Is the gospel a white man's religion?

An essay about Paul, Tertullian, and the free gift of the gospel

Yvonne Marie, M.Ed.

Mar 30, 2023

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” Mark 16:15

I once heard a black man say that he was grateful to God that his ancestors were captured; otherwise, his family line would possibly be living in a godless country. This is the idea that black people were “rescued from the ungodliness of African culture” and “saved by the Jesus of America.” I’ve also heard black people on the opposite side of this equation denounce Christianity as a white man’s religion because it was “established in Europe” and used during colonization as a weapon to control Africans and enslaved people.

Before you decide which side you're on, remember this: The gospel isn’t owned by any culture, race, or ethnic group. It belongs to Jesus and is given as a personal free gift to any individual who will receive it.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

Matthew 28:18-20

Centuries before the slave trade, around 197 A.D., Tertullian Quintus Septimius Florens became a Christian in the Roman Province of Africa. An author, apologist, theologian, and lawyer, he was named “the father of western Christianity.” He is the first known theologian to use the word “trinity” in his writing to describe the equal authority and oneship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Not much is known about Tertullian’s early life or conversion to Christianity. But one thing is clear; the gospel reached his people, his country, and his continent.

Centuries before Tertullian was born, Paul was on a mission to preach the gospel. In the book of Acts, we read of all his travels, trials, and testimonies as he was transported between Jerusalem and Rome starting in 49 A.D. Paul was infamous because he proclaimed that Jesus, the true Messiah, had come and risen from the dead. Not only that, he preached that Jesus came not just for the Jewish keepers of the law but for the “unclean” Gentiles. While the Jewish leaders wanted him dead for such “blasphemous” beliefs, the Roman government didn’t know what to do with Paul because he was a Roman citizen being hunted by his own people.

Through many miracles, Paul leveraged his chains of persecution as a platform to preach. People started riots, gave into mob mentality, and tried to kill Paul. But his refusal to be silent caused a Holy Spirit firestorm! Instead of losing his life, many who listened to his words received eternal life, including a businesswoman and a Philippian jailer. There were numerous signs, wonders, and multitudes of believers throughout Paul’s ministry.

Prior to Paul’s ministry, around the time when he was known as Saul the persecutor, Phillip was on fire for Jesus. Prompted by an angel of the Lord, he found the Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. The Ethiopian official was already on his way to worship when Phillip stopped him to preach, teach, and baptize him! This man came out of the water rejoicing and probably took the gospel to the queen. Who knows?

One thing is clear; the gospel has always transcended boundaries. So, it should be no surprise that the truth of the gospel reached Tertullian, a man of Roman African descent, almost two centuries after Paul was executed around 64 A.D. for speaking in the name of Jesus.

The gospel is not an American religion. It doesn’t belong to Africa, either. The gospel belongs to Jesus and has lived long after Paul’s death and long after Tertullian’s death. The gospel proclaims the death and resurrection of Jesus until the end of the age.

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