Leviticus 19:33-34 commands,
“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
This passage emphasizes compassion and justice toward foreigners residing in Israel, reflecting God’s character and the Israelites’ own experience as aliens in Egypt.
However, biblical interpretation of this verse in the context of modern illegal immigration involves nuance. According to several sources, including Compelling Truth and The Paraclete’s Hammer, the biblical principle applies to law-abiding foreigners who willingly integrate into society, observe the law, and participate in the community—such as Ruth, who formally committed to the God and people of Israel (Ruth 1:16–17). The text implies that foreigners were expected to follow Israel’s laws, and those who broke them faced the same consequences as citizens.
The distinction between legal and illegal immigration is critical. While the Bible calls for love and justice toward strangers, it also upholds the authority of governing powers (Romans 13:1–7). Illegal immigration, defined as violating national laws, is seen by some Christian scholars as a sin because it involves disobedience to civil authority—unless that law forces a violation of a higher moral or divine command.
Thus, while loving the immigrant is a biblical mandate, it does not equate to endorsing illegal entry. The call is to treat lawful immigrants with dignity and fairness, support legal pathways, and uphold justice—balancing compassion with respect for law and order.
Acts 17:26 is the key passage where God is described as establishing the boundaries and appointed times for nations, which relates directly to the formation and governance of nations.
“And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling place” (Acts 17:26, NASB2020).
This verse indicates that God determined the boundaries of nations and set the times for their existence, showing His sovereign oversight over human history, geography, and political structures. While the passage does not detail how governments are established, it affirms that God ordains the framework within which nations operate—both in time and space.
Important context:
- The broader passage (Acts 17:22–31) is Paul’s speech in Athens, where he argues that God, as Creator, is sovereign over all nations and that He has designed human history so people might seek Him.
- This divine ordering of nations and borders is consistent with other biblical passages such as Deuteronomy 32:8, which speaks of God dividing the nations and setting their boundaries according to the number of the sons of God, and Numbers 34, where God personally specifies the boundaries for the tribes of Israel.
While Acts 17:26 does not explicitly mention “governments” as institutions, it establishes the divine authority behind the existence of nations—including their territorial limits and historical duration—implying that government is part of God’s ordained order for humanity.
