What does the Bible say on Moral Issues such as Racism and Prejudice?
Acts 10:34-35-NKJV
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
There seems to be people in the news today who look down on Immigrants and I want to start with addressing this prejudice!
There are Approximately 51.9 million immigrants. Percentage of Illegal Immigrants in US is 3.28%
James 2:9-NKJV- 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Anyone who was not a U.S. citizen at birth and moves to the United States, including someone born in Mexico, Africa or India… etc. - is considered an immigrant under U.S. definitions. The Bible focuses on the teachings and spiritual significance of Jesus and his apostles, not their skin color or where they come from. Our mission work targets many of these individuals and supports the hope that they become our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Let us look to God’s word for answers on these topics:
So Abram—later Abraham—left his homeland. In so doing, Abraham literally became an immigrant in order to follow God’s promise–a common theme for those throughout Scripture.
Moses fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian taskmaster. He, too, became an immigrant in order to escape persecution, crossing into the foreign land of Midian. There, he found refuge, as he was welcomed, able to marry into a local family, and eventually encounter God in a burning bush. If Midian had turned Moses away (or kicked him out), there would have been no Exodus, no liberation, no Israelite nation. The story would’ve died in the desert.
The entire people of Israel were formed as immigrants in Egypt—oppressed, displaced, and later liberated. Clearly, immigration isn’t a footnote in our tradition. It is the foundation. The God of Scripture forms community not in temples or palaces, but in movement, in wilderness, and in lands not their own. The Bible Is Crystal Clear on Immigrants
So it should come as no surprise that the call to care for the immigrants looms large throughout Scripture. In the Torah alone, (Genesis through Deuteronomy) there are more than 30 separate commands regarding immigrants. And they are not suggestions:
Leviticus 19:33-34-NKJV-33 ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 24:22-NIV- 22 You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.’”
Deuteronomy 10:18-19-NIV- 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.
This isn’t framed as charity. Its justice—equality under the law, compassion rooted in shared history, and a deep moral imperative grounded in God’s own values. And the stories of Scripture reinforce this again and again.
The book of Ruth isn’t just a sentimental tale about loyalty. It’s a radical immigration story. She was a Moabite, a foreigner from a people long in tension with Israel. Yet when she entered Israelite territory, she was not only welcomed but woven into the very lineage of King David and, ultimately, Jesus. She moved from immigrant widow to matriarch of faith.
Esther, was a foreigner in Persia. She hid her identity to survive in a hostile empire. But when the moment called, she stepped forward and risked her life to advocate for her people. Her immigrant status is central to the narrative. She didn’t save her people despite being an immigrant. She saved them because she knew what it is to live at the margins, under threat.
Matthew 2:13-16-NKJV
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
Herod’s massacre of infants, as described in Matthew 2:16, necessitated the Family’s flight to Egypt. This flight illustrates an essential aspect of Jesus’ immigrant identity: he and his family sought safety in a foreign land to escape persecution. Egypt, historically a place of refuge for displaced Israelites (Genesis 47:1-12), becomes a sanctuary for Jesus. However, the experience of fleeing from danger, living as foreigners, and depending on God’s guidance resonates deeply with the plight of refugees today. Jesus can be viewed as an immigrant based on biblical narratives.
Prejudice, Discrimination, Segregation, Racism, and Immigration have some in our society cry out against such offenses—as well it should! God is color blind.
Prejudice judges a man’s character by his outward appearance. Discrimination deprives a person of the right to have. Segregation deprives a person of the right to belong. Stereotyping deprives a person of the right to be.
Stereotypes Lead To Prejudice. Stereotyping is a lazy way of lumping together all of those who come from a certain class, or a certain occupation, or a certain race, and attributing to each individual the same characteristics of the group. Although something may generally be true of a group, it is not specifically true of each person in that group.
Such stereotypes as “Men are hotheads” “Blondes are all dizzy,” “Teenagers are all rebellious, “or “All women are temperamental” do not demonstrate our careful, calculated observations. Rather they show our laziness of judgment, and our blind acceptance of some generalization as being the rule. The Bible says that those who judge according to outward appearance are foolish—that we do not see people the way God sees them,
1 Samuel 16:7-NKJV
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Prejudice Is Ugly. It divides, isolates, and ostracizes people. Prejudice is the mark of an ignorant mind that perceives itself to be enlightened. Prejudice thinks it understands persons or actions before acquiring any actual first-hand knowledge, or before consulting with all the facts. Prejudice has its root in ignorance, and leads to further ignorance.
Prejudice Is Blind. After Jesus healed a man who was born blind, and witnessed that man’s faith, He pointedly identified the Pharisee’s prejudice.
Prejudice Is A Perception Problem. It is defined as preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience: (unfavorable judgment due to partiality.) Likewise, prejudice is never neutral. It reacts strongly either for or against someone or something without knowing the facts. Sometimes it is confused with conviction, but there is nothing that noble about prejudice. What is Racism?
Racism is characterized by or showing prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized:
Being Prejudice and being Racist Is Not New. It was a problem in Biblical times
John 1:46-NKJV
46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
John 4:9-NKJV
9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
John 8:48-NKJV
48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
Racism Uses Crude Descriptions of People. They are offensive and demeaning. Such ugly slurs should never cross the lips of men and women who are bought by the blood of Christ,
Ephesians 4:29-NKJV
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Racism Is A Small Minded Man’s Way Of Elevating Oneself.
Philippians 2:3-4-NKJV-3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Racism Is Arrogant And Foolhardy. One race cannot be better than another because all of us have sprung from the same ancestors. We are all of one blood.
Acts 17:26-NKJV
26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
We are all one family since the flood: According to the Bible, all humanity is believed to descend from Noah and his family, which suggests a common origin for all people.
2 Peter 2:5-NKJV
5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
The Bible explains that everyone on earth came from Shem, Ham, and Japheth so we can deduce that Noah did not have any other children after the flood. However, it was not long before he had plenty of grandchildren.
Genesis 10:32-NKJV
32 These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.
The children of Shem, Ham, and Japheth undoubtedly intermarried. That is, first cousins married each other, which was not a problem at that time—close relatives were the only options, and the law against close intermarriage was not given until Moses’ day several hundred years later.
Racism Is A Sin Of Pride. One considers himself to be better than someone else because of nothing more than a genetic combination of chromosomes.
Galatians 6:3-NKJV- 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Acts 10:28-NKJV- 28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Prejudice will blind us to the truth at best, and cause us to believe a lie at worst.
1 Timothy 5:21-NKJV
21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.
Race nor nationality makes no difference to God—He shows no favoritism to any race that assumes it is superior to another.
Galatians 3:28-NKJV
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
John 3:16-17-English Standard Version
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
