Kerby Anderson

Bible passages are being used to criticize our immigration policies. It began last month when the Pope cited Matthew 25:35 to decry the U.S. deportation policy. House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked to respond to the Pope and reminded reporters that “borders and walls are biblical.”

He also promised to write more about the subject on X. There he talked about the role of civil government to “faithfully uphold and enforce the law so that order can be maintained in this fallen world’” and cited Romans 13 and 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

Later in the month, a retired pastor posted Leviticus 19:34 that admonished the nation to “treat the sojourners” with love because you “were strangers in the land of Egypt.” That post drew more than 1 million views and lots of reaction.

Most of the reaction centered on the fact that any immigrant into the Jewish theocracy was to assimilate to the religion and laws. A few cited Numbers 15 to illustrate that any sojourner was to adhere to the Jewish laws, which were far stricter regulations than we have in this country.

These recent disputes illustrate three flaws. First, using one verse to develop a biblical view on immigration and deportation is doomed from the beginning. We need to do the necessary work of pulling together several verses to develop a theology on any contemporary issue.

Second, taking the teaching of Jesus about the kingdom and the responsibility of individual believers may not necessarily apply to government policy. Third, using an Old Testament verse given to the nation of Israel doesn’t have a one-to-one application to the New Testament church age of today.

We need to work harder if we are to develop a biblical view on borders, deportation, and immigration.