11 Bible Verses about Bigotry

I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel and taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, came unto the prince of the priests and asked him for letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he proceeded, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven; read more.
and falling to the earth, he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I AM Jesus whom thou dost persecute; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

I verily had thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in Judaism, how that beyond measure I was persecuting and destroying the congregation of God And profited in Judaism above many of my equals in my own nation, being exceedingly more zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

concerning zeal, a persecutor of the congregation ; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Then were there brought unto him little children that he should put his hands on them and pray, and the disciples rebuked them.

And they brought young children to him that he should touch them, and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

And they brought unto him also infants that he would touch them; but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, that also on the Gentiles the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.

When Peter was come up to Jerusalem, those that were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, Why didst thou go in to men uncircumcised and eat with them?

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous of the law; and they are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? The multitude must needs come together, for they will hear that thou art come. read more.
Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men among us who have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and pay their expenses, that they may shave their heads, and all may know that those things, of which they were informed concerning thee, are nothing, but that thou thyself dost also walk orderly and keep the law. As touching the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, except only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols and from blood and from that which has been strangled and from fornication.

Then certain men who came down from Judaea taught the brethren and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And they, being accompanied by some from the congregation , passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. read more.
And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received by the congregation and by the apostles and elders, and they declared all the things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God chose that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the hearts, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us, and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

forasmuch as we have heard that certain ones who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we gave no such commandment,

But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised, And that in spite of the false brethren, who entered secretly to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage; Unto whom we did not submit even for one hour that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

What advantage then has the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much in every way: first, certainly, that the oracles of God have been entrusted unto them. For what if some of them did not believe? Shall their unbelief have made the truth of God without effect? read more.
No, in no wise: for God is true, and every man a liar; as it is written, That thou might be justified in thy words and might overcome when thou dost judge. And if our iniquity commends the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Shall for this reason God be unjust who sends punishment? (I speak as a man.) No, in no wise: for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God has more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why even so am I also judged as a sinner? And why not say (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? The condemnation of whom is just. What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise; for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin; as it is written, There is no one righteous, no, not one; there is no one that understands; there is no one that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way; they are together become unprofitable; there is no one that does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips, whose 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 all that the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may submit themselves unto God. For by the deeds of the law, no flesh shall be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now, without the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets: the righteousness, that is, of God by the faith of Jesus, the Christ, for all and upon all those that believe in him, for there is no difference; for all have sinned and are made destitute of the glory of God,

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he has reason to glory in himself, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. read more.
But unto him that works, the reward is not reckoned as grace, but as debt. But to him that does not work, but believes in him that justifies the ungodly, the faith is counted as righteousness. Even as David also describes the blessedness of the man unto whom God doth attribute righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute sin. Is this blessedness, therefore, only upon the circumcision or also upon the uncircumcision? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the circumcision as a sign, as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all the uncircumcised believers, that it might be counted unto them also as righteousness, that he be the father of the circumcision: not only to those who are of the circumcision, but also unto those who walk in the steps of the faith that was in our father Abraham before he was circumcised. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are the heirs, faith is in vain, and the promise annulled, because the law works wrath; for where there is no law, there is no rebellion either. Therefore by faith, that it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to that which is of the law, but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

Now it is not written for his sake alone that it was so reckoned to him, but for us also to whom it shall be so reckoned, that is, to those that believe in him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.

And John answered him, saying, Master, 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 who does a miracle in my name that can then speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us.

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

Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him, for she is a sinner.

And the Pharisees and 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 unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

crying out, Men of Israel, help; this is the man that teaches everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place and further brought Greeks also into the temple and has polluted this holy place. (For before this they had seen Trophimus, an Ephesian, with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

And they gave him audience unto this word and then lifted up their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live.

Then they reviled him and said, Be thou his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke unto Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where he is from.

They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp. Then Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? It would be good that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified by her children.

And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us, and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up the measure of their sins always, for the wrath of God has come upon them to the uttermost.

And it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem and sent messengers before his face; and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him. And they did not receive him because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. read more.
And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did? But he turned and rebuked them and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to lose men's souls, but to save them. And they went to another village.

and sent messengers before his face; and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him. And they did not receive him because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

Then said the Samaritan woman unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

And upon this came his disciples and marvelled that he talked with that woman; yet no one said, What askest thou? or, What talkest thou with her?

For I give testimony that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

And all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath