Posted on 03/05/2021 7:58:53 AM PST by SeekAndFind
As a child attending a private evangelical elementary school and a non-denominational “Bible” church, I memorized hundreds of Bible verses. I was trained to view every issue – science, literature, history, definitely politics – through a biblical worldview.
I do not ever recall being told to memorize any Bible verses about immigrants. But with recent developments in immigration reform under the Biden administration, many more refugees will be arriving in America in the coming years. They will need the care and support from local churches. And we will need to teach our children what the Bible has to say about them.
Most Christians can produce some generic biblical reasons to be compassionate, but many share the assessment of a prominent evangelical leader that immigration is “not a Bible issue.” I can understand why that would be: For most of my life, I had never heard a sermon about immigrants.
I was not alone. A LifeWay Research poll found that just one-fifth of self-described evangelicals recalled hearing a message about immigration at church. Just 12% said that their views on the arrival of immigrants were primarily informed by the Bible – a particularly underwhelming figure when you consider that “the Bible” is almost always the “right” answer for evangelical survey respondents, regardless of the question.
The Bible actually has a lot to say about immigration. Just in the Old Testament, there are 92 references to the Hebrew noun ger, which I found translated variously as alien, foreigner, stranger, sojourner or (the English translation that Tim Keller argues best fits the Hebrew term) immigrant. As evangelical scholars like Daniel Carroll explain, nearly every major character in the Bible was a migrant of some sort, from Abraham to Ruth to Daniel to Jesus himself.
“Hospitality,” in the Greek of the New Testament, does not mean having friends over for a fancy meal, but rather is philoxenia, literally the love of strangers. While today, we associate the term “stranger” with “danger,” the Bible actually suggested strangers could be angels (Hebrews 13:2).
Now, when I read the Bible, it’s hard not to see migration as what missiologist Sam George calls “a mega-theme of the Bible.”
We should make immigraiton a topic of biblical teachings because, frankly, white evangelicals like me tend to have more negative views of immigrants than most Americans, when our commitment to the authority of Scripture should logically make us the most pro-immigrant religious demographic. The problem is not our commitment to Scripture – it’s that, on this particular topic, many evangelicals do not seem to know what the Scriptures say.
This is why the Evangelical Immigration Table launched a 40-day Scripture reading guide known as the “I Was a Stranger” Challenge, drawing its title from Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:35. Each Bible verse is also available as a shareable graphic. We’re asking evangelicals to post one passage daily for 40 consecutive days.
My evangelical childhood wasn’t perfect, but the evangelical subculture that formed me got a lot right, including that the Bible can be a lamp for our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105) – including illuminating how we welcome and advocate with our immigrant neighbors.
Matthew Soerens is the U.S. Director of Church Mobilization for World Relief and the coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate.
Those aren’t “refugees” - those are illegally trafficked aliens breaking our laws and being assisted by so called “Christian” churches to flood our country illegally especially the Catholic Church.
Ancient Israel welcomed strangers and sojourners, but they were punished if they broke the law, including the laws against idolatry and blasphemy, which required death penalties.
RE: Ancient Israel welcomed strangers and sojourners, but they were punished if they broke the law, including the laws against idolatry and blasphemy, which required death penalties.
So, how do we apply that in the USA, which does not have a state religion?
I think it very unwise to post verses out of context. It is very important how we as individuals treat illegal and legal aliens. The bible advocates for strong borders in addition to “strangers” conforming to the Israeli culture including circumcision. National policies are to protect citizens, which is the governments purpose.
There’s a world of difference between an immigrant who entered this country legally, and an illegal, usually criminal, invader.
Wonder what this idiot thinks of this verse:
Numbers 33:55
“But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.”
The Lord continuously criticized the Israelites for allowing “immigrants” into their nation that would spoil their culture.
I would like to point out that pretty much every example of “immigrants” in the New Testament were people moving form one part of the Roman Empire to another part. A apt analogy would be moving from New York to Florida, not a mass exodus from the Parthian empire.
Some were allowed to stay, but as servants and laborers.
Oh. Maybe the kitchen help IS Biblical?
None of my Sunday School Bible verse memorization had anything to do with teaching science, history or any other world view. It was 100% focused on learning and spreading the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. What kind of left wing watered down dead church did this guy attend?
Yet there was a wall around Jerusalem, God told the Jews to build it and it wasn’t to keep people in.
[[The Bible actually has a lot to say about immigration. ]]
Does it have a lot to say about ILLEGAL INVADERS who come here breaking our laws,, killing our citizens, bringing I. Drugs, raping our citizens, in order to live off of welfare illegally, taking money out of the system for LEGAL immigrants and citizens?
Illegal invaders cost our country nearly a trillion dollars a year when ALL the costs they rack up are estimated.
Crime is very high among a sizeable portion those who come here illegally, many criminals committing 100 or more crimes apiece
Those churches who harbor the criminal elements amoung the masses who illegally come here,, are harboring rapists, murderers, thrives, identity thrives etc. how can they justify giving sanctuary to child rapists, murderers etc who commit their crimes the run to the church for sanctuary? The Bible said nothing g about giving safe haven to violent career criminals who abuse our systems and take advantage of people too blinded by misguided feelings towards hag they give them safe havens to avoid being captured and prosecuted.
How many violent criminals have avoided capture by hiding out in churches? This is NOT what the Bible talks about when it talks about sanctuary cities, not at all.
A Biblical Perspective on Immigration Policy
By James R. Edwards Jr. September 2009
http://cis.org/ImmigrationBible
Ancient Israel had clear laws, their cities were fortified, and, yes, many aliens were given permission to dwell within. They were expected to obey the laws of the country, like everyone else.
However, whenever droves of aliens forced themselves into Israel without permission, that was considered an act of war and met with force.
Chronicles 14:7 King James Version
Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
A. Abraham lived in tents and had flocks and herds. He did go to Egypt and paid his way by farming his wife out to Pharaoh.
B. Ruth wasn't migrating she was returning to her tribe because she chose to be a daughter of Naomi.
C. Daniel was a prisoner.
D. Jesus was in the Roman Empire his entire life.
RE: However, whenever droves of aliens forced themselves into Israel without permission, that was considered an act of war and met with force.
Can you cite an example in the Bible?
The Law of Moses was the national law at that time. Today's equivalent would be civil laws. U.S. law has a legal pathway to entry and citizenship. Those who violate those laws are subject to the punishments.
Having said this, it is the government's responsibility to enforce such laws. As Christians, it is our responsibility to treat them with Christian love. Hopefully, the illegals will return to their nation of origin as missionaries.
We welcome legal immigrants. As did Israel.
What rot.
As though Christians aren’t allowed to have borders for their nations.
The passages about being nice to aliens is in the law of Moses and has to do with life in the nation of Israel. It is intended to be effected by individuals, not the big grabby ham fist of the government or of churches.
A sound hermeneutic is the foundation of wise living.
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