Just last week I heard one Christian argue that, in light of current events, we need to look for ways to support undocumented immigrants—because Scripture tells us to care for immigrants. Then, the next day, I saw another Christian post on Facebook saying that we need to support our government’s efforts to prosecute those who are here illegally because Scripture tells us to submit to our governmental laws and authorities. 

So which is it? 

Does Scripture really say both of these things? If so, how do we reconcile these two things? How is it that we are to think Christianly about this issue that is so fraught with conflict and about which so many Christians disagree? 

What Does the Bible Actually Say? 

When addressing any cultural or political issue, we must begin with Scripture—and Scripture has a lot to say about immigrants. 

The Old Testament centers around the people of Israel. The founder of this people group was Abraham, a man called by God to leave his home and go settle in a foreign land (Genesis 12:1). Then his grandson, Jacob, takes his whole family—twelve sons and their wives and children—to settle in Egypt because of a famine in their homeland (Genesis 47:27). This family grew into a great nation while dwelling as sojourners (immigrants) in Egypt. As they grew, Pharaoh felt threatened by their numbers and oppressed and enslaved them (Exodus 1:9–11). God saw their sufferings and delivered them their oppression and eventually established them as their own nation in their own land. 

But even as they went on to settle in and develop a homeland for themselves, God was adamant that they never forget their time as sojourners, and that they were to care for any foreigners who came to dwell in their land. In the law that God gave Israel, He instructed them not only to refrain from exploiting the foreigner (Exodus 22:21; 23:9), but also to regard them as citizens and love them as they would their own people (Leviticus 19:34; Deuteronomy 10:19). God even made special provision for immigrants in the Law. He instructed the Israelites not to harvest their fields completely, but to leave the produce on the edges of the field for the foreigners—those who do not have land of their own and cannot grow their own food—to glean (Leviticus 19:9–10 and 23:22). He included immigrants in rituals and festivals like the weekly Sabbath (Deuteronomy 5:12–15) and the annual Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29–30). And He went so far as to say that if an Israelite denies justice to a foreigner, he would be cursed (Deuteronomy 27:19). 

Then, as the biblical story progresses, we see that several non-Israelites who settled with the Jewish people actually played a vital role in God’s plan of redemption through Christ. In fact, we see foreigners like Rahab the Canaanite and Ruth the Moabite listed in Jesus’s genealogy (Matthew 1:5), showing how these immigrant women were essential to God’s plan to send Jesus to earth. 

Within the New Testament we see this theme of sojourners again. The Apostle Peter refers to all Christians as “strangers and exiles” here on earth, because our true citizenship is God’s kingdom in heaven (Philippians 3:20). And all throughout, we see that part of Christ’s mission was to bring the Gentiles—non-Israelites who were once considered foreigners and outsiders—into the people of God (Ephesians 2:19–20).  

Finally, in Revelation, John writes of his vision of the new Jerusalem that will be established on the new earth when Jesus returns. He tells us that the gates of this city will never close, for all the nations will have access to God’s holy city and the throne of Jesus (Revelation 21:24–26). 

What Does This Mean for Today?

What you read in the previous section is a biblical theology of the foreigner. Biblical theology typically looks at one aspect of Scripture—usually a prominent theme—and attempts to synthesize all that the Bible says about that one subject. Looking at a biblical theology of a particular theme is a great way to discover what the Bible says about something; but we still need to do some work to discover how we should apply what the Bible says for our lives today. 

We might be tempted to look at the passages regarding immigrants in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, see that God tells His people to care for the foreigners in their midst, and conclude that this means Christians have a duty to protect undocumented immigrants or advocate for open borders. But before we can jump straight to these conclusions, there are some important interpretative considerations we need to make. 

First, we need to consider exactly how we ought to apply the Old Testament laws to our lives today. For instance, in a passage just verses away from the instruction to care for the foreigner like they were a citizen (Leviticus 19:34), Leviticus also instructs the Israelites to refrain from wearing clothing of mixed fabrics. So along with caring for immigrants, are we also supposed to stop wearing cotton and polyester-blended shirts? 

Second, we need to consider the cultural and contextual differences between the Old Testament world and our world today. Governments, nations, and borders were very different in the ancient world of the Old Testament. Can we really apply the exact same principles of this world to our more technologically advanced and politically complex culture?  

Finally, we also need to weigh these passages against other passages in Scripture—like Romans 13:1, which tells us to submit to our governing authorities and laws. There are many examples and instances in Scripture when it is appropriate—even commended—to go against governing authority. Like when Paul continued to preach the gospel after being told to stop by Roman authorities. But Scripture also calls us to care for the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized as a means of enacting justice. Are we to submit to the government if it goes against these other biblical principles of  justice? 

Faithful Christians—leaders and lay people alike—will disagree on the answers to these questions. Therefore, faithful Christians will disagree on how exactly to apply these passages to our thoughts regarding immigration policy today. This shows us that interpreting Scripture for today’s issues is not always black and white. So where does this leave us? Is there any way forward? Is there anything we can glean from Scripture’s teaching on immigration? 

Absolutely. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 assures us that all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, correcting, and guiding us. We just need to be able to identify the difference between universal principles and matters of personal discernment—covering all our readings and applications of Scripture with prayer in trust that God Himself will guide us to truth. So what does this look like in regards to immigration? 

Thinking About Immigration from a Christian Perspective

Given the considerations above—the extent of application, contextual differences, and weighing Scripture against Scripture—we see applying the Bible’s teaching on immigration to how we vote or the way we feel about immigration policy can be nuanced. Thus, we should pray about, seek counsel for, and approach this topic with humility. But the Bible’s teachings on immigration do provide us with principles that can inform our heart posture and attitude toward immigrants. 

First, we are to treat all human beings with dignity, kindness, and respect because they are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). This especially applies to immigrants because they tend to be marginalized and the recipients of oppression. And as Christians, we are called to show concern and compassion to the marginalized. 

Second, we are to remember that our loyalty is first and foremost to the kingdom of God—a kingdom with no borders that welcomes all who choose to place their faith in Jesus for salvation. We can absolutely take pride in and care for the nations we live in, but they should never be placed above our concern for God’s kingdom. 

Third, in a similar vein, we ought to remember that we actually have more in common with an immigrant who is a Christian than a fellow citizen of our nation who is not. Faith in Jesus removes boundaries that divide us from one another and unites us all together through Him (Galatians 3:28). 

We can see from these principles that—contrary to the claims of the Christians I mentioned in the beginning of this blog—there is freedom in how we form our thoughts about immigration policies, how we choose to vote, and what actions regarding immigration we choose to take or not take. But as Christians, Scripture does direct us toward compassion, humility, and love for our neighbors—including our immigrant neighbors.  

Author Bio:

Beth White is a Staff Writer for The Daily Grace Co. She is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word. When she is not writing about the Bible, you can find her reading classics, drinking coffee with friends, or spending time with her family.

Additional Resources for Thinking Biblically:

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