What Does the Bible Say About Xenophobia?
In every era, human societies have wrestled with fear or hostility toward those who are different—whether in culture, language, ethnicity, or nationality. This fear is often described today as xenophobia. While the term itself is modern, the Bible addresses the attitudes and actions behind it in powerful and timeless ways.
From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture affirms that all people are created in God’s image and worthy of dignity and compassion. The Bible repeatedly calls God’s people to welcome the stranger, show hospitality, and reject prejudice. These teachings flow from God’s own nature, His covenant promises, and His redemptive plan that gathers people from every nation into one redeemed family in Christ.
1. How Does the Bible Define the Value of All People?
The Bible begins with a foundational truth: every person, regardless of ethnicity or background, is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27). This means human worth does not depend on nationality, language, or culture, but on God’s creative design.
This image-bearing status is the basis for the command to love one’s neighbor (Leviticus 19:18) and even the stranger (Leviticus 19:34). In God’s law, there was no allowance for devaluing a person simply because they came from another land. Instead, Israel was reminded that they themselves were once foreigners in Egypt, and therefore they were to treat outsiders with fairness and kindness.
2. What Is the Biblical Opposite of Xenophobia?
Interestingly, the Greek word for hospitality—philoxenia—is literally the opposite of xenophobia. While xenophobia means “fear of the foreigner,” philoxenia means “love of the foreigner” or “treating the stranger as a friend.”
The New Testament frequently commends philoxenia. Hebrews 13:2 urges believers to “show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” In this sense, hospitality is not just a social courtesy—it is a spiritual discipline that reflects God’s own welcome toward us in the Gospel.
Jesus demonstrated this hospitality in His ministry, crossing cultural and social boundaries to engage with Samaritans, Gentiles, tax collectors, and others considered “outsiders.”
3. How Does Jesus Address Xenophobia in His Teaching?
One of the clearest examples comes from Jesus’ parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25:35–40. Here, He identifies Himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the imprisoned—and notably, the stranger. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” He says, equating love for the outsider with love for Him.
This teaching cuts directly against the root of xenophobia. In the Bible, to ignore or reject the stranger is to ignore or reject Christ Himself. True discipleship is marked by a willingness to cross barriers for the sake of compassion.
4. What About Old Testament Passages That Seem Exclusive?
Some passages, like those in Nehemiah 13, describe the exclusion of certain groups from Israel’s community. However, these moments were not driven by xenophobia but by covenant faithfulness. They were tied to specific historical and religious contexts—particularly the need to guard Israel from idolatry and practices that violated God’s law.
Even within the Old Testament, foreigners who embraced Israel’s God and His covenant were welcomed (Ruth the Moabite and Uriah the Hittite are prime examples). The prophetic vision consistently points forward to a day when the nations would stream to Zion to worship the Lord together (Isaiah 2:2–4; Zechariah 8:20–23).
5. How Does the Gospel Confront Xenophobia?
The Gospel announces that in Christ, the dividing walls between peoples have been broken down (Ephesians 2:14–16). The Bible presents the church as a single new humanity, united in faith regardless of ethnic, social, or cultural differences.
In the cross, God reconciles not only individuals to Himself but also people to one another. Xenophobia, by its very nature, contradicts the Gospel because it fosters separation where Christ has brought unity.
The church’s mission is to embody this reconciliation—to be a visible sign of God’s kingdom, where love replaces fear and welcome replaces exclusion.
6. What Is the End-Times Vision Regarding All Nations?
The Bible’s final book gives a breathtaking vision of heaven in Revelation 7:9: “a great multitude… from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” This is the ultimate reversal of xenophobia. In the presence of God, diversity is not erased but celebrated in perfect unity under Christ’s lordship.
This vision shapes how we live now. If the redeemed community in eternity will include people from all cultures, then the church today should reflect that reality in its worship, fellowship, and mission.
7. Why Does God Command Hospitality Toward Strangers?
God’s commands to welcome the stranger are rooted in His own character. Throughout Scripture, He reveals Himself as a refuge for the outsider—the God who gathers the exiled, protects the vulnerable, and brings near those who were far off.
For Israel, hospitality was a covenant obligation. For the church, it is a Gospel witness. By loving the foreigner, Christians mirror the way God has loved them in Christ, bringing them into His household when they were strangers to His promises (Ephesians 2:19).
8. How Does the Bible Call Us to Practice Love Across Differences?
Practicing love across differences means more than avoiding hostility; it means actively seeking the good of others. In Romans 12:13, Paul exhorts believers to “contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” The Bible calls this kind of love a mark of genuine faith.
This is not optional. First John 4:20 warns that anyone who claims to love God but hates their brother is a liar. The command to love one another extends beyond our immediate circles to include those who may not share our language, customs, or culture.
9. What Are the Dangers of Ignoring the Bible’s Teaching on Xenophobia?
Ignoring the Bible’s call to love the stranger can lead to a distorted witness. A church marked by suspicion or exclusion undermines the very Gospel it proclaims.
Historically, when God’s people have embraced prejudice, it has led to division, injustice, and the hardening of hearts. In contrast, when believers have lived out biblical hospitality, they have often been at the forefront of healing and reconciliation.
10. How Can the Church Model Biblical Hospitality Today?
The church can model biblical hospitality by creating spaces where cultural and linguistic differences are embraced rather than avoided. This might include multilingual worship, intentional outreach to immigrant communities, and partnerships that serve refugees and the marginalized.
In doing so, the church not only opposes xenophobia but also bears witness to the coming kingdom of God—a kingdom where Christ reigns over a beautifully diverse people united by His grace.
Bible Verses About Xenophobia and Loving the Stranger
Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in his own image…”
Leviticus 19:34 – “The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you…”
Deuteronomy 10:19 – “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
Matthew 25:35 – “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Luke 10:33–34 – “But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.”
Romans 12:13 – “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
Ephesians 2:14 – “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one…”
Hebrews 13:2 – “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…”
James 2:1 – “Show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ…”
Revelation 7:9 – “…a great multitude… from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages…”
