8 Bible Verses about Bigotry

I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, hut brought up in this city, taught at the feet of Gamaliel in the strictness of the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way [of belief] even to death, binding and putting into prisons both men and women,

But Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any who were of this way of belief, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shone around a him a light from heaven; read more.
and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he answered, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

I indeed thought with myself that I ought to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

For ye have heard of my conduct formerly in Judaism; that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and was destroying it, and made progress in Judaism beyond many of the same age with me in my nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, blameless.

Then there were brought to him children, that be might lay his hands on them, and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.

And they brought children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked those that brought them.

And they brought to him infants also, that he might touch them; and the disciples, on seeing it, rebuked them.

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

And when Peter went up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, Thou didst go in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.

And they on hearing it glorified God; and said to him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealots for the Law. But they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children, nor to walk after the customs. What then is to be done? The multitude will necessarily come together; for they will hear that thou hast come. read more.
Do this therefore that we advise thee. We have four men who have a vow on them. These take, and purify thyself with them, and pay the expenses for them, that they may shave their heads; and all will know that those things of which they have been informed concerning thee are nothing, but that thou thyself also walkest in observance of the Law. But concerning the gentile believers, we have written to them and decided that they should observe no such thing, save only to abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from what hath been strangled, and from fornication.

And there came down certain men from Judaea, and taught the brethren, Unless ye are circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved. But when Paul and Barnabas had had no small dissension and debate with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain others of them, should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. They therefore, having been sent forward by the church, passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. read more.
And having come to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, and by the apostles and elders, and they related what great things God had wrought with them. But there rose up certain believers of the sect of the Pharisees, saying, It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and the elders came together to consider this matter. And after much debate, Peter rose up and said to them, Brethren, ye know that a long time ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the gentiles should hear the word of the glad tidings, and believe. And God, who knoweth the heart, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, as he gave it to us; and made no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do ye provoke the anger of God, by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Whereas we have heard, that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, to whom we gave no command;

But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised; and that because of the false brethren stealthily brought in, who crept in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring into bondage; to whom not even for an hour did we yield by the required subjection, that the truth of the gospel might still remain with you.

What then is the advantage of the Jew? or what the benefit of circumcision? Great, every way. In the first place, because they were entrusted with the oracles of God. For what? If some were unfaithful, shall their unfaithfulness make God unfaithful? read more.
Far be it! yea, let God be true, and every man a liar; as it is written, "That thou mayst be justified in thy words, and mayst overcome when thou art arraigned." But if our unrighteousness serve to display the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicteth punishment? (I am speaking as men do.) Far be it! For then how shall God judge the world? For if, through my being false, the truth of God hath been more abundantly manifested to his glory, why am I still judged as a sinner? And why do you not say, as some slanderously charge us with saying, Let us do evil, that good may come? The condemnation of such men is just. What then? Are we better than others? By no means! For we have already brought a charge both against Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin. As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that hath understanding, there is none that diligently seeketh God; they have all turned aside from the right way, they have become worthless together; there is none that doeth good, not even one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have practised deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Swift are their feet to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they know not. There is no fear of God before their eyes." Now we know that whatever the Law saith, it saith to those who are under the Law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become subject to condemnation before God. Because by works of the Law no flesh shall be accepted as righteous: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin. But now, apart from the Law, the righteousness which is of God, to which the Law and the Prophets bear testimony, even the righteousness which is of God through faith in Jesus Christ, hath been made manifest to all and for all believers. For there is no distinction. For all have sinned, and fail of obtaining the glory which cometh from God;

What advantage then shall we say that Abraham our father had as to the flesh? For if Abraham was accepted as righteous through works, he hath ground of boasting. But he hath no ground of boasting before God. For what saith the scripture? "Abraham had faith in God, and it was accounted unto him as righteousness." read more.
Now to him that performeth works, the reward is not accounted a matter of grace, but of debt; but to him who without performing works hath faith in him who accepteth as righteous one that hath been ungodly, his faith is accounted as righteousness; as David also speaketh of the blessedness of the man whom God accepteth as righteous without works: "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord shall not charge with sin." Doth this blessedness belong to the circumcised alone, or to the uncircumcised also? For we are saying that Abrahams faith was accounted as righteousness. How then was it so accounted? After his circumcision, or while he was uncircumcised? Not after he was circumcised, but while he was uncircumcised. And he received the outward sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all the uncircumcised who have faith, so that righteousness might be put to their account also; and that he might be the father of the circumcised, who are not circumcised merely, but who tread in the steps of that faith which our father Abraham had while yet uncircumcised. For not through the Law was the promise made to Abraham or his offspring that he should be the heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they that are of the Law are heirs, then faith becometh a vain thing, and the promise is made of no effect. For the Law is the cause of wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore the inheritance was made to depend on faith, that it might be a matter of grace; that the promise might be sure to all the offspring, not to that only which is under the Law, but to that also which hath the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

And that it was so accounted was not written for his sake alone, but for our sakes also, to whom it will be so accounted through our faith in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up on account of our trespasses, and raised from the dead that we might be accepted as righteous.

John said to him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name who followeth not us; and we forbade him, because he did not follow us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not. For no one, who shall do a miracle in my name, can readily speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us.

And John answering said, Master, we saw one casting out demons in thy name, and we forbade him, because he doth not follow in our company. But Jesus said to him, Forbid him not; for he that is not against you is for you.

And the Pharisee who had invited him, when he saw this, said within himself, This man, if he were a prophet, would know who, and what sort of woman, this is that toucheth him; for she is a sinner.

And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and said to him, Zacchaeas, 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, He hath gone in to be the guest of a sinner.

crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man that teacheth every one everywhere against the people, and the Law, and this place; and besides he even brought Greeks into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. For they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus, the Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.

And they listened to him as far as this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth! for it was not fit that he should live.

They reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God hath spoken to Moses; but as for this man, we know not whence he is.

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

For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say, He hath a demon. The Son of man came eating and drinking; and they say, Behold, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified by her works.

And the Pharisee, seeing it, wondered that he did not bathe before dinner. But the Lord said to him, Now ye Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inside is full of rapacity and wickedness.

who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophets, and drove us out, and please not God, and set themselves against all men, hindering us from speaking to the gentiles that they may be saved,to fill up their sins always! But the wrath is come upon them to the end.

And it came to pass, when the time was near for his being received up, that he himself steadily set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers before him; and they went and entered a city of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as if he were going to Jerusalem. read more.
And the disciples James and John, on seeing it, said, Lord, wilt thou have us bid fire come down from heaven, and consume them? But he turned and rebuked them. And they went to another village.

And he sent messengers before him; and they went and entered a city of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as if he were going to Jerusalem.

The Samaritan woman saith to him, How is it that thou, who art a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

And upon this his disciples came, and marveled that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, What dost thou seek? or, Why dost thou talk with her?

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness which is of God, and endeavoring to establish a righteousness of their own, they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness which is of God.

On this account the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath, but also said that God was his own Father, making himself equal with God.

And all in the synagogue, when they heard this, were filled with wrath.