Common Misuses of the Bible in Modern Politics


1. “The Bible Supports Unrestricted Equality for Immigrants”

It is true that God commanded Israel to treat “the sojourner” with kindness, fairness, and protection from oppression (Ex. 22:21; Lev. 19:33–34). Nevertheless, the Law gave clear priority to Israelite citizens in a bunch of areas including interest, debt release, Jubilee, land inheritance, and leadership. Some hostile groups were even restricted from entering the assembly (Deut. 23:3–6). Analogously, in the New Testament, God builds order into how we love people. We’re told to “do good to all, especially those of the household of faith” (Gal 6:10). That doesn’t cancel kindness to outsiders—it just puts it in proper order. Same with the family: a man who fails to care for his own household is “worse than an infidel” (1 Tim 5:8). Love and compassion never erase God’s order of responsibility.


2. “The Bible Supports Zionism”

The Bible consistently defines God’s people by faith, not ethnicity or geography. From the Old Testament onward, believing Gentiles like Ruth and Caleb were welcomed into Israel (Ruth 1:16; Num 32:12). Israel’s own covenant blessings—including the land—were conditioned on obedience (Deut 28:63-68), and both Isaiah and Paul emphasize that only a faithful remnant truly belongs to God’s people (Isa 10:22, Rom 9:6). Jesus was clear—the Jews opposing Him were not the children of Abraham, but “children of the devil” (Jn 8:39,44); Nor did they have unqualified entitlement to Abraham’s promises of the Spirit or a strip of land in the Middle East. The bottom line is—all who belong to Christ are Abraham’s seed (Gal 3:29) and heirs of the entire “world” (Rom 4:13-16). 


3. “The Bible Supports Modern LGBTQ Policies.”

The Bible is unambiguous about God’s design for sexuality. Marriage is created by God as a union of one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4–6). Sexual relations are blessed within this covenantal union, and one of its central purposes is procreation (Gen. 1:28). Same-sex sexual behavior is consistently prohibited before, within, and after the Mosaic Law (Lev. 18:22-28; Rom. 1:26–27; 1 Cor. 6:9–11). The idea that 1 Corinthians 6:9 is only talking about pedophilia is just wishful thinking. The Greek term literally means “male-bedders,” a phrase pulled straight from the Greek of Leviticus 18, and it was understood in the ancient world as a broad reference to male–male sexual acts—not just abuse of minors. And whatever ambiguity someone tries to manufacture, Romans 1 shuts the door completely by condemning both male–male and female–female relations as “against nature,” not just exploitative relationships.


4. “The Bible Promotes Socialism.”

Acts 2:42–47 describes the early church voluntarily sharing their possessions. But this was within the church, not society at large. Plus, it was voluntary, not coerced by the state. When Ananias and Sapphira lied about their gift, Peter explicitly affirmed their right to private property: “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own?” (Acts 5:4). Christian generosity is commanded, but government-enforced collectivism is not. The Bible promotes radical charity, not political socialism.


5. “The Bible Promotes Nationalism.”

The New Testament calls believers to obey governing authorities insofar as obedience does not contradict obedience to God (Rom. 13:1–7; Acts 5:29). We should obey missionally, aiming “to live honorably among the Gentiles” so as to commend the gospel (1 Pet. 2:12–17). Christians are “sojourners and exiles” whose ultimate citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20; 1 Pet. 2:11); Sojourning in earthly kingdoms that are continually at enmity with God (Ps. 2:1) and destined to be destroyed (Dan. 2:44). Confusing these kingdoms with the Kingdom of God is a grievous error. Encouraging their leaders to legislate Christianity is an even more grievous error. Civil leaders are indeed called to personal conversion (Ps. 148:11), but their stewardship is to be exercised by example, not governmental coercion (Matt. 20:25–26; 1 Pet. 5:3). Liberty for all civilians—including non-Christians—in both their person and property is the foremost universal moral principle that civil law should protect.


6. “The Bible Supports Abortion.”

Some claim that Exodus 21:22–25 supports abortion because it supposedly requires compensation when a pregnant woman is accidentally struck and miscarries, but not life for the child’s life. However, most credible scholars and modern translations understand the passage to describe a premature birth, not a miscarriage. Plus, the passage assumes the child is a person whose harm—whether premature birth or death—must be compensated. God detests “hands that shed innocent blood” (Prov. 6:17). He treats unborn life not as a mere fetus, or clump of cells, but as a human life, created and known by Him (Ps. 139:13–16; Jer. 1:5).

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