The Bible consistently commands care for immigrants across both testaments. Old Testament passages like Exodus 22:21 and Leviticus 19:33–34 prohibit mistreating foreigners and instruct Israelites to love them as themselves, grounded in Israel’s experience as immigrants in Egypt. Jesus reinforced this in Matthew 25:31-46, equating caring for strangers with caring for him directly. The early church practiced *philoxenia*, active hospitality toward foreigners, as seen in Acts 28 and urged in Hebrews 13:1-3. These scriptural foundations reveal deeper theological principles about compassion and justice.
Key Takeaways
- The Old Testament commands Israelites to love and protect foreigners, rooted in their own history as immigrants in Egypt.
- God defends foreigners and commands equal justice, economic provisions, and compassionate treatment for immigrants throughout Scripture.
- Jesus taught that welcoming strangers is equivalent to welcoming him, making it a central Christian obligation.
- The early church practiced active hospitality toward foreigners, viewing care for strangers as essential to faithful Christian living.
- Biblical teachings consistently emphasize communal responsibility, compassion, and justice toward immigrants across both testaments.
God’s Commands to Care for Foreigners in the Old Testament
The Old Covenant presents a consistent legal and moral framework requiring the protection and fair treatment of foreigners living among the Israelites. Exodus 22:21 and 23:9 explicitly command Israel not to mistreat or oppress the foreigner, grounding this obligation in their own history as immigrants in Egypt.
Leviticus 19:33–34 takes this further, instructing the people to treat foreigners “as the native-born” and to “love them as yourself.” This same-law principle appears throughout the legal codes, ensuring equal justice in court proceedings and equal access to protections such as cities of refuge.
Economic provisions included gleaning rights in fields and vineyards, and every third year a portion of tithes supported foreigners alongside widows and orphans. Deuteronomy 10:18–19 frames these commands theologically, presenting God himself as the defender of foreigners. YHWH’s own love for immigrants serves as the model for Israel’s treatment of foreigners. This theological foundation reflects biblical stewardship and reverence for both people and the land they inhabit. The Old Testament’s emphasis on communal responsibility also connects to broader Christian teachings on care for the poor and neighborly love.
Jesus and the Early Church’s Example Toward Strangers
Jesus’s teachings on welcoming strangers formed a central component of his moral instruction, with particular emphasis in Matthew 25:31-46, where he described the final judgment of nations based on their treatment of vulnerable populations. In this passage, Jesus equated treatment of strangers with treatment of himself, stating “I was a stranger and you invited me in” and establishing that meeting basic needs—food, shelter, healthcare—constituted required Christian action.
Jesus’s early life included forced displacement when his family fled to Egypt as refugees. His public ministry left him without permanent housing, as Luke 9:58 records. Daily Bible reading remains a foundational practice that helps believers understand and apply these teachings.
The early church continued this emphasis. Hebrews 13:1-3 instructed believers to support strangers faithfully, while Acts 28 documented Paul receiving “unusual kindness” from islanders upon arrival as a stranger. Paul used the Greek term philoxenia, meaning “love of the stranger,” to describe the active hospitality Christians should pursue toward foreigners. Middle Eastern culture traditionally valued hospitality, as exemplified by Abraham’s welcome of visitors in Genesis 18:18.
