a) I still believe that the inclusion of non-Jews in Jesus’ genealogy is theologically significant. When Matthew tells us in 1:21 that Jesus will save his people from their sins, the evangelist has provided a multi-ethnic context.

3b) All people without distinction are offered inclusion into the people of God through faith in Jesus the Messiah.

3c) The fact that Matthew begins his gospel with the inclusion of the nations in the lineage of Jesus and ends the gospel with the Great Commission is undeniably significant for understanding the message of Matthew.

4a) On the issue of race, I believe that all human beings descended from Adam and Eve (who I believe were historical people). Thus, when the matter of race is used to refer to origin, there is one race: the human race created in the image of God.

4b) My intention in my reference to Jesus as “mixed race” in 2016 was to highlight that even as a Jew, his family lineage included people who were not the people of God by birth but by conversion, which offers hope to non-ethnic Jews like myself.

5a) As a devout inerrantist, when Matthew 1:1 says that the following genealogy is the genealogy of Jesus, I believe it. Those who are denying that this genealogy is not Jesus’ need to take it up with Matthew.

5b) Even though Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary, with Joseph making no biological contribution to his humanity, Matthew claims Joseph’ genealogy as Jesus’ genealogy. Those that think otherwise have bigger issues than they realize.

5c) They are denying the explicit truth of Matthew 1:1.

6a) To those that took the article as referring to the mixing of divinity and humanity, the very idea of mixing is a form of eutychianism heresy.

6b) I fully affirm the ecumenical creeds of the early church on the person of Christ, thus I reject any suggestion that undermines the hypostatic union of the person of Christ.

7a) Given the age of the article, I agree that there is a need to clarify what was originally intend when it was written. It is, however, difficult to determine if and how one should revise previous articles. I’m not sure how reasonable it is to establish such a precedent.

7b) In an ever-changing society, it seems that the spirit of revisionism would require constant editing to avoid misunderstanding. Maybe that’s what it will take. I’m honestly not sure. I do hope to offer a fuller clarification after Christmas.

8a) I fear that while there are certainly some who read everything through the lens of race, a considerable number of the responses to my article demonstrate that racism and prejudice are still undeniable realities in our society.

8b) Personally, while I fundamentally reject critical race theory and intersectionality as antithetical to the gospel of Christ which I unashamedly preach ever Lord’s Day, I also believe we must not label every discussion of race/ethnicity as an example of CRT/I.

8c) Labels can be helpful ways to systemize certain things, but they can also be used to dismiss others without dialogue.

8d) I’m grateful for those who took the time to respond to my inquiries for further conversation. I would welcome those from others who want more clarification.

9) Regarding my comments about how some have tried to downplay the conversation about race and racial reconciliation in the church, I’m speaking mainly from my experience as a pastor. I have more personal example than this thread will allow.

10) For those who want to know what I believe about the gospel, please see:

11) While I had planned to stay off social media today, I realized that I at least needed to provide some clarification for the sake of Christ’s church, whom I love. I really need to spend some time with my family, so I apologize if I do not respond for a while.