29 Bible Verses about Exclusiveness

And while He was reclining at table, a large number of tax-gathers and notorious sinners were of the party with Jesus and His disciples. The Pharisees noticed this, and they inquired of His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with the tax-gatherers and notorious sinners?"

When He was sitting at table in Levi's house, a large number of tax-gatherers and notorious sinners were at table with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many such who habitually followed Him. But when the Scribes of the Pharisee sect saw Him eating with the sinners and the tax-gatherers, they said to His disciples, "He is eating and drinking with the tax-gatherers and sinners!"

Levi also gave a great entertainment at his house in honour of Jesus, and there was a large party of tax-gatherers and others at table with them. This led the Pharisees and Scribes of their party to expostulate with His disciples and ask, "Why are you eating and drinking with these tax-gatherers and notorious sinners?"

Now the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners were everywhere in the habit of coming close to Him to listen to Him; and this led the Pharisees and the Scribes indignantly to complain, saying, "He gives a welcome to notorious sinners, and joins them at their meals!"

For until certain persons came from James he had been accustomed to eat with Gentiles; but as soon as these persons came, he withdrew and separated himself for fear of the Circumcision party.

"Then He gave him the Covenant of circumcision, and under this Covenant he became the father of Isaac--whom he circumcised on the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve Patriarchs.

You must abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication. Keep yourselves clear of these things, and it will be well with you. Farewell."

"How is it," replied the woman, "that a Jew like you asks me, who am a woman and a Samaritan, for water?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

These twelve Jesus sent on a mission, after giving them their instructions: "Go not," He said, "among the Gentiles, and enter no Samaritan town; but, instead of that, go to the lost sheep of Israel's race.

Now when the time drew near for Him to be received up again into Heaven, He proceeded with fixed purpose towards Jerusalem, and sent messengers before Him. They went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for Him. But the people there would not receive Him, because He was evidently going to Jerusalem.

He said to them, "You know better than most that a Jew is strictly forbidden to associate with a Gentile or visit him; but God has taught me to call no one unholy or unclean.

These twelve Jesus sent on a mission, after giving them their instructions: "Go not," He said, "among the Gentiles, and enter no Samaritan town;

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew into the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon. Here a Canaanitish woman of the district came out and persistently cried out, "Sir, Son of David, pity me; my daughter is cruelly harassed by a demon." But He answered her not a word. Then the disciples interposed, and begged Him, saying, "Send her away because she keeps crying behind us."read more.
"I have only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," He replied. Then she came and threw herself at His feet and entreated Him. "O Sir, help me," she said. "It is not right," He said, "to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." "Be it so, Sir," she said, "for even the dogs eat the scraps which fall from their masters' tables." "O woman," replied Jesus, "great is your faith: be it done to you as you desire." And from that moment her daughter was restored to health.

Then He rose and left that place and went into the neighbourhood of Tyre and Sidon. Here He entered a house and wished no one to know it, but He could not escape observation. Forthwith a woman whose little daughter was possessed by a foul spirit heard of Him, and came and flung herself at His feet. She was a Gentile woman, a Syro-phoenician by nation: and again and again she begged Him to expel the demon from her daughter.read more.
"Let the children first eat all they want," He said; "it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." "True, Sir," she replied, "and yet the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps." "For those words of yours, go home," He replied; "the demon has gone out of your daughter." So she went home, and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

So they brought Jesus from Caiaphas's house to the Praetorium. It was the early morning, and they would not enter the Praetorium themselves for fear of defilement, and in order that they might be able to eat the Passover.

Now the Apostles, and the brethren in various parts of Judaea, heard that the Gentiles also had received God's Message; and, when Peter returned to Jerusalem, the champions of circumcision found fault with him. "You went into the houses of men who are not Jews," they said, "and you ate with them."read more.
Peter, however, explained the whole matter to them from the beginning. "While I was in the town of Jaffa, offering prayer," he said, "in a trance I saw a vision. There descended what seemed to be an enormous sail, being let down from the sky by ropes at the four corners, and it came close to me. Fixing my eyes on it, I examined it closely, and saw various kinds of quadrupeds, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. I also heard a voice saying to me, "'Rise, Peter, kill and eat.' "'On no account, Lord,' I replied, 'for nothing unholy or impure has ever gone into my mouth.' "But a voice answered, speaking a second time from the sky, "'What God has purified, you must not regard as unholy.' "This was said three times, and then everything was drawn up again out of sight. "Now at that very moment three men came to the house where we were, having been sent from Caesarea to find me. And the Spirit told me to accompany them without any misgivings. There also went with me these six brethren who are now present, and we reached the Centurion's house. Then he described to us how he had seen the angel come and enter his house and say, "'Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon, surnamed Peter. He will teach you truths by which you and all your family will be saved.'" "And," said Peter, "no sooner had I begun to speak than the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He fell upon us at the first. Then I remembered the Lord's words, how He used to say, "'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.' "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we first believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, why, who was I to be able to thwart God?" This statement of Peter's silenced his opponents. They extolled the goodness of God, and said, "So, then, to the Gentiles also God has given the repentance which leads to Life."

Now when Peter visited Antioch, I remonstrated with him to his face, because he had incurred just censure. For until certain persons came from James he had been accustomed to eat with Gentiles; but as soon as these persons came, he withdrew and separated himself for fear of the Circumcision party. And along with him the other Jews also concealed their real opinions, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their lack of straightforwardness.

But certain persons who had come down from Judaea tried to convince the brethren, saying, "Unless you are circumcised in accordance with the Mosaic custom, you cannot be saved."

But certain men who had belonged to the sect of the Pharisees but were now believers, stood up in the assembly, and said, "Yes, Gentile believers ought to be circumcised and be ordered to keep the Law of Moses."

Remember that it is I Paul who tell you that if you receive circumcision Christ will avail you nothing. I once more protest to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation to obey the whole Law of Moses. Christ has become nothing to any of you who are seeking acceptance with God through the Law: you have fallen away from grace.read more.
*We* have not, for through the Spirit we wait with longing hope for an acceptance with God which is to come through faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any importance; but only faith working through love.

All who desire to display their zeal for external observances try to compel you to receive circumcision, but their real object is simply to escape being persecuted for the Cross of Christ.

For there are many that spurn authority--idle, talkative and deceitful persons, who, for the most part, are adherents of the Circumcision.

And God, who knows all hearts, gave His testimony in their favour by bestowing the Holy Spirit on them just as He did on us;

For, in fact, in one Spirit all of us--whether we are Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free men--were baptized to form but one body; and we were all nourished by that one Spirit.

Answer me this one question, "Is it on the ground of your obedience to the Law that you received the Spirit, or is it because, when you heard, you believed?" Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now going to reach perfection through what is external? Have you endured such sufferings to no purpose--if indeed it has been to no purpose?read more.
He who gives you His Spirit and works miracles among you--does He do so on the ground of your obedience to the Law, or is it the result of your having heard and believed:

You and I, though we are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, know that it is not through obedience to Law that a man can be declared free from guilt, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. We have therefore believed in Christ Jesus, for the purpose of being declared free from guilt, through faith in Christ and not through obedience to Law. For through obedience to Law no human being shall be declared free from guilt.

and He made no difference between us and them, in that He cleansed their hearts by their faith. Now, therefore, why try an experiment upon God, by laying on the necks of these disciples a yoke which neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we, as well as they, shall be saved."

For we maintain that it is as the result of faith that a man is held to be righteous, apart from actions done in obedience to Law. Is God simply the God of the Jews, and not of the Gentiles also? He is certainly the God of the Gentiles also, unless you can deny that it is one and the same God who will pronounce the circumcised to be acquitted on the ground of faith, and the uncircumcised to be acquitted through the same faith.

This declaration of blessedness, then, does it come simply to the circumcised, or to the uncircumcised as well? For Abraham's faith--so we affirm--was placed to his credit as righteousness. What then were the circumstances under which this took place? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before? Before, not after. And he received circumcision as a sign, a mark attesting the reality of the faith-righteousness which was his while still uncircumcised, that he might be the forefather of all those who believe even though they are uncircumcised--in order that this righteousness might be placed to their credit;read more.
and the forefather of the circumcised, namely of those who not merely are circumcised, but also walk in the steps of the faith which our forefather Abraham had while he was as yet uncircumcised.