12 Bible Verses about Reasons Why The World Hates Christians
Most Relevant Verses
And you will be hated by everyone for being loyal to me. But the person who endures [this persecution by remaining faithful] to the end [of his life] is the one who will be saved [i.e., from spiritual and physical destruction].
"If the world hates you, then know that it has [already] hated me, [even] before it hated you.
You people who have become unfaithful to God, do you not know that being [intimate] friends with the world [of sin] means hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever determines to be an [intimate] friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
At that time people will turn you over [to the authorities] for persecution and will [even] kill you. And people from all countries will hate you for being loyal to me.
They are full of all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and maliciousness. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, hateful toward God, arrogant, proud and boastful. They think up evil things to do; they disobey their parents;
But they [i.e., the world] will do all these things to you for my name's sake [i.e., because you are my disciples], for they do not know Him [i.e., God], who sent me.
This all happened so the Scripture, written in their law [Psa. 35:19], would be fulfilled, 'They hated me for no reason.'
Now this is [how God's] judgment [works]: The Light [See 1:5-9] has come into the world, but people loved darkness [i.e., sin] rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil.
So then, have I [now] become your enemy because I have told you the truth [about your condition]?
For the message of [Christ dying on] the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing [i.e., in a lost state], but it is God's power to us who are being saved.
For God's name is being spoken against among the Gentiles because of your behavior, just as it is written. [See Isa. 52:5].
"Those persons who have suffered for trying to do what is right will be blessed because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. You will be blessed when people speak against you and harm you and say bad things about you that are untrue, because of [your devotion to] me. Be happy and very glad, for your reward in heaven will be great. For they persecuted the prophets [who lived] before you in the same way.