8 Bible Verses about Bigotry

then he said, I am a Jew, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, but had my education in this city: at the feet of Gamaliel I was instructed in the law, and in the exact decisions of our fathers, and was as religiously zealous as you are at this time. for I persecuted this sect even to death, throwing them into chains and prisons both men and women:

Saul still breathing out nothing but threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and demanded letters for the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any of this sect, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was on his journey, and near Damascus, on a sudden, a light from heaven surrounded him, read more.
and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice which said to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? and he said, who art thou, Lord? and the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is hard for thee to kick against the goad. Then trembling with the fright Saul said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? and the Lord said to him,]

I myself too once thought myself oblig'd strenuously to oppose the professors of Jesus the Nazarene, as I actually did at Jerusalem,

you have heard of my former behaviour, whilst I was of the Jewish religion, with what excessive violence I persecuted the church of God, and laid it waste: and that I made a greater proficiency in Judaism than many my contemporaries of my own nation, being an extraordinary zealot for the traditions of my forefathers.

if zeal is to be regarded, I persecuted the church; if the integrity prescrib'd by the law, I am without reproach;

Then they brought children to him in order to have his blessing: and the disciples rebuked them.

Then they brought young children to him, that he might lay his hands upon them: but his disciples rebuked those that presented them.

And as they were presenting children to him, for the imposition of hands, his disciples observing it, rebuk'd those that brought them.

all the Jewish converts, who came with Paul, were astonished to see that the gift of the holy spirit was diffused likewise among the Gentiles.

and when Peter was return'd to Jerusalem, the Jewish converts objected to his conduct, and ask'd him, why did you go to eat with the uncircumcised?

upon hearing this, they gave glory to God: and thus address'd Paul, you see, brother, how many thousand believing Jews there are, all however zealous for the law. now they have heard that you instruct the Jews that are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, by telling them they must not circumcise their children, nor observe the establish'd rites. what then is to be done? they will necessarily be all assembled, for they can't but hear, you are come. read more.
yield then to our advice: there are four men here, who have made a vow: these take, and perform the rites of purification with them, contributing to the expence of having their heads shav'd: this will convince them, what has been reported of you, is all groundless, and that you stick to the observances of the law. as for the believing Gentiles, we have given them by letter this decision, "they need only take care to abstain from meats offered to idols, from blood, from the flesh of animals strangled, and from fornication."

However some that arrived from Judea, told the Gentile converts, unless you are circumcised agreeably to the law of Moses, you cannot be saved. upon which Paul and Barnabas having warmly contested the point with them, it was resolved, that Paul and Barnabas and some others should go to Jerusalem to consult the apostles upon this question. so they set out, accompanied part of the way by the church, and pass'd thro' Phenicia and Samaria, relating the conversion of the Gentiles, which gave great joy to all the brethren. read more.
and being arrived at Jerusalem, they were receiv'd by the church, by the apostles, and presbyters, to whom they related all that God had done by them. but some of the sect of the Pharisees who had embraced the faith, started up, pretending that the Gentiles ought to be circumcised, and observe the law of Moses. The apostles therefore, and the presbyters assembled to deliberate upon this affair. and after the question had been much canvass'd, Peter rose up, and said, my brethren, you know that a considerable time since God chose me from among you to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and bring them to the faith. God who knows their hearts has granted them a testimonial, by giving them the holy spirit, even as he did to us: making no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by the faith. why therefore do you tempt God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our forefathers were able to bear?

Whereas we have been appriz'd, that some who went from us, have embarass'd you with their discourse, and unsettled your minds, maintaining, that you ought to be circumcised, and to observe the law, though we gave them no such injunction: after having been assembled,

however, Titus who was then with me, being a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised: and as to the false brethren, who insidiously crept in to spy out our liberty which we have by Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into servitude; I did not show them the lest compliance by way of submission, that the doctrine of the gospel might remain among you.

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what benefit is there from circumcision? much every way: chiefly, because they were intrusted with the oracles of God. for what if some betrayed their trust? shall their unfaithfulness render read more.
the faithfulness of God of no effect? by no means; yea, let God be acknowledged to be true, tho' men should be all deceivers; as it is written, " that you might be justified in your sayings, and might overcome when you are judged." but say you, "if our unfaithfulness displays the veracity of God, what shall we say? is it not injustice in God to inflict punishment?" not at all: for then how could God judge the world? "but, say you, if the veracity of God hath appeared more illustrious thro' my unfaithfulness, why then am I condemned as a sinner? and why may we not do evil, that good may come?" which is slanderously reported to be our maxim, by some, whose condemnation is just. "how then are we better than they?" why, not at all: for we have already convicted both Jews and Gentiles, of being all under the guilt of sin. as it is written, " there is none righteous, no not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. they are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doth 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 have they not known. there is no fear of God before their eyes." Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law: that every one may be silenc'd, and all the world plead guilty before God. for by the observation of the law no one shall be justified in his sight, since it is the law that takes cognizance of sin. but the divine justification certified by the law and the prophets, is now clearly proposed independently of the law: that divine justification, which by faith in Jesus Christ is extended to all, that believe; for there is no distinction: for all having sinned, all have forfeited eternal glory:

How then can we assert, "that Abraham our father obtained this from circumcision?" for if Abraham was justified by works, he had matter of pretension, whereas he had no such claim from God. for what saith the scripture? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." read more.
the reward is not counted as a favour to him that has done good actions, but as a debt: whereas he that trusts in God to be made righteous, tho' he has not done such actions, shall find his faith accounted as righteousness. even as David also speaks of the happiness of the man whom God accounted righteous independently of his works, " happy are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. happy is the man to whom the Lord will not account sin." Is this happiness then for the circumcised only, or for the uncircumcised also? for we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. how was it then accounted? whilst he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? he was not then circumcised, but uncircumcised: and he received the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the justification by that faith, which the uncircumcised have: that he might be the father of all those who believe, tho' they are uncircumcised, that it might be accounted to them also for righteousness: and the father of the circumcised, that is of those who are not barely circumcised, but who imitate that faith which our father Abraham had, being yet uncircumcised. Besides, the promise that he should possess the world, was not made to Abraham, or to his posterity in consideration of the law, but with regard to the righteousness by faith. for if they only who are of the law have right of possession, faith is made useless, and the promise becomes of no effect. because the effect of the law is punishment: for if there had been no law, there could have been no transgression. therefore the inheritance is of faith, that it might be meerly of favour, to the end the promise might be assured to all his posterity, not to that part only who have the law, but to that also who have the faith of Abraham, the father of us all, as it is written,

now this saying, "that it was accounted to him," was not written for his sake alone, but for us also, to whom it shall be accounted, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Upon this occasion John address'd himself to Jesus, saying, master, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, tho' he did not belong to us, for which reason we opposed him. but Jesus said, do not oppose him: for no man can speak evil of me, at the same time he works a miracle by virtue of my name. such a one is not against us, but for us.

Then said John to Jesus, master, we saw one casting out demons in your name, and we oppos'd it, because he does not follow you with us. but Jesus said to him, don't oppose it: for he that is not against us, is for us.

which the Pharisee, who had invited him, observing, he thus argued with himself, if this man were a prophet, he could not but know that the woman, who is so busy with him, is a person of a loose character.

at which the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, this man gives access to men of bad character, and eats with them.

as soon as Jesus came at the place, he look'd up, and seeing him, Zaccheus, said he, make haste down; for I intend to dine at your house to-day. so down he came in great haste, and gave Jesus a joyful reception. upon seeing this, they all murmur'd, saying, he is going to be treated by a dissolute person.

bawling out, "men of Israel, help: this is the man that every where inveighs upon all occasions against the people, against the law, and against this place, where they have brought Greeks too to profane this holy place." (for having seen Trophimus an Ephesian with him in the city, they imagin'd Paul had conducted him into the temple.)

Till that word, the Jews had given their attention, but then they broke out into a full cry, "out of the world with such a fellow: for it is not fit he should live."

then they reviled him, and said, thou art his disciple; but we are Moses disciples. we know that God commission'd Moses: as for this fellow, we don't know who sent him.

they answered, you were a vicious fellow from your very birth, and do you pretend to preach to us? and then they excommunicated him.

so John came with fasting and abstinence, and they say, he is mad. the son of man does not abstain from eating and drinking, and they cry there's a glutton, and a sot, a friend of publicans and sinners: "but wisdom is justified by her children."

but the Pharisee was surprized to see that he did not wash before dinner. upon which the Lord said to him, you Pharisees won't leave any filth upon the outside of a cup or a platter: while your consciences are abandon'd to rapine, and sensuality.

the very men who have persecuted the Lord Jesus, and the prophets even to death; who have persecuted us; they who are regardless of pleasing the deity, and are enemies to all mankind; who by obstructing our endeavours to save the Gentiles, continue to fill up the measure of their enormities; for which consummate vengeance is falling upon them.

Now the time of his assumption drawing nigh, he was fix'd in his resolution to go to Jerusalem: and he sent messengers before, who went to a town of the Samaritans, to prepare a lodging for him. but they would not entertain him, because he appear'd to them, as if he was going to Jerusalem. read more.
his disciples James and John observing this, said, Lord, shall we command fire to descend from heaven, as Elias did, in order to consume them? but Jesus turn'd, and rebuked them, saying, you don't know by what spirit you are moved. for the son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. and they went to another village.

and he sent messengers before, who went to a town of the Samaritans, to prepare a lodging for him. but they would not entertain him, because he appear'd to them, as if he was going to Jerusalem.

but the woman of Samaria said to him, how is it that you who are a Jew, ask drink of me, who am a Samaritan? (for the Jews have no friendly intercourse with the Samaritans.)

Upon this his disciples came, and were surpriz'd at his conversing with the woman: yet none of them said, what did you ask her? or, why do you talk with her?

for I bear them witness, that they have a zeal for God, but not guided by true knowledge. because being ignorant of the justice which is of God, and going about to establish a justification of their own, they have not submitted themselves to that which is of God.

therefore the Jews were the more eager to kill him, because he had not only violated the sabbath, but likewise, because he had said that God was his proper father, making himself equal with God.

upon hearing this, the whole synagogue were incensed against him.