Chapter 10: The Sin of Racial Segregation

Of all the theological errors propagated by Finis Jennings Dake, perhaps none has caused more immediate and lasting damage than his teaching on racial segregation. In the original edition of the Dake Annotated Reference Bible, on page 159 of the New Testament, Dake presents what he calls “30 reasons for segregation of races.” These teachings didn’t merely reflect the cultural prejudices of his time—they claimed divine mandate for racial discrimination, providing supposed biblical justification for some of humanity’s most grievous sins. While later editions have modified or removed some of these notes, the original teachings reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of Scripture that infected Dake’s entire theological system and continues to influence those who use his materials today.

Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963. Note on Acts 17:26, New Testament page 159.

This chapter examines Dake’s racial teachings in detail, not to perpetuate them but to expose their biblical and theological bankruptcy. We must confront these errors directly because they represent not merely mistaken interpretation but a fundamental distortion of the gospel message itself. The unity of humanity in creation and redemption stands at the heart of biblical revelation. When this unity is denied, the entire structure of Christian faith is compromised. Moreover, the practical consequences of these teachings—broken families, divided churches, justified oppression—demand that we address them with both clarity and compassion.

The Shocking Content of Dake’s Racial Teaching

Before examining the biblical refutation of Dake’s views, we must first understand exactly what he taught. This is painful but necessary reading, for only by seeing the full extent of the error can we appreciate its seriousness. Dake didn’t present these as cultural observations or personal opinions but as biblical mandates, eternal laws established by God Himself.

Dake’s “30 Reasons for Segregation of Races”

In his note on Acts 17:26, Dake provides what he claims are thirty biblical reasons for racial segregation. We quote them here in full, exactly as they appeared in the original Dake Bible, to ensure there can be no accusation of misrepresentation:

The sheer audacity of these claims should take our breath away. Dake has taken Scriptures—many dealing with entirely different matters—and twisted them into a comprehensive theology of racial segregation. He claims not only that God approves of racial segregation but that He commands it, that it will continue in heaven, and that violating it constitutes rebellion against God Himself.

The Extension into Eternity

Perhaps most shocking is Dake’s claim that racial segregation will continue forever, even in heaven. In point 23, he writes: “Even in heaven certain groups will not be allowed to worship together.”¹ This transforms the blessed hope of eternal unity with Christ into a segregated eternity where racial divisions persist forever. The new creation, where God makes all things new, apparently maintains the racial prejudices of fallen humanity.

This teaching doesn’t merely misunderstand heaven—it fundamentally misunderstands the nature of redemption itself. If Christ’s work on the cross cannot overcome racial division, if the new creation maintains the segregation of the old, then the gospel’s power is severely limited. Dake’s heaven looks suspiciously like the Jim Crow South, with separate sections for different races, eternal segregation mandated by divine decree.

Biblical Refutation: Point by Point

Now we must carefully examine and refute each of Dake’s thirty points, showing how he has distorted Scripture to support his prejudices. This detailed refutation is necessary not only to correct the specific errors but to demonstrate the pattern of misinterpretation that characterizes his entire approach to Scripture.

Refuting Points 1-3: God’s Purpose in Creation

Dake’s Claim: God wills racial segregation as part of His original creative purpose.

Biblical Truth: Scripture teaches the fundamental unity of humanity, created from one blood. Acts 17:26, the very verse Dake cites, actually teaches the opposite of what he claims. The full verse reads: “And 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.”

Paul is preaching to the Athenians, emphasizing that all humanity descends from one source—we are all related, all made in God’s image. The “bounds of their habitation” refers to geographical and temporal boundaries, not eternal racial segregation. God’s providence in history includes the rise and fall of nations, but this doesn’t establish permanent racial divisions.

Genesis 1:27 declares: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” There is one human race, created in God’s image. The variations in human appearance that we call “race” are superficial adaptations that occurred over time, not separate creations requiring eternal segregation.

When Dake claims that “kind means type and color,” he imposes a meaning on the text that simply isn’t there. The Hebrew word “min” (kind) in Genesis 1 refers to broad categories of creatures—birds, fish, land animals. It has nothing to do with skin color or racial categories within humanity. Humans reproduce “after their kind” because all humans are the same kind—the human kind, made in God’s image.

Refuting Points 4-11: Misunderstanding Old Testament Marriages

Dake’s Claim: Biblical prohibitions against certain marriages prove God opposes interracial marriage.

Biblical Truth: The Old Testament prohibitions Dake cites had nothing to do with race and everything to do with religion. God forbade Israel from marrying pagans not because of their ethnicity but because of their idolatry.

Consider Deuteronomy 7:3-4, which Dake references: “Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods.”

The reason is explicitly stated—religious corruption, not racial mixing. This becomes even clearer when we see that converts to Israel’s faith could marry Israelites regardless of their ethnic background. Consider these biblical examples:

• Rahab: A Canaanite woman who married into Israel and became an ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ (Joshua 6:25; Matthew 1:5)
• Ruth: A Moabite woman who married Boaz and also became an ancestor of Christ (Ruth 4:13-22; Matthew 1:5)
• Moses: Married a Cushite (Ethiopian) woman, and when Miriam opposed this marriage, God struck her with leprosy as punishment (Numbers 12:1-15)
• Joseph: Married an Egyptian woman, Asenath (Genesis 41:45)
• Esther: A Jewish woman who married the Persian king (Esther 2:17)

If God opposed interracial marriage in principle, why are these unions not only permitted but blessed? Why does Jesus’ genealogy include women from different ethnic backgrounds? The answer is clear: God’s concern was always about faith, not race.

The case of Moses’ marriage is particularly instructive. When Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of his Cushite wife (Numbers 12:1), God’s anger burned against them—not against Moses. Miriam was struck with leprosy as punishment for her prejudice. If there was ever a clear biblical condemnation of racial prejudice in marriage, this is it.

Refuting Points 12-18: Israel’s Unique Calling

Dake’s Claim: God’s commands for Israel to remain separate prove racial segregation is God’s will.

Biblical Truth: Israel’s separation was about maintaining religious purity and fulfilling their unique role in salvation history, not about racial segregation.

God called Israel to be “a kingdom of priests and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Their separation was for a specific purpose—to preserve the knowledge of the true God and to be the channel through which the Messiah would come. This was a temporary arrangement, not an eternal principle of racial segregation.

Moreover, Israel was always meant to be a light to the nations, not permanently separated from them. Isaiah 49:6 declares: “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” The ultimate purpose was always universal blessing, not eternal segregation.

When Christ came, He broke down the wall of separation. Ephesians 2:14-16 explicitly states: “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.”

Paul couldn’t be clearer: Christ has created one new humanity from Jews and Gentiles. The separation that existed under the Old Covenant has been abolished in Christ. To reimpose it based on race is to deny the reconciling work of the cross.

Refuting Points 19-23: The Eternal State

Dake’s Claim: Racial segregation will continue forever, even in heaven.

Biblical Truth: The Bible’s vision of eternity is one of perfect unity in diversity, not segregation.

Revelation 7:9-10 provides the clearest picture: “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”

Notice carefully: all nations, kindreds, peoples, and tongues stand together before the throne. They worship together with one voice. This is not segregation but glorious unity—diversity preserved but divisions overcome. The beauty of heaven includes the gathering of all peoples as one family under one Father.

Dake grossly misinterprets the passages he cites. When Revelation mentions the 144,000 from Israel, this doesn’t mean they worship separately from others. The text shows them leading worship, not segregated from it. The “great multitude which no man could number” includes people from every nation worshipping together.

Refuting Points 24-29: Misapplied Ceremonial Laws

Dake’s Claim: Old Testament laws about not mixing things prove God opposes racial mixing.

Biblical Truth: These ceremonial laws taught spiritual truths about holiness and had nothing to do with race.

The laws about not mixing different seeds, fabrics, or animals were part of Israel’s ceremonial law, teaching them about distinction between holy and common, clean and unclean. These symbolic regulations pointed to spiritual truths, not racial segregation.

Consider the absurdity of Dake’s application: he claims that because Israel couldn’t mix different seeds in a field, people of different races shouldn’t marry. By this logic, Christians today shouldn’t wear cotton-polyester blends or eat cheeseburgers (mixing meat and dairy). These ceremonial laws were fulfilled in Christ and are no longer binding on Christians (Colossians 2:16-17).

More importantly, humans are not different “kinds” like oxen and donkeys. All humans are made in God’s image, all descend from Adam and Eve, all are equally human. To apply agricultural laws to human relationships fundamentally misunderstands both the laws themselves and human nature.

Refuting Point 30: Christian Separation

Dake’s Claim: Commands for Christians to separate from certain people support racial segregation.

Biblical Truth: The New Testament commands separation from sin and false teaching, not from people of different races.

The passages Dake cites (2 Corinthians 6:14-18, etc.) concern separation from idolatry, immorality, and false teaching. They have absolutely nothing to do with race. In fact, the early church’s radical inclusion of all races was one of its most distinctive features.

Consider the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8), Cornelius the Roman centurion (Acts 10), and the diverse church at Antioch (Acts 13:1) where leaders included “Simeon called Niger” (likely African), Lucius of Cyrene (North African), and others from various backgrounds. The early church broke down racial barriers; it didn’t erect them.

The Pre-Adamite Race Connection

To fully understand Dake’s racial teachings, we must examine their connection to his “Gap Theory” and belief in a pre-Adamite race. This doctrine, while ostensibly about Genesis 1, provided theological justification for racial prejudice by suggesting that different races might have different origins.

The Gap Theory and Racial Ideology

Dake taught that millions of years elapsed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, during which a pre-Adamite race lived on earth under Lucifer’s rule. When Lucifer rebelled, God destroyed this world in a flood, and Genesis 1:2 describes the aftermath of this destruction. In his writings, Dake explicitly connected this theory to the question of human origins, stating: “The creation of the pre-Adamite world included the first inhabitants of the Earth, called ‘nations’ over whom Lucifer ruled (Isa. 14:12-14), ‘man’ who built cities (Jer. 4:23-26), and ‘the world (Greek, kosmos, social system) that then was’ (2 Pet. 3:5-8). The pre-Adamites were Earthly creatures as proved by the fact that they were drowned in the pre-Adamite flood.”²

Dake further elaborated on this theory in his extensive writings, claiming that “Lucifer ruled the earth before Adam and caused all the people of his kingdom to lose God’s favor and be destroyed in the flood of Gen. 1:2; 2 Pet. 3:5-8…Not one person, animal, city, or plant was left alive (Jer. 4:23-26).”³ This teaching that a complete pre-Adamite civilization existed and was destroyed opened the door for speculation about whether modern races might have different origins.

While Dake doesn’t explicitly connect this to modern races in all his writings, the implications are clear and dangerous. If there were pre-Adamite beings, could some modern humans descend from them rather than from Adam? This opens the door to claiming that different races have fundamentally different origins and natures.

This theory has a dark history. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some used similar “pre-Adamite” theories to argue that non-white races were not fully human, not descended from Adam, and therefore not covered by biblical commands about loving one’s neighbor. While Dake doesn’t go this far explicitly, his Gap Theory provides the theological framework that others have used for such claims.

Dake provided extensive documentation of his pre-Adamite world theory, teaching that “God told Adam to replenish the earth (Gen. 1:28). He told Noah to do the same thing 1,656 years later (Gen. 9:1). It is as reasonable to believe the earth was plenished before Adam’s time as it is to accept that it was plenished before Noah’s. Furthermore, the command to replenish indicates the kind of inhabitants the earth had in the first place, for Adam and his race could only reproduce their own kind (Gen. 1:11; 6:20).”⁷ This argument about “replenishing” was frequently used by Dake to suggest prior human populations on earth.

Problems with the Pre-Adamite Theory

The biblical problems with this theory are insurmountable:

1. Scripture explicitly teaches that all humans descend from Adam. First Corinthians 15:45 calls Adam “the first man.” Acts 17:26 says God “hath made of one blood all nations of men.” Romans 5:12 states that “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.” If some humans descended from pre-Adamites, they wouldn’t be under Adam’s sin or covered by Christ’s redemption.

2. The passages Dake cites don’t support his theory. Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 are prophetic judgments on historical kings using cosmic imagery. Jeremiah 4 describes future judgment, not prehistoric events. Second Peter 3 contrasts Noah’s flood with future judgment, not a pre-Adamite flood.

3. Death before sin creates theological chaos. If pre-Adamites lived and died before Adam’s sin, then death isn’t the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). This undermines the entire biblical narrative of creation, fall, and redemption.

4. The theory unnecessarily complicates Genesis. The straightforward reading of Genesis 1:1-2 is that verse 1 summarizes the entire creation, and verse 2 begins the detailed account. No gap, no pre-Adamite race, no prehistoric flood is necessary or indicated.

Dake’s insistence on this theory is documented throughout his writings. In his extensive discussion of the topic, he claims: “According to Isa. 14:12-14, Lucifer actually invaded heaven from earth, hoping to defeat God and take His kingdom; but, Lucifer himself was defeated and his kingdom cursed. Before his defeat he had a throne and therefore a kingdom and subjects to rule over. His kingdom was under the clouds, under the stars, and under heaven—therefore, on earth. Having weakened the nations over whom he ruled, and wanting to be like God and take His place in heaven, Lucifer led the invasion of heaven. All this had to be before Adam’s day, for no such things have occurred since Adam was created.”⁴

The Curse of Ham Mythology

Another aspect of Dake’s racial teaching involves the so-called “curse of Ham,” a misinterpretation of Genesis 9:20-27 that has been used to justify the enslavement and oppression of African peoples. While Dake doesn’t elaborate extensively on this in his “30 reasons,” the doctrine appears throughout his notes and reinforces his segregationist theology.

What Genesis Actually Says

After the flood, Noah became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. Ham, seeing his father’s nakedness, told his brothers, who covered Noah without looking. When Noah awoke, he pronounced a curse, but notice—the curse was on Canaan, Ham’s son, not on Ham himself, and certainly not on all Ham’s descendants.

Genesis 9:25 records: “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.” This curse was specifically on Canaan and was fulfilled when Israel conquered the Canaanites. It has nothing to do with African peoples or racial characteristics.

The Racist Distortion

The idea that this curse explains the origin of black skin or justifies the enslavement of Africans is completely absent from Scripture. This interpretation arose in the medieval period and was elaborated during the Atlantic slave trade to provide religious justification for slavery. Consider the biblical evidence against this interpretation:

1. The curse was on Canaan, not all Ham’s descendants. Ham had four sons: Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan (Genesis 10:6). Many African peoples descended from Cush and Mizraim, not Canaan. Ethiopia (Cush) and Egypt (Mizraim) were powerful, advanced civilizations, not cursed peoples.

Dake’s own notes acknowledge this genealogical fact, stating: “The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.”⁵ Yet despite acknowledging that Ham’s line produced multiple branches, Dake’s segregation teaching conflates all descendants as if they were under a unified curse.

2. The Bible never connects this curse to race or skin color. Nothing in the text suggests a change in physical appearance. The curse concerned servitude, not race. In fact, Dake himself notes elsewhere that “it is not a physical mark or a change of color from white to black. The black race did not begin with Cain. All of his line perished in the flood (6:8,18; 7:1). All races as we know them now, began after Noah (10:1-32).”⁶

Dake explicitly taught that racial diversity arose after Noah’s flood, not from any curse. In his explanation of common questions about the Bible, Dake wrote: “That the colored race started since the flood and not with Cain? This is clear from the fact that all of mankind was destroyed in Noah’s flood and all the different races had to start since then. In Acts 17:26 we are told that of one blood God made all nations of men to dwell upon the whole face of the Earth. How this was brought about is clear from the fact that two nations came of Lot’s two daughters (Gen. 19) and two other nations came from Rebekah (Gen. 25:23). No one knows just when the first colored child was born and all speculation about it is valueless.”⁸ This admission that all racial diversity originated after the flood further undermines any attempt to justify racial distinctions as part of God’s original creative intent or as resulting from divine curses.

3. Biblical heroes came from Ham’s line. Nimrod, described as a “mighty hunter before the Lord” (Genesis 10:9), was Ham’s descendant. The Queen of Sheba, praised by Jesus (Matthew 12:42), likely descended from Ham. The Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8) was one of the first Gentile converts.

4. The curse was limited and fulfilled. Even if we accept that Canaan was cursed, this was fulfilled in Israel’s conquest of Canaan. There’s no indication of a perpetual curse extending to all generations or transferring to other peoples.

Dake was explicit that the mark on Cain was not physical or related to skin color. In another section of his work, he clearly stated: “The Hebrew word for mark in Gen. 4:15 means a pledge. The pledge was stated in the same verse, ‘Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken sevenfold.’ There in no statement that he was marked physically by a change of color or some other mark.”⁹ This demonstrates that Dake knew the biblical text did not support physical racial distinctions as divine marks or curses, yet his segregation theology proceeded as if such distinctions had divine sanction.

The Gospel’s Answer to Racial Division

Having refuted Dake’s racist theology point by point, we must now present the positive biblical vision of racial unity in Christ. The gospel doesn’t merely permit racial reconciliation; it demands it. The unity of all peoples in Christ is not an optional addition to the gospel but an essential expression of it.

The Mystery Revealed

Paul calls the unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ a “mystery” that has now been revealed. Ephesians 3:4-6 states: “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.”

This is revolutionary: Gentiles are not second-class citizens in God’s kingdom but “fellowheirs” and “of the same body.” The church is one body with many members, not separate bodies divided by race. First Corinthians 12:13 emphasizes: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body—whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free—and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

The Ministry of Reconciliation

Second Corinthians 5:18-19 declares that God “hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” This reconciliation is both vertical (between God and humanity) and horizontal (between human groups). We cannot claim to be reconciled to God while maintaining hostility toward those made in His image.

The early church demonstrated this reconciliation dramatically. At Pentecost, people from every nation under heaven heard the gospel in their own languages (Acts 2:5-11). The church at Antioch had leaders from different racial and social backgrounds ministering together (Acts 13:1). Paul’s missionary journeys created multi-ethnic churches throughout the Roman Empire.

One New Humanity

The most powerful statement of racial unity in Scripture is Ephesians 2:14-16. Christ has “made both one” and created “one new man” from Jews and Gentiles. This isn’t merely peaceful coexistence but actual unity—a new creation that transcends old divisions.

Galatians 3:26-28 reinforces this truth: “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.”

This doesn’t mean distinctions disappear entirely. Paul remained a Jew, and Timothy was half-Greek. But these distinctions no longer divide or define primary identity. In Christ, unity transcends diversity without destroying it.

The Testimony of Unity

Jesus prayed that His followers would be one “that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21). Our unity testifies to the gospel’s truth and power. Conversely, racial division in the church contradicts our message and hinders our mission.

When churches are segregated by race, when Christians oppose interracial marriage, when believers perpetuate racial prejudice, we deny the gospel we claim to believe. We tell the world that Christ’s blood isn’t powerful enough to overcome human divisions. We make the cross of no effect.

Historical Context: American Christianity and Race

To understand how Dake’s teachings gained acceptance, we must examine the historical context of American Christianity’s relationship with race. Dake didn’t create his racial theology in a vacuum but within a specific cultural moment when many white Christians sought biblical justification for segregation.

The Long Shadow of Slavery

American Christianity’s struggle with race began with slavery. Many Christian denominations split over the issue, creating separate Northern and Southern branches. Slave-owning Christians developed elaborate theological justifications for the practice, including:

• The “curse of Ham” mythology
• Claims that Africans were inferior beings needing civilization
• Arguments that slavery was biblically sanctioned
• Beliefs that God ordained racial hierarchy

These theological distortions didn’t disappear with slavery’s end. They evolved into justifications for Jim Crow laws, segregation, and systemic discrimination. By Dake’s time (1902-1987), these ideas had become deeply embedded in much of American Christianity, particularly in the South where he ministered.

The Pentecostal Paradox

The early Pentecostal movement, of which Dake was a part, began as remarkably interracial. The Azusa Street Revival (1906-1909), often considered Pentecostalism’s birth, was led by William Seymour, an African American preacher. The revival drew people of all races who worshipped together in unprecedented unity.

Frank Bartleman, an early participant, famously wrote: “The ‘color line’ was washed away in the blood.” For a brief moment, it seemed the Holy Spirit was creating the racial reconciliation that American Christianity had failed to achieve.

However, this unity was short-lived. By the 1920s, Pentecostal denominations had largely segregated along racial lines. The Assemblies of God (formed in 1914) was predominantly white, while the Church of God in Christ (formalized in 1907) was predominantly black. Dake emerged within this context of re-segregation, providing theological justification for what had become social practice.

The Civil Rights Challenge

During the Civil Rights era, Dake’s teachings provided religious cover for those resisting integration. While Martin Luther King Jr. and others argued that Christianity demanded racial justice, Dake’s “30 reasons” suggested that segregation was God’s will.

This created a theological crisis in many churches. How could the same Bible be used to support such opposite positions? The answer lies in hermeneutics—how we interpret Scripture. King and the Civil Rights movement read Scripture through the lens of love, justice, and the image of God in all people. Dake read it through the lens of racial prejudice, finding what he expected to find.

The Lasting Damage

The effects of Dake’s racial teachings extend far beyond abstract theology. Real families have been broken, real churches divided, real people wounded by these doctrines. Understanding this damage is essential for appreciating why these errors must be exposed and corrected.

Broken Families

Consider the testimonies of those whose families were torn apart by Dake’s teachings:

Maria’s Story: “My parents disowned me when I married my husband because he was Black and I was Hispanic. They showed me Dake’s ’30 reasons’ and said I was rebelling against God. For ten years, they refused to see their grandchildren. Even when my father was dying, he wouldn’t reconcile because he believed interracial marriage was an ‘abomination.’ Dake’s teachings robbed us of precious years we can never recover.”

James’s Experience: “I grew up in a church that used the Dake Bible exclusively. When I started dating a Korean woman in college, my pastor called me in and read through Dake’s list. He said I could choose her—or I could choose God, but not both. The entire church turned against us. We had to leave not just that church but our entire community. The wound still hasn’t healed.”

David’s Testimony: “My grandfather was a Dake Bible teacher who believed in strict racial separation. When my cousin adopted a Black child, he refused to acknowledge the child as family. He died without ever holding his great-grandchild, all because of what he believed the Bible taught. The tragedy is that he was a sincere Christian who genuinely thought he was obeying God.”

Divided Churches

Churches have split over racial issues reinforced by Dake’s teachings. In the 1960s and 1970s, as society began integrating, many churches faced decisive moments. Would they welcome all races, or maintain segregation? Dake’s “biblical” justification for segregation provided ammunition for those resisting change.

Even today, Sunday morning remains the most segregated hour in America, partly because teachings like Dake’s have created theological barriers to integration. When people believe God Himself mandates segregation, human efforts at reconciliation seem like rebellion against divine order.

Damaged Witness

Perhaps the greatest damage has been to the church’s witness. How can we proclaim God’s love to all people while teaching that He mandates eternal segregation? How can we invite people to the marriage supper of the Lamb while insisting they’ll be seated in separate sections based on race?

Young people, in particular, see this hypocrisy clearly. Many have left the church not because they reject Christ but because they cannot reconcile His love with the racism they see justified in His name. Dake’s teachings have stumbled countless souls who might otherwise have embraced the faith.

The Path Forward: Repentance and Reconciliation

Exposing error is only the first step. We must also chart a path forward, showing how churches and individuals can move from Dake’s racist theology to biblical reconciliation. This requires both repentance for past errors and active pursuit of unity.

Corporate Repentance

Churches that have taught or tolerated racial prejudice must corporately repent. This isn’t about guilt manipulation but about honest acknowledgment of sin and commitment to change. Consider the example of the Southern Baptist Convention, which in 1995 formally repented of its racist past and committed to racial reconciliation.

Repentance requires:

• Acknowledgment: Honestly admitting the errors taught and harm caused
• Confession: Publicly confessing these sins to God and those affected
• Renunciation: Explicitly rejecting false teachings about race
• Restitution: Where possible, making amends for past wrongs
• Transformation: Implementing concrete changes to prevent recurrence

Theological Correction

Churches must actively teach biblical truth about race and unity. This includes:

1. Affirming the Image of God: Every human bears God’s image equally. Genesis 1:27 makes no racial distinctions. This fundamental truth must be regularly proclaimed and practically applied.

2. Celebrating Diversity: Revelation 7:9’s vision of every tribe and tongue worshipping together isn’t a concession to diversity but a celebration of it. God’s creativity in human variety should be appreciated, not feared.

3. Practicing Unity: Galatians 3:28’s declaration that we are all one in Christ must move from theory to practice. This means actively pursuing multi-ethnic worship, leadership, and fellowship.

4. Confronting Prejudice: When racial prejudice appears, it must be addressed biblically and lovingly but firmly. Silence in the face of racism is complicity with sin.

Practical Steps

Moving from segregation to reconciliation requires intentional action:

The Beautiful Alternative

The alternative to Dake’s segregated vision is beautiful—a church that displays God’s manifold wisdom through its diversity (Ephesians 3:10). Imagine churches where former racists and their victims worship together, where interracial families are celebrated, where leadership reflects heaven’s diversity, where the world sees proof of the gospel’s power to unite.

This isn’t merely a dream but a biblical mandate and, in many places, an emerging reality. Churches around the world are discovering the joy of multi-ethnic worship, the richness of diverse perspectives, the power of reconciled relationships. They’re experiencing what the early church knew—that Christ’s body is most beautiful when all its parts are present and honored.

Addressing Common Objections

Those influenced by Dake’s teachings often raise certain objections to racial integration. We must address these lovingly but firmly, showing why they fail biblically and practically.

Objection 1: “God Created Different Races Separately”

Response: Scripture teaches that all humans descend from Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:20; Acts 17:26). The variations we call “races” developed over time as humans spread across the earth. These are minor genetic variations within one human race, not separate creations. We’re all cousins in the human family.

Objection 2: “The Bible Forbids Intermarriage”

Response: The Bible forbids marriage between believers and unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14), not between races. Old Testament prohibitions concerned religious faithfulness, not racial purity. Moses married a Cushite, Boaz married a Moabite, and both marriages were blessed by God.

Objection 3: “Different Races Have Different Roles in God’s Plan”

Response: While God works through different nations in history, there’s no biblical support for permanent racial hierarchies or roles. In Christ, all racial distinctions become secondary to our identity as God’s children. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

Objection 4: “Integration Causes Problems”

Response: Sin causes problems, not diversity. Yes, bringing different cultures together can create challenges, but these are opportunities for growth, understanding, and displaying the gospel’s power. The early church faced similar challenges and overcame them through the Spirit’s power.

Objection 5: “People Naturally Prefer Their Own Kind”

Response: What comes naturally to fallen humanity isn’t our standard; God’s Word is. Yes, we may naturally gravitate toward those similar to us, but the gospel calls us to supernatural love that crosses all boundaries. Christianity has always challenged what comes “naturally” to sinful humans.

The Global Perspective

While Dake’s teachings emerged from American racial dynamics, their influence has spread globally through missions and translated materials. Understanding this global impact helps us appreciate the full scope of the problem and the urgency of correction.

Missions and Racial Theology

Missionaries carrying Dake Bibles have unknowingly exported American racial prejudices along with the gospel. In Africa, Asia, and Latin America, churches established by well-meaning missionaries sometimes perpetuate Dake’s segregationist ideas, creating new divisions in different cultural contexts.

In some African countries, Dake’s teachings have been used to justify ethnic conflicts, with different tribes claiming to be God’s chosen people while viewing others as cursed. In Asia, his ideas have reinforced caste systems and ethnic prejudices. The poison of racial theology adapts to local prejudices, always dividing, always destroying.

The Indigenous Church Response

Encouragingly, many indigenous church leaders have recognized and rejected these errors. African theologians have been particularly vocal in refuting the “curse of Ham” mythology and affirming the full dignity of African peoples. Asian churches have emphasized the unity of all peoples in Christ, rejecting attempts to create hierarchies based on ethnicity.

These voices from the Global South provide important perspective. They see clearly what Western Christians sometimes miss: that racial prejudice wrapped in theological language is still sin, that the gospel transcends all cultural boundaries, that Christ’s church must model the unity it proclaims.

A Universal Gospel

The gospel is for all peoples equally. John 3:16’s “whosoever” includes every human being regardless of race. The Great Commission sends us to “all nations,” making disciples of every ethnic group. The vision of Revelation shows people from every tribe, tongue, and nation worshipping together.

Any theology that limits, segregates, or stratifies God’s people based on race fundamentally misunderstands the gospel. The good news is that Christ died for all, that all can be saved, that all are equally welcome in God’s family. This universality isn’t an addition to the gospel but essential to it.

Learning from History

Church history provides both warnings and encouragement regarding racial issues. Understanding this history helps us avoid repeating past errors and build on past victories.

Early Church Unity

The early church’s radical inclusivity shocked the ancient world. Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, men and women worshipped together as equals. This wasn’t natural or easy; it required constant apostolic correction and supernatural grace. But it happened, proving that racial unity in Christ is possible.

The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) addressed the first major racial crisis, determining that Gentiles didn’t need to become Jews to be Christians. This decision preserved unity while respecting diversity, establishing a pattern for handling ethnic differences in the church.

Historical Failures

Unfortunately, church history also records massive failures regarding race:

• The Crusades demonized entire peoples
• Colonialism often confused Christianization with Westernization
• The slave trade was justified by twisted theology
• Apartheid claimed biblical support
• Churches split over racial issues rather than maintaining unity

These failures remind us that the church is capable of grave error when cultural prejudice influences biblical interpretation. They warn us to examine our own blind spots and submit our understanding to Scripture’s authority rather than cultural assumptions.

Prophetic Voices

Throughout history, God has raised prophetic voices against racial injustice in the church:

Bartolomé de las Casas (1484-1566): Opposed the enslavement and mistreatment of indigenous peoples in the Americas, arguing for their full humanity and dignity.

William Wilberforce (1759-1833): Led the Christian fight against the slave trade in Britain, motivated by biblical convictions about human dignity.

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895): Exposed the hypocrisy of slaveholding Christianity and called for a faith that practiced the love it preached.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862-1931): Challenged both racial violence and the church’s silence about it, demanding justice as a Christian imperative.

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968): Led the Civil Rights Movement from biblical foundations, calling America and the church to live up to their stated values.

These voices remind us that God has always had witnesses against racial injustice, people who refused to let cultural prejudice override biblical truth. Their courage inspires us to similar faithfulness in our generation.

Theological Implications

Dake’s racial teachings don’t exist in isolation but connect to broader theological errors. Understanding these connections helps us see why correcting racial theology is essential for overall biblical faithfulness.

Doctrine of God

If God ordained racial segregation, what does this say about His character? Dake’s God appears to value division over unity, segregation over reconciliation. This contradicts the biblical revelation of a God who is love (1 John 4:8) and who desires all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).

Moreover, if the Trinity consists of three separate beings (as Dake taught), then even the Godhead lacks true unity. This theological error at the highest level cascades down to justify division at the human level. Bad theology of God produces bad theology of humanity.

Doctrine of Humanity

Dake’s racial theology undermines the biblical doctrine of humanity made in God’s image. If some races are meant to be permanently segregated, are they equally made in God’s image? Do they equally bear His likeness? The logic of segregation inevitably leads to viewing some as more human than others.

This connects to Dake’s teaching that humans are “in the God class” and can become divine. If humans can become gods, and if races should remain separate, are we heading toward multiple racial gods? The absurdity of this conclusion shows the danger of Dake’s initial errors.

Doctrine of Salvation

Most seriously, racial segregation theology undermines salvation itself. If Christ’s blood doesn’t unite all believers, how powerful is it really? If racial divisions persist in heaven, has redemption truly succeeded? If God’s ultimate plan maintains segregation, what exactly does reconciliation mean?

Paul declares that Christ “is our peace” who has “made both one” (Ephesians 2:14). If this unity doesn’t include racial reconciliation, then Paul’s grand vision of cosmic reconciliation in Christ (Ephesians 1:10) is severely limited. The gospel becomes good news only within racial boundaries, not for all humanity.

Doctrine of the Church

The church is meant to be a preview of God’s kingdom, displaying His manifold wisdom to cosmic powers (Ephesians 3:10). If the church remains racially divided, what wisdom does it display? If Christians can’t overcome racial prejudice, what hope is there for the world?

The church’s unity is meant to convince the world of the gospel’s truth (John 17:21). Racial division in the church becomes counter-testimony, suggesting that Christ’s prayer for unity went unanswered and the gospel lacks transformative power.

Contemporary Relevance

While Dake died in 1987, his racial teachings remain relevant for several reasons. Understanding their contemporary impact helps us appreciate why this examination matters today.

Ongoing Use of the Dake Bible

The Dake Bible continues to sell thousands of copies annually. While later editions have modified some racial content, many older editions remain in circulation. More importantly, the theological framework that justified segregation—hyperliteralism, atomistic interpretation, cultural blindness—persists even where specific racial teachings have been removed.

Many users remain unaware of Dake’s racial teachings or assume they’ve been completely corrected. This creates a dangerous situation where poisonous theology continues spreading beneath the surface, influencing attitudes and interpretations without explicit acknowledgment.

Current Racial Tensions

American Christianity continues struggling with racial issues. Churches remain largely segregated, racial tensions persist, and theological justifications for division still circulate. While few would cite Dake’s “30 reasons” today, the spirit behind them—using the Bible to justify racial separation—persists in subtler forms.

Contemporary issues like immigration, interracial marriage, and racial justice in the church often reveal underlying theological assumptions similar to Dake’s. When Christians oppose racial reconciliation or justify segregation, they’re often drawing from the same poisoned wells Dake did, even if unconsciously.

The Global Church

As Christianity’s center shifts to the Global South, questions of race and unity become increasingly important. The church is becoming more diverse than ever, requiring theological frameworks that celebrate rather than segregate diversity.

Dake’s errors serve as a warning about exporting cultural prejudices along with the gospel. As Western missionaries and materials continue influencing global Christianity, we must ensure we’re spreading biblical truth, not cultural distortions wrapped in religious language.

Hope and Healing

Despite the damage caused by racial theology, there’s reason for hope. God’s Spirit continues working to bring unity where humans have created division. Stories of reconciliation and healing demonstrate that Dake’s segregated vision need not prevail.

Stories of Transformation

Rev. Thompson’s Journey: “I was raised with the Dake Bible and believed everything it taught about race. But when I became a pastor, God began challenging my assumptions. He brought a diverse group to our church, and I had to choose: would I follow Dake or follow Christ? Through much prayer and study, I repented of my racist theology. Today our church is beautifully diverse, and I see how much I was missing when I believed in segregation.”

The Smith Family: “Our family was torn apart when our daughter married outside our race. We used Dake’s teachings to justify our rejection. But our grandson’s innocent love began melting our hearts. We studied Scripture more carefully and realized we’d been wrong. It took years to rebuild relationships, but today our multi-racial family is a testimony to God’s grace and the power of repentance.”

Grace Community Church: “Our congregation split in the 1960s over integration. Those who stayed white used Dake’s teachings to justify their position. But younger leaders began questioning this theology. Through patient teaching and brave leadership, the church repented of its racist past. Today we’re a thriving multi-ethnic congregation that celebrates the diversity of God’s family.”

Models of Unity

Many churches today model the racial unity God intends:

Mosaic Churches: Congregations intentionally pursuing multi-ethnic membership and leadership demonstrate that unity is possible. They face challenges but experience the richness of diverse worship and fellowship.

Reconciliation Ministries: Organizations dedicated to racial reconciliation in the church provide resources, training, and support for those seeking to build bridges across racial divides.

United Worship: Special services bringing together congregations of different ethnicities for combined worship preview heaven’s diversity and build relationships across racial lines.

Justice Initiatives: Churches working together across racial lines for community justice demonstrate the gospel’s power to unite people around God’s purposes.

Practical Resources for Moving Forward

For those convinced of the error of Dake’s racial teachings and desiring to pursue biblical unity, practical resources are essential. Here are recommended steps and resources for individuals and churches.

For Individual Study

Biblical Foundations:

• Study Genesis 1-3 on human creation and unity
• Examine Acts 10-11 on God’s inclusion of Gentiles
• Meditate on Ephesians 2:11-22 on unity in Christ
• Memorize Galatians 3:28 on oneness in Christ
• Read Revelation 7:9-10 on heavenly diversity

Recommended Books:

• Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian by John Piper
• Divided by Faith by Michael Emerson and Christian Smith
• The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby
• One Blood by John Perkins
• Disunity in Christ by Christena Cleveland

For Churches

Assessment Questions:

• Does our leadership reflect our community’s diversity?
• Do our worship styles welcome different cultural expressions?
• Have we addressed past racial sins honestly?
• Are we actively pursuing racial reconciliation?
• Do our teachings clearly affirm human unity in creation and redemption?

Action Steps:

1. Form a diverse team to assess current racial dynamics
2. Provide education on biblical unity and racial reconciliation
3. Develop relationships with churches of different ethnic compositions
4. Address systemic issues that perpetuate segregation
5. Celebrate diverse cultures within the congregation
6. Ensure teaching regularly addresses racial unity
7. Create safe spaces for honest dialogue about race

For Pastors and Teachers

Preaching Themes:

• The Image of God in all people
• The unity of humanity in Adam
• The reconciling work of the cross
• The diverse body of Christ
• The multi-ethnic vision of heaven
• The ministry of reconciliation

Teaching Corrections:

• Correct misinterpretations of Old Testament marriage laws
• Explain the true meaning of the “curse of Ham”
• Clarify that Acts 17:26 teaches human unity, not segregation
• Emphasize that Galatians 3:28 isn’t just spiritual but practical
• Show how Revelation depicts unified, not segregated, worship

Conclusion: The Sin That Must Be Named and Renounced

We have examined in detail Finis Dake’s teachings on racial segregation, and the verdict is clear: these teachings are not merely mistaken but sinful, not merely wrong but wicked. They represent a fundamental distortion of the gospel that has caused immeasurable damage to individuals, families, churches, and the cause of Christ.

Dake’s “30 reasons for segregation of races” cannot be dismissed as merely reflecting his cultural context. He claimed biblical authority for racial division, providing theological justification for some of humanity’s greatest sins. He taught that God Himself ordained segregation, that it would continue in heaven, that violating it constituted rebellion against divine order. These are not minor errors but major heresies that strike at the heart of the Christian faith.

The connection between Dake’s racial teachings and his other theological errors is not accidental. His hyperliteral hermeneutic, his atomistic interpretation, his cultural blindness, his rejection of theological tradition all contributed to these racist conclusions. Bad methodology produces bad theology, and bad theology produces bad ethics. The fruit reveals the root.

Most tragically, Dake’s teachings have hindered the gospel’s advance by contradicting its central message. The gospel proclaims that Christ has broken down the dividing wall between peoples, creating one new humanity. Dake’s theology rebuilds that wall, higher and stronger than before, claiming divine mandate for what Christ died to destroy.

Yet there is hope. Truth is stronger than error, love more powerful than hate, unity more enduring than division. Where Dake’s teachings have been exposed and rejected, healing has begun. Where churches have repented of racial sin and pursued biblical unity, they’ve experienced the joy of God’s diverse family. Where individuals have abandoned prejudice for love, they’ve discovered the richness of relationships across racial lines.

The path forward is clear: we must explicitly reject Dake’s racial teachings and actively pursue the unity Christ died to create. This requires more than removing offensive notes from study Bibles; it demands examining our hearts, repenting of prejudice, and building bridges where walls once stood. It means preaching the full gospel of reconciliation, both vertical and horizontal. It means demonstrating in our churches what God intends for all creation: diverse peoples united in worship of their Creator and Redeemer.

Let us be clear: using the Bible to justify racial prejudice is not a different interpretation but a sinful distortion. Teaching that God mandates segregation is not an alternative view but a damnable heresy. Claiming that racial divisions will persist in heaven is not speculation but sacrilege. These errors must be named, exposed, and rejected without equivocation.

To those still influenced by Dake’s racial teachings, we issue this loving but urgent call: repent. Abandon these unbiblical ideas that dishonor God and harm His people. Embrace the biblical vision of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues united in Christ. Experience the joy of fellowship across racial lines, the richness of diverse worship, the power of reconciled relationships.

To churches still divided by race, whether explicitly or implicitly: repent and pursue unity. The watching world needs to see that the gospel can overcome humanity’s deepest divisions. The church’s witness depends on displaying the reconciliation we proclaim. Christ’s prayer for unity demands our obedient response.

To those wounded by racist theology: we grieve with you and ask your forgiveness. The church has failed you by allowing false teaching to justify real sin. Your pain is valid, your anger justified, your call for justice righteous. We commit to standing with you against racial prejudice wherever it appears, especially when it claims religious justification.

Finally, to all who read this chapter: let us commit ourselves to the biblical vision of racial unity in Christ. Let us teach our children that God’s family includes every ethnicity. Let us build churches that look like heaven’s diversity. Let us witness to the world that Christ’s blood is powerful enough to unite all peoples. Let us demonstrate that the gospel is truly good news for everyone.

The sin of racial segregation taught by Finis Dake must be fully exposed, completely rejected, and permanently abandoned. In its place, let us embrace and embody the beautiful truth of Scripture: that God has made from one blood all nations of men, that Christ died to reconcile all peoples to God and each other, that the Spirit unites believers from every tribe and tongue, and that heaven will be filled with the redeemed from every race worshipping together forever.

This is not merely a better interpretation; it’s the gospel itself. This is not merely correct theology; it’s the heart of God revealed. This is not merely our future hope; it’s our present calling. May God give us grace to reject Dake’s racist errors completely and to pursue the unity for which Christ prayed and died.

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Footnotes

¹ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), New Testament page 159.

² Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 104.

³ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), Old Testament page 80, notes on Genesis.

⁴ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), Old Testament page 80, notes on Genesis 1:2.

⁵ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), Old Testament page 709, notes on 1 Chronicles 1.

⁶ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), Old Testament page 109, notes on Genesis 4:15.

⁷ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1977), 100.

⁸ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1977), 754.

⁹ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1977), 754.

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