8 Bible Verses about Bigotry

I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, yet educated in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, and instructed according to the strict discipline of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as you all are this day. And I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women,

And Saul, still breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the chief priest, and asked of him letters to Damascus, for the synagogues, that, if he should find any who were of this persuasion, either men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven. read more.
And when he had fallen to the earth, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? He answered: "Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom you persecute.

I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

For you have heard of my former mode of life in Judaism, that I greatly persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste; and I surpassed in Judaism many of my own age and nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the tradition of my fathers.

as it respects zeal, persecuting the church; as it respects righteousness which is by law, blameless.

Then little children were brought to him, that he might lay his hands on them and pray. And the disciples rebuked them.

And they brought little children to him, that he might touch them: but his disciples rebuked those who brought them.

And they brought to him infants also, that he might touch them. But when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

And the believers that were of the circumcision, as many as had come with Peter, were astonished, because on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit:

And when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him, saying: You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them.

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said to him: You see, brother, how many myriads of the Jews there are that believe, and they are all zealous for the law. And they have heard it reported of you, that you teach all the Jews that are among the Gentiles to apostatize from Moses; commanding them not to circumcise their children, nor to walk according to the customs. What, then, is to be done? A. multitude must certainly come together; for they will hear that you have come. read more.
Do, therefore, this which we advise you. We have four men who have a vow on them. Take them, and join with them in their vow of abstinence, and pay their expenses, in order that they may shave their heads; and all will know that the things which they have heard reported of you are nothing; but that you yourself also walk orderly, and keep the law. But with respect to the Gentiles that believe, we have written; having decided that they should observe no such thing; but that they keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from lewdness.

And certain men came down from Judea, and taught the brethren, saying: Unless you be circumcised, according to the custom of Moses, you can not be saved. Therefore, after Paul and Barnabas had no little dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain others from among them, should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. Being, therefore, con ducted on their journey by the church, they passed through Phenicia and Samaria, making known the conversion of the Gentiles; and they gave great joy to all the brethren. read more.
When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church, and the apostles and elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees, who believed, arose, saying, that it was necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together to deliberate about this matter. And after there had been much disputing, Peter arose, and said to them: Brethren, you know that, at the beginning, God made choice among us, that, by my mouth, the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe. And God, who knows the heart, became a witness for them, by giving them the Holy Spirit, as he gave it also to us; and he made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why do you put God to the proof, by placing a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers, nor we ourselves, were able to bear?

Inasmuch as we have heard that certain persons went out from us and troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, That you must be circumcised, and keep the law, to whom we gave no commandment,

But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. I acted thus indeed on account of false brethren, stealthily brought in, who stole in to spy out our freedom, which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage, to whom we yielded in submission, not even for an hour, in order that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

What advantage then has the Jew, or what profit has circumcision? Much in every respect; but chiefly that the oracles of God were intrusted to them. What, indeed, if some have been unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness overthrow the faithfulness of God? read more.
It can not be. But let God be true, though every man be a liar, as it is written: That thou mightest be justified in thy words, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. But if our unrighteousness causes God's plan of justifying men to be better known, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous, who inflicts punishment? I speak as a man. It can not be: for if so, how shall God judge the world? Yet, if the truth of God has, through my lie, been greatly advanced to his glory, why am I still judged as a sinner? Then, why not say, (as we are slanderously reported as saying, and, as some affirm, that we do say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? Of such persons the condemnation is just. What then? Do we, Jews, excel? Not at all: for we have already convicted all, both Jews and Greeks, of being under sin, as it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understands; there is none that seeks after God; they have all turned out of the way; they have alike become unprofitable; there is none that does good, not even one; their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet. are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known; there is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what the law says, it speaks- to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. Wherefore, by works of law, no flesh shall be justified in his sight; for by law is the knowledge of sin. But now, God's plan of justifying men without law is revealed, being attested by the law and the prophets; I repeat it, God's plan of justifying men through faith in Jesus Christ, which is for all, and on all that believe; for there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,

What, then, shall we say that Abraham our father has found, as it respects the flesh? For if Abraham was. justified by works, he has cause for boasting, but not before God. For what says the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. read more.
Now to him that works, the reward is not counted as a favor, but as a debt: but to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God counts righteousness without works, saying: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins. are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not charge sin. Comes this blessedness then on those who are circumcised only, or on those who are uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham for righteousness. Under what circumstances, then, was it counted? After he was circumcised? Or, while he was uncircumcised? Not after he was circumcised, but while he was uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had while he was uncircumcised, in order that he might be the father of all that believe, even in a state of uncircumcision, so that righteousness might be counted to them also; and the father of circumcision to those who are not only circumcised, but who, also, walk in the steps of that faith which our father Abraham had while he was yet uncircumcised. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, nor to his posterity, through law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they that are of the law be heirs, the faith is made powerless, and the promise is unmeaning; for the law inflicts punishment; for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore, the inheritance is by faith, that it may be according to grace, in order that the promise may be sure to all his posterity, not to those only who are of the law, but to those, also, who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

But that it was counted to him, was not written for his sake alone, but for our sakes also, to whom it shall be counted, if we believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our offenses, and raised again for our justification.

And John answered him and said: Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name, and he does not follow us: and we forbade him, because he does not follow us. But Jesus said: Forbid him not; for there is no one that will do a mighty deed in my name, and be able readily to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us, is for us.

And John answered and said: Master, we saw a certain one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he does not follow with us. And Jesus said to him: Forbid him not; for whoever is not against us, is for us.

But when the Pharisee who had invited him, saw it, he said within himself: This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who, and what sort of woman this is that touches him; for she is a sinner.

And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying: This man receives sinners, and eats with them.

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him: Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for I must spend this day at your house. And he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying: He has gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

crying out: Men of Israel, help! this is the man who teaches all men every where against this people, and the law, and this place: and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple, and defiled this holy place. For, before this time, they had seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with him in the city, whom they supposed Paul had brought into the temple.

And they heard him to this word, and lifted up their voice, saying: Away with such a man from the earth! for it is not fit that he should live.

They reviled him, and said: You are the disciple of that man; but we are the disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this man, we know not whence he is.

They answered and said to him: You were wholly born in sins, and do you teach us? And they cast him out.

For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say: He has a demon. The Son of man has come eating and drinking, and they say: Behold, a glutton, and a drinker of wine, a friend of publicans and sinners. Yet wisdom is vindicated by her children.

And when the Pharisee saw it, he wondered that he had not first immersed himself before dinner. And the Lord said to him: Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the plate; but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness.

who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and have persecuted us, and do not please God, and are opposed to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, in order that they may fill up their sins at all times: but the wrath is coming upon them to the full.

And it came to pass, as the time for him to be taken up into heaven had fully come, that he set his face steadfastly to go up to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers before his face; and they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was turned toward Jerusalem. read more.
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said: Lord, is it thy will that we command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them, even as Elijah did? But he turned and rebuked them, and said: You know not of what spirit you are. And they went to another village.

And he sent messengers before his face; and they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was turned toward Jerusalem.

Then the woman of Samaria said to him: How is it that you, who are a Jew, ask drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria? (For the Jews have no social intercourse with the Samaritans.)

And upon this his disciples came, and were astonished that he was talking with the woman. Yet no one said: What seekest thou? or, why talkest thou with her?

For I testify for them, that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God's plan of justification, and seeking to establish their own plan of justification, they have not submitted to God's plan of justification.

For this reason, therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he had not only broken the sabbath, but also said that God was his own father, making himself equal with God.

And all that were in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with anger,