Not “kwai” (鬼) but “yen” (人)

S:  

Acts 16

O:

Acts 16 marks a significant step in the expanding reach of the Gospel. We see the Jewish Christian mindset evolving, realizing that God’s kingdom is not defined by ethnicity. Paul, though fully committed to salvation by grace through faith, still had Timothy circumcised—not for salvation, but to remove barriers to ministry among Jews.

The trajectory had already been set by Jesus, who welcomed the Roman centurion and the Syrophoenician woman. Then came the Great Commission, calling for all nations to be invited. Peter’s vision of the sheet of clean and unclean animals reinforced that no people were to be considered “unclean.” Paul and his team continued this mission, bringing the Gospel into Europe through the vision of the Macedonian man.

Jewish believers were not clinging to ethnic exclusivity—instead, they led the way in breaking down old barriers, even at great personal cost. In Philippi, Paul and Silas were imprisoned for casting a demon out of a Gentile slave girl, an act that disrupted the economic interests of her owners. Yet, despite persecution, Lydia (a wealthy businesswoman) and the Philippian jailer (a Roman official) both received Christ with their families—further proof that the Gospel was for all.

A:

Just as the early Jewish believers had to confront their biases, we must examine our own hearts. In our predominantly ethnic Chinese churches, do we subconsciously hold prejudices against other races? How often do we use words like malai-kwai or keleng-kwai? These terms dehumanise people created in God’s image.

The people we label as “kwai” (鬼 – ghost, demon) are not spirits but human beings (yen 人). If the early Jewish Christians had clung to their racial superiority, the Gospel might have remained confined to Israel. Instead, they followed Jesus’ example and welcomed all. Likewise, we must consciously reject racist attitudes and embrace all people as God’s beloved creation.

P: 

Search me, O God, and know my heart today,
Try me, O Saviour, know my thoughts, I pray;
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.

Father, expose any prejudice hidden in my heart. Teach me to love as You love—to see all people, regardless of race, as worthy of dignity and salvation. May my words, actions, and attitudes reflect Your inclusive grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Note: I had ChatGPT edit the above meditation for clarity.