Christianity Is Not a Foreign Religion to Africa.

There is a common statement that “Christianity is a foreign religion brought to Africa by Europeans.” But when we open the Bible and examine the story from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we discover that Africa was never outside God’s plan. Long before modern European missionaries came to Africa, African nations and people were already appearing in the biblical story. Christianity itself did not originate in Europe; it began in the first-century world of Jesus and the apostles, and the gospel was intended for all nations.

Egypt is one of the clearest examples. In the Old Testament, God used Egypt in several important ways. Joseph was taken to Egypt, where God eventually elevated him to a position of authority under Pharaoh. Through Joseph, God preserved many lives during a severe famine (Genesis 41:41–43). Later, Jacob and his family went to Egypt, where they survived the famine. God also raised Moses in Egypt and eventually used him to lead Israel out of slavery (Exodus 2:10). Therefore, Egypt was not irrelevant to God’s story; it was deeply connected to the history of God’s people.

We also find Cush in the Old Testament. Numbers 12:1 mentions the “Ethiopian” or Cushite woman whom Moses had married. The Bible does not give us her personal name, but it clearly identifies her as a Cushite. Cush appears repeatedly throughout Scripture, showing that African peoples and territories were known within the biblical world and were included in God’s dealings with the nations.

One remarkable African figure in the Old Testament is Ebed-Melech the Cushite. When Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern and left to die, Ebed-Melech went to the king and helped rescue the prophet (Jeremiah 38:7–13). What is especially powerful is that God later promised to protect Ebed-Melech because he had trusted in Him (Jeremiah 39:15–18). Here we see a Cushite man being used to save one of God’s prophets.

The prophet Zephaniah also has a connection to Cush. Zephaniah 1:1 identifies him as “Zephaniah the son of Cushi.” The Bible therefore preserves an African-associated name in the genealogy of one of the prophets. Cush also appears in the writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and other biblical books. Africa was clearly not invisible in the biblical record.

When we move into the New Testament, Africa appears again in the story of Jesus Himself. When Herod wanted to kill the young Jesus, an angel instructed Joseph to take Jesus and His mother and flee to Egypt (Matthew 2:13–15). Egypt is in Africa. The Bible does not say that Jesus went there to establish Christianity, so we should not exaggerate the point, but it is still significant that Africa became part of the earthly story of Jesus from His childhood.

Another important example is Simon of Cyrene. Mark 15:21 says that the Roman soldiers compelled “a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian” to carry the cross of Jesus. Cyrene was in North Africa. Therefore, a man connected with an African city was physically involved in carrying the cross of Christ on His way to the crucifixion. Africa appears right in the story of the suffering and death of Jesus.

Africa was also represented when the gospel was first publicly proclaimed on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2:10 mentions people from Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene among those who were present in Jerusalem. These people heard the apostles proclaim the gospel. This demonstrates that the message of Christ was never intended to belong to one race, one culture or one continent.

Then we come to one of the clearest examples: the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. The Bible describes him as “a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority” (Acts 8:27). He had traveled to Jerusalem to worship and was reading the book of Isaiah. Philip approached him, explained the Scriptures, and “preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8:35). After hearing the gospel, the Ethiopian asked to be baptized, and Philip baptized him (Acts 8:36–38). This happened during the apostolic period, not centuries later. An African man heard the gospel, believed and was baptized.

The connection with Africa continues in Acts 11:20, where we read about men from Cyprus and Cyrene who went to Antioch and preached the Lord Jesus. Cyrene was in North Africa. This means that people connected with Africa were not merely receiving the gospel; they were also involved in spreading the message of Christ. Africa therefore appears not only as a place reached by Christianity but also as part of the early movement through which the gospel was proclaimed.

We must also make an important distinction between Christianity and the history of European missionary activity in Africa. European missionaries played a major role in spreading Christianity throughout many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and that history is connected in complicated ways with European colonialism. However, saying that European missionaries introduced Christianity to many African societies is not the same as saying that Christianity itself originated as a European religion. The biblical story is much older than modern European missionary expansion.

Christianity does not require an African to become European. Following Christ does not mean abandoning every aspect of African culture. The biblical standard is not European culture or African culture; the standard is the Word of God. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” Therefore, we should appreciate what is good and wholesome in our cultures while rejecting anything that contradicts God’s Word.

So when someone says, “Christianity is a foreign religion to Africa,” we should open the Bible and look at the evidence. We find Egypt, Cush, Ebed-Melech, Jesus in Egypt, Simon of Cyrene, people from Egypt and Libya at Pentecost, the Ethiopian eunuch, and people from Cyrene involved in spreading the gospel. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, Africa appears repeatedly in the biblical story.

The gospel was never designed for Europe alone. Jesus commanded His followers, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). Revelation 7:9 gives us a picture of people from every nation, tribe, people and tongue worshipping before God. Therefore, Christianity is not European property, and it is not African property. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ for all humanity.

Africa is not outside the biblical story. Africa has been part of the story. The gospel is not about becoming European or abandoning African identity; it is about following Jesus Christ according to His Word.

Peter Polley ( Preacher)