11 Bible Verses about Bigotry

I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia by birth, but I had my education in this town at the feet of Gamaliel, being trained in the keeping of every detail of the law of our fathers; given up to the cause of God with all my heart, as you are today. And I made attacks on this Way, even to death, taking men and women and putting them in prison.

But Saul, still burning with desire to put to death the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, And made a request for letters from him to the Synagogues of Damascus, so that if there were any of the Way there, men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. And while he was journeying, he came near Damascus; and suddenly he saw a light from heaven shining round him; read more.
And he went down on the earth, and a voice said to him, Saul, Saul, why are you attacking me so cruelly? And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are attacking:

For I, truly, was of the opinion that it was right for me to do a number of things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

For news has come to you of my way of life in the past in the Jews' religion, how I was cruel without measure to the church of God, and did great damage to it: And I went farther in the Jews' religion than a number of my generation among my countrymen, having a more burning interest in the beliefs handed down from my fathers.

In bitter hate I was cruel to the church; I kept all the righteousness of the law to the last detail.

Then some people took little children to him, so that he might put his hands on them in blessing: and the disciples said sharp words to them.

And they took to him little children, so that he might put his hands on them: and the disciples said sharp words to them.

And they took their children to him, so that he might put his hands on them: but when the disciples saw it, they said sharp words to them

And the Jews of the faith, who had come with Peter, were full of wonder, because the Holy Spirit was given to the Gentiles,

And when Peter came to Jerusalem, those who kept the rule of circumcision had an argument with him, Saying, You went to men without circumcision, and took food with them.

And hearing it, they gave praise to God; and they said to him, You see, brother, what thousands there are among the Jews, who have the faith; and they all have a great respect for the law: And they have had news of you, how you have been teaching all the Jews among the Gentiles to give up the law of Moses, and not to give circumcision to their children, and not to keep the old rules. What then is the position? They will certainly get news that you have come. read more.
Do this, then, which we say to you: We have four men who have taken an oath; Go with these, and make yourself clean with them, and make the necessary payments for them, so that they may be free from their oath: and everyone will see that the statements made about you are not true, but that you put yourself under rule, and keep the law. But as to the Gentiles who have the faith, we sent a letter, giving our decision that they were to keep themselves from offerings made to false gods, and from blood, and from the flesh of animals put to death in ways against the law, and from the evil desires of the body.

Now certain men came down from Judaea, teaching the brothers and saying that without circumcision, after the rule of Moses, there is no salvation. And after Paul and Barnabas had had no little argument and discussion with them, the brothers made a decision to send Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them to the Apostles and the rulers of the church at Jerusalem about this question. So they, being sent on their way by the church, went through Phoenicia and Samaria, giving news of the salvation of the Gentiles, to the great joy of all the brothers. read more.
And when they came to Jerusalem, they had a meeting with the church and the Apostles and the rulers, and they gave an account of all the things which God had done through them. But some of the Pharisees, who were of the faith, got up and said, It is necessary for these to have circumcision and to keep the law of Moses. And the Apostles and the rulers of the church came together and gave thought to the question. And when there had been much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, My brothers, you have knowledge that some time back it was God's pleasure that by my mouth the good news might be given to the Gentiles so that they might have faith. And God, the searcher of hearts, was a witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit even as he did to us; Making no division between them and us, but making clean their hearts by faith. Why then are you testing God, by putting on the neck of the disciples a yoke so hard that not even our fathers or we were strong enough for it?

Because we have knowledge that some who went from us have been troubling you with their words, putting your souls in doubt; to whom we gave no such order;

But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was made to undergo circumcision: And that because of the false brothers let in secretly, who came searching out our free condition which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might make servants of us; To whom we gave way not even for an hour; so that the true words of the good news might still be with you.

How then is the Jew better off? or what profit is there in circumcision? Much in every way: first of all because the words of God were given to them. And if some have no faith, will that make the faith of God without effect? read more.
In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged. But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)? In no way: because if it is so, how is God able to be the judge of all the world? But if, because I am untrue, God being seen to be true gets more glory, why am I to be judged as a sinner? Let us not do evil so that good may come (a statement which we are falsely said by some to have made), because such behaviour will have its right punishment. What then? are we worse off than they? In no way: because we have before made it clear that Jews as well as Greeks are all under the power of sin; As it is said in the holy Writings, There is not one who does righteousness; Not one who has the knowledge of what is right, not one who is a searcher after God; They have all gone out of the way, there is no profit in any of them; there is not one who does good, not so much as one: Their throat is like an open place of death; with their tongues they have said what is not true: the poison of snakes is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of curses and bitter words: Their feet are quick in running after blood; Destruction and trouble are in their ways; And of the way of peace they have no knowledge: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now, we have knowledge that what the law says is for those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all men may be judged by God: Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now without the law there is a revelation of the righteousness of God, to which witness is given by the law and the prophets; That is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all those who have faith; and one man is not different from another, For all have done wrong and are far from the glory of God;

What, then, may we say that Abraham, our father after the flesh, has got? For if Abraham got righteousness by works, he has reason for pride; but not before God. But what does it say in the holy Writings? And Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness. read more.
Now, the reward is credited to him who does works, not as of grace but as a debt. But to him who without working has faith in him who gives righteousness to the evil-doer, his faith is put to his account as righteousness. As David says that there is a blessing on the man to whose account God puts righteousness without works, saying, Happy are those who have forgiveness for their wrongdoing, and whose sins are covered. Happy is the man against whom no sin is recorded by the Lord. Is this blessing, then, for the circumcision only, or in the same way for those who have not circumcision? for we say that the faith of Abraham was put to his account as righteousness. How, then, was it judged? when he had circumcision, or when he had it not? Not when he had it, but when he did not have it: And he was given the sign of circumcision as a witness of the faith which he had before he underwent circumcision: so that he might be the father of all those who have faith, though they have not circumcision, and so that righteousness might be put to their account; And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who keep to the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he underwent circumcision. For God's word, that the earth would be his heritage, was given to Abraham, not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they who are of the law are the people who get the heritage, then faith is made of no use, and the word of God has no power; For the outcome of the law is wrath; but where there is no law it will not be broken. For this reason it is of faith, so that it may be through grace; and so that the word of God may be certain to all the seed; not only to that which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

Now, it was not because of him only that this was said, But for us in addition, to whose account it will be put, if we have faith in him who made Jesus our Lord come back again from the dead, Who was put to death for our evil-doing, and came to life again so that we might have righteousness.

John said to him, Master, we saw one driving out evil spirits in your name: and we said that he might not, because he is not one of us. But Jesus said, Say not so: for there is no man who will do a great work in my name, and be able at the same time to say evil of me. He who is not against us is for us.

And John, answering, said, Master, we saw a man driving out evil spirits in your name, and we did not let him do it, because he was not one of us. But Jesus said to him, Let him do it, for he who is not against you is for you.

Now when the Pharisee in whose house he was saw it, he said to himself, This man, if he was a prophet, would be conscious what sort of woman this is who has put her hands on him, that she is a sinner.

And the Pharisees and scribes were angry, saying, This man gives approval to sinners, and takes food with them.

And when Jesus came to the place, looking up, he said to him, Zacchaeus, be quick and come down, for I am coming to your house today. And he came down quickly, and took him into his house with joy. And when they saw it, they were all angry, saying, He has gone into the house of a sinner.

Crying out, Men of Israel, come to our help: this is the man who is teaching all men everywhere against the people and the law and this place: and in addition, he has taken Greeks into the Temple, and made this holy place unclean. For they had seen him before in the town with Trophimus of Ephesus, and had the idea that Paul had taken him with him into the Temple.

And they gave him a hearing as far as this word; then with loud voices they said, Away with this man from the earth; it is not right for him to be living.

And they were angry with him and said, You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We are certain that God gave his word to Moses: but as for this man, we have no knowledge where he comes from.

Their answer was: You came to birth through sin; do you make yourself our teacher? And they put him out of the Synagogue.

And a young man went running to Moses and said, Eldad and Medad are acting as prophets in the tent-circle. Then Joshua, the son of Nun, who had been Moses' servant from the time when he was a child, said, My lord Moses, let them be stopped. And Moses said to him, Are you moved by envy on my account? If only all the Lord's people were prophets, and the Lord might put his spirit on them!

For John came, taking no food or drink, and they say, He has an evil spirit. The Son of man has come feasting, and they say, See, a lover of food and wine, a friend of tax-farmers and sinners! And wisdom is judged to be right by her works.

And when the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised because he came to the meal without first washing himself. And the Lord said to him, You Pharisees make the outside of the cup and the plate clean; but inside you are thieves and full of evil.

Who put to death the Lord Jesus and the prophets, violently driving us out; who are unpleasing to God and against all men; Who, to make the measure of their sins complete, kept us from giving the word of salvation to the Gentiles: but the wrath of God is about to come on them in the fullest degree.

And it came about that when the days were near for him to be taken up, his face was turned to go to Jerusalem, And he sent men before: and they came to a small town of Samaria to make ready for him. But they would not have him there, because he was clearly going to Jerusalem. read more.
And when his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, Lord, may we send fire from heaven and put an end to them? But turning round he said sharp words to them. And they went to another small town.

And he sent men before: and they came to a small town of Samaria to make ready for him. But they would not have him there, because he was clearly going to Jerusalem.

The woman of Samaria said to him, Why do you, a Jew, make a request for water to me, a woman of Samaria? She said this because Jews have nothing to do with the people of Samaria.

At that point the disciples came back, and they were surprised to see him talking to a woman; but not one of them said to him, What is your purpose? or, Why are you talking to her?

For I give witness of them that they have a strong desire for God, but not with knowledge. Because, not having knowledge of God's righteousness, and desiring to give effect to their righteousness, they have not put themselves under the righteousness of God.

For this cause the Jews had an even greater desire to put Jesus to death, because not only did he not keep the Sabbath but he said God was his Father, so making himself equal with God.

And all who were in the Synagogue were very angry when these things were said to them.