This bible study will cover the issue of how Christians have the tendency to judge Atheists and Agnostics, condemning them before they have even had an opportunity to hear the word of God. Through the bible, God teaches us to have love and compassion for those who don’t know the Lord and are perishing.
In the book of Jonah, we find a Jewish prophet being instructed by God to go to the city of Nineveh (which was in Assyria) to preach against them due to their wickedness. Jonah did not want to obey the Lord and he ran away.
Jonah 1:1-3 – The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
Why did Jonah disobey the commandment of the Lord? We find the answer in
Jonah 4:1-4 – But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
God relented from punishing the people of Nineveh when they repented. Jonah’s anger was misdirected towards the people of Nineveh who were doing wrong. What he should have been angry at was the fact that they were being deceived and therefore did not know right from wrong. They were not even given the chance to know the truth to see whether they would obey it or not.
Christians today commit the same offense when we judge Atheists and Agnostics.
Atheist definition: a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God.
Agnostic definition: a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God. A person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God.
Many Atheists and Agnostics do not know enough about God’s truth to make an informed decision of how they should live their lives. They have been taught a wrong interpretation of the word of God. Or they have been forced to follow a false presentation of Jesus’ teachings and God’s words since childhood by parents and institutions.
Some of these people, if they understood the true way, would follow God with great faith and steadfast love. Therefore, instead of judging and condemning unbelievers, we should have mercy and compassion for them. This does not mean that we should act or feel superior to them. We were once lost too and we did not know it. So then, we should have compassion for unbelievers by gently teaching them the truth with patience and understanding in a non-judgmental fashion.
The Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 – What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.
Other translations:
1 Corinthians 5:12-13 (NLT) – It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
1 Corinthians 5:12-13 (NASB) – For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.
As Christians, we must understand that those outside of the church do not know the teachings of Jesus. They do not understand them nor do they realize how important they are. Instead of judging and condemning those who are outside of the church, we must feel compassion for them. They do not know right from wrong, as per God. They think they are moral people but they are not.
You cannot judge someone who is not aware of the standards to which they are being judged. Just like an athlete cannot be judged unless he knows the rules to play by.
If we are to be angry over anything, it should be over the fact that they do not know right from wrong. They have been deceived by the evil one and kept ignorant of the truth. They have not been given the opportunity to fully understand the truth and make an informed decision about whether to accept it or not and whether to live by it or not.
Matthew 13:4 – And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
Matthew 13:19 – When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
Mark 4:15 – And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
Mark 4:4 – And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
Luke 8:5 – A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
Luke 8:12 – The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
Instead, they have an unclear view of God. God’s ways have been distorted and prohibited by the devil and his demons (unclean spirits) through the ways of the world. The devil has made the ways of the world to seem moral and ethical. Even more reasonable and understandable than the Bible.
Mark 4:11 – He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables.
1 Corinthians 2:14 – A person who isn’t spiritual doesn’t accept the teachings of God’s Spirit. He thinks they’re nonsense. He can’t understand them because a person must be spiritual to evaluate them.
1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
John 14:17 – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
1 Corinthians 1:21-23 – For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.
Satan deceives people into believing that they do not need Jesus to be moral and that their worldly morals are worthy and produce righteousness. But their worldly morals are not as per the Kingdom of Heaven and fall short of God’s perfect standards.
The people outside of the church (the world) do not understand the teachings of Jesus or it’s importance to them.
John 18:36 – Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
The world’s ways are very different from Jesus’ ways. To a person who is well acquainted with the world’s ways, Jesus’ teachings make no sense to them. We must feel outraged that the devil has been successfully deceiving millions of people; keeping them in the dark, distorting right from wrong. Furthermore, we must have compassion and a steadfast love to speak the truth to unbelievers.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jonah however, did not feel this way about Gentiles (or people outside the church).
Jonah 3:3-10 – Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah 4:1-5 – But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.
Jonah was not of the right spirit. He was not in line with God’s will. We must make sure that we are not out of line with God. We are not of God’s spirit when we condemn and judge the world (meaning the people who live according to the world’s philosophies and ways).
Christians must not think of the people of the world in a judgmental fashion, looking down upon them. Instead, we should have sympathy for them and if anything, we should be angry at the fact that they are being deceived by Satan’s philosophies and teachings which will be the cause of their eternal punishment.
Through our patience, love, generosity and the realization that we mean them no harm, Atheists and Agnostics may change their minds and come to the light, the truth. They may repent and be saved through accepting the philosophies and teachings of Jesus instead of the world.
Wishing to see their destruction, condemnation, judgment and punishment is to be like Jonah. This is out of line with God’s will. Jesus explains this to the disciples in
Luke 9:51-56 – 51 When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; 52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” And they went on to another village.
When we judge Atheists and condemn them, we are not operating through the Holy Spirit. We are operating through our own unrepentant spirit.
Ezekiel 13:3 – This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
Jesus rebuked the disciples for wanting to see the demise of the unbelievers which in this case, were the Samaritans.
John 4:9 – The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans).
It is the same today. Some believers want nothing to do with unbelievers. They judge them, condemn them and their only consolation is the thought of one day, seeing their demise. Just like Jonah did, after he aired his issues with God. He couldn’t deny God’s compassion and forgiving nature but he despised God for these qualities. He then waits to see if God will destroy them.
This kind of attitude is not according to the Holy Spirit. It is an attitude of hate and not love.
We must have compassion for the people of the world who do not know God’s definitions and standards of right and wrong. We should not take on an attitude of glee that they will be destroyed. This type of attitude is not from the Holy Spirit. It is contrary to God’s desires and will. God wishes to save the world so that none shall perish. So we must not take a view that is contrary to this. Condemning or even judging the people of the world should not be done.
Ezekiel 18:32 – For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
Ezekiel 18:23 – Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Ezekiel 33:11 – Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
1 Timothy 2:4 – who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
The Apostle Paul says that our responsibility is to judge those who are within the church, not outside the church. Those within the church have heard the word of God. They have understood it and rejected it through compromise and manipulation. Those within the church have been given the knowledge to know better. So they are to be judged and discerned regarding whether they portray Jesus’ teachings accurately and correctly. Except, within the church we usually do the exact opposite. We judge those outside (meaning unbelievers, Agnostics & Atheists) and turn a blind eye to those inside the church.
In the bible, there is an account of Jesus visiting the Temple of God. There he sees a most disgusting thing. The outer courts, reserved for Gentile worship, were being used as a place of business and money lending. Jesus takes the right approach and places his anger towards the Jewish money lenders (those within the church) and not those outside of the faith (Gentiles).
Luke 19:45-46 – When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers’.
Mark 11:15-17 – On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’
The Jewish money lenders had no respect for the Gentile portion of the Temple. There were Gentiles who were trying to worship, learn, follow and obey the Jewish traditions of the God of Israel. These Gentiles however, were being disrespected and not taken seriously. In today’s society, Gentiles would be Atheists and Agnostics.
In turn, the Gentiles were being deceived and learning false teachings about God’s ways, name and characteristics. This is the righteous anger that Jesus exhibited. He was angry that the Jewish people were not helping the Gentiles to grow in their faith and understanding of God. The Gentiles needed the Jewish people’s help to understand God. The Jewish people were disregarding the Gentiles and disrespecting their place of worship in the Temple of God. We do the same when we judge and condemn the Atheist and Agnostic. They were not presenting God as holy.
An Ethiopian eunuch needed help from a Jew like Philp in order to understand the ways of God. This resulted in the Ethiopian eunuch being baptized!
Acts 8:26-31 – Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Unbelievers in our time also, cannot understand the importance of Jesus and his teachings without our help and assistance. This is our responsibility. If you truly have the Holy Spirit, He will lead you to have compassion for unbelievers like how the Holy Spirit led Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch.
Acts 8:32-40 – Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who will describe his generation? For his life is taken from the earth.
34 The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?” 35 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.
36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
Jesus already understood that the Gentiles who were coming to worship God at the Temple were facing many stumbling blocks from the world. He did not, however, expect further stumbling blocks to be placed in front of them by God’s own people, in the form of money lending in their area of the Temple.
Jesus explains this concept in
Luke 17:1-2 – Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
Matthew 18:6-7 – “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
In these scriptures, Jesus is explaining that he understands and expects the world and its ways to be filled with compromise, exceptions and contradictions to God’s word. But he warns those who bring the world’s twisted beliefs into the church.
This warning is for those who transform worldly teachings, philosophies and concepts into church-like teachings. This is achieved by compromising and twisting the word of God to support and justify unholy beliefs. Just like the Jews justified greed in the case of money lending in the Temple of God.
Many pastors indirectly teach a gospel of greed. A pastor contradicts Jesus when he doesn’t preach that every follower/disciple of Jesus must give up all his possessions to be considered a disciple by Jesus. There is no other way.
Luke 14:33 – In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Other translations:
Luke 14:33 niv – In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Luke 14:33 nlt – So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
Luke 14:33 nasb – So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
Luke 14:33 cev – So then, you cannot be my disciple unless you give away everything you own.
Luke 14:33 christian standard bible – In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.
We can see the anger that Jesus has towards people who deceive others from learning right and wrong and keeping people in the dark. Jesus is angry out of compassion for those being misled from the truth. Just like the Jewish people were doing to the Gentiles in the Gentile’s Court at the Temple of God.
John 2:13-17 – When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Jesus was angry at the disrespect that the money lenders had toward the Gentiles’ worship and their understanding of God. In King Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the Temple, he includes Gentiles and foreigners. They were given a place in the Temple to worship the God of Israel.
1 King 8:41-43 – As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
2 Chronicles 6:32-33 – As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 33 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
The Gentiles and their area of worship in the Temple, should have been taken seriously by the Jewish people. They were being disrespectful in how they treated the area of the Temple reserved for Gentiles.
Matthew 21:12-14 – Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.”14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
The Jewish people should have demonstrated by example, the respect that one should have for God. Including the genuine repentance, love and faith a worshipper sincerely exhibits.
Instead, they dishonored the house of God by promoting greed in the Temple. They were deceiving Gentile worshippers to think it was acceptable to practice money-lending and business within the house of the Lord. Their ‘lax’ attitudes were misleading the Gentiles’ understanding of God. It angered Jesus to see that the Gentiles came to the right place for forgiveness and salvation, only to be misled (by the Jews) and turned away (unforgiven by God) due to still not knowing right from wrong.
Christians do the same today when we teach others compromised teachings of God. These compromises are learned through hearsay, meaning through a pastor instead of reading through the bible ourselves. Christians are prone to believing and teaching compromised biblical teachings when they do not take the time to read the word of God and discern it for themselves.
The Jewish people, through this Gentile court action, had become the people who brought the world’s ways of greed into the Temple. God fully expected that the world the Gentile lived in would have greed, but it should not be brought into the Temple.
People in the church do this too when they do not fully repent to the teachings of Jesus. They do not get rid of all their old ways and philosophies which are from the world’s concepts. They add in exceptions and compromise to Jesus’ teachings and then teach it to new believers in the church and to non-believers such as Atheists and Agnostics. Jesus gave a special “woe” to these people:
Luke 17:1-2 – Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
Jesus is saying it would be better if God forgot about this person’s very existence. But God doesn’t forget!
Matthew 18:6-7 – If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
There must not be any confusion between righteous anger and outbursts of anger. The only kind of anger that God allows is on behalf of those who are unsaved and being deceived. It is okay to be angry and frustrated about people not knowing right from wrong because they are being deceived. But we shouldn’t exhibit anger towards the people themselves. Their final demise due to being deceived should make us all angry and appalled with the evil one and his ministers. They are the Pastors who twist and compromise God’s word and Jesus’ teachings.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15 – And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
Our anger should not be directed towards the unbeliever themselves because they don’t know the truth about God and His word. It should be directed towards the ministers of the Gospel who are deceiving the masses. This would be judging those inside the church and not those outside (those not teaching as per Luke 14:33).
Any other form of anger is considered an outburst of anger and this is a sin according to the bible.
Psalm 37:8 – Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.
Proverbs 14:29 – Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
Proverbs 29:22 – An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.
Proverbs 22:24 – Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered,
Ecclesiastes 7:9 – Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
Proverbs 29:11 – Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.
2 Corinthians 12:20 – For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
Ephesians 4:31-32 – Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.
Colossians 3:8 – But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
James 1:19-20 – My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Galatians 5:19-21 – The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Timothy 2:8 – Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
Romans 12:19 – Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
A righteous anger is different. Ezekiel exhibits righteous anger when he is given a message to speak to the Jewish people in exile. Another example of judging those within the church:
Ezekiel 3:14 – The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD on me.
Jesus once again displayed a righteous anger towards the unmerciful people inside the church who had no compassion for a man left without the use of his arm:
Mark 3:5 – He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.
We must remember that all of us were once deceived. Just like the rest of the world. So then, we must not hate unbelievers as we were all lost like them once and lived in their land.
Deuteronomy 23:7 – Do not despise an Edomite, for the Edomites are related to you. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country.
The Egyptian in this scripture represents the house of bondage and slavery meaning the world; its ways and philosophies. We all lived here once as the scriptures state.
Romans 3:10 – As it is written:“There is no one righteous, not even one;
1 John 1:8 – If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Ecclesiastes 7:20 – Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
1 Kings 8:46 – When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near
2 Chronicles 6:36 – When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near;
We must remember that we once resided in the land of the Egyptians-disconnected from God because of our sin and so we must not despise people who are Agnostic or Atheist.
Leviticus 19:34 – The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 10:19 – And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.
Exodus 23:9 – Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.
Exodus 22:21 – Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
At one time, we were just like the people abiding by the world’s ways, philosophies and standards. We must not despise, detest, abhor, hate, abominate or consider as disgusting, the Atheist in any way shape or form. We must love one another.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
