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The Immigration Crisis: Immigrants, Aliens, and the Bible
An estimated twelve to fifteen million people now reside illegally in the United States, posing a major social and legal challenge to the nation. Americans are divided over the best course of action in dealing with these illegal immigrants, and Christians are using the Bible to stake out different positions. The Immigration Crisis addresses this complex issue through a comprehensive look at the Bible. By a careful study of relevant materials in the Old Testament, in combination with archaeological and sociological materials, the author forms a clear definition of an alien in Israelite society. This understanding is an important starting point in the current debate. The book concludes by suggesting how the Bible might assist Christians in thinking about the problem of legal and illegal immigrants, and in developing the implications of the biblical teaching for public policy.
176 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
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March 2, 2012
While he is very pro legal immigrant and refugee, Hoffmeier boils the entire nuanced issue of illegal immigration into a simplistic view of law. He chose one Scripture passage - Romans 13 - and made his whole case from there. Saying that he sees nothing unjust about current immigration law or procedures that would allow us to ethically go against them. Wow - he must not have read much or know any illegal immigrants. It was good for my research because it really gave me a clear view of that side of the argument, but I really wanted to just chuck it across the room.
March 4, 2026
Hoffmeier does his work, but I'm not sure if he accomplishes his goal or not (to take a comprehensive approach of reading the Bible to have a biblical worldview that evaluates contemporary legal and social issues). One of his main arguments is that the Hebrew terms for alien (ger) and foreigner (nekhar and zar) have distinct meanings. "The ger," he writes, "it is evident, was an immigrant who took up residence in a foreign land with the permission of a host. Nowhere in the Old Testament is there any sense that a nation had to accept immigrants, nor was being received as an alien a right" (156). He stands by the argument that a ger in the Bible corresponds to a legal alien today.
One simple observation that may dissolve his argument is: he's quick to call Jospeh and Mary aliens, but did they enter Egypt "legally"? It doesn't seem so (133).
I just don't know what to do with this. It seems flat and with little to no nuance. Perhaps I'll do my own word study or I am sure I will run into another OT scholar who proves this statement false.
I would love to see this book updated because I think many of his arguments hold weight, but they simply aren't as relevant for our current immigration crisis. He mentions how expatriation should not be heartless, but that is not true of the current administration (157). He sees nothing in scripture that would abrogate current immigration laws (back in 2009), but I wonder if he'd say the same in 2026. Here, I wonder if he's even read through immigration law comprehensively (146). Or whether he would call the US's inconsistent immigration law changes just. He argues that even Israel could confer resident alien status to foreigners should it be "mutually beneficial," but therein lies the problem (154). You don't have to read much of American history to see that immigration laws have grown stricter due certain political promises and looser when the US needs more economic benefit. Mutual benefit hasn't always been the goal for American immigration law.
I appreciate his obedience to the law and Scripture including his call to give aid to undocumented immigrants (151-152). He shines in this statement: "In my view, there is no need to drive a wedge between the New Testament's teaching about being compassionate to people and the state's responsibility to enforce its laws and provide for its citizens" (151). However, I think Hoffmeier at times leans toward enforcing the state's responsibility over and above being compassionate to people and is driven so by un-nuanced OT word study and perhaps ignorance to US immigration law and its application to Latin Americans.
I could be wrong. There's much much more to read on this topic.
One simple observation that may dissolve his argument is: he's quick to call Jospeh and Mary aliens, but did they enter Egypt "legally"? It doesn't seem so (133).
I just don't know what to do with this. It seems flat and with little to no nuance. Perhaps I'll do my own word study or I am sure I will run into another OT scholar who proves this statement false.
I would love to see this book updated because I think many of his arguments hold weight, but they simply aren't as relevant for our current immigration crisis. He mentions how expatriation should not be heartless, but that is not true of the current administration (157). He sees nothing in scripture that would abrogate current immigration laws (back in 2009), but I wonder if he'd say the same in 2026. Here, I wonder if he's even read through immigration law comprehensively (146). Or whether he would call the US's inconsistent immigration law changes just. He argues that even Israel could confer resident alien status to foreigners should it be "mutually beneficial," but therein lies the problem (154). You don't have to read much of American history to see that immigration laws have grown stricter due certain political promises and looser when the US needs more economic benefit. Mutual benefit hasn't always been the goal for American immigration law.
I appreciate his obedience to the law and Scripture including his call to give aid to undocumented immigrants (151-152). He shines in this statement: "In my view, there is no need to drive a wedge between the New Testament's teaching about being compassionate to people and the state's responsibility to enforce its laws and provide for its citizens" (151). However, I think Hoffmeier at times leans toward enforcing the state's responsibility over and above being compassionate to people and is driven so by un-nuanced OT word study and perhaps ignorance to US immigration law and its application to Latin Americans.
I could be wrong. There's much much more to read on this topic.
February 20, 2022
While Dr. Hoffmeier wrote his book in 2009 in response to ongoing debates about immigration into the U.S., my choice to read it was associated with more recent events, more specifically the refugee migrant crisis of 2015-2016. Some aspects of how Christian ethics were applied to discussions about it had troubled me then and still troubled me in 2021, when I stumbled across this book and was intrigued by the summary description of its exegetical approach.
At the outset, Dr. Hoffmeier outlines his approach to Old Testament ethics, application of biblical law to modern issues. Dr. Hoffmeier has identified four general approaches:
• Looking for literal correlations between biblical law and modern issues
• Take seriously the demand for justice found in Israel’s prophets
• Examine the legal material in the Torah to understand the theological or ethical principle behind the Law and use that doctrine to shape or critique federal, state and local laws
• Take a comprehensive view of the teachings of the Bible in theological, social and economic areas, thereby establishing a biblical worldview as a way of evaluating contemporary social and legal issues
Dr. Hoffmeier takes the fourth approach in this book. I am glad that he systematically outlines his methodology because I am as interested in how he drew his conclusions as I am in the conclusions themselves. This allows me to better evaluate the validity of those conclusions. Personally, I think way too many people base their evaluation of another’s views on whether they agree with them or not. As it turns out, I already agreed with much of what I would find in the book, but that agreement alone is an inadequate basis for evaluating the validity of the conclusions documented in the book, especially because they pertain to divine scripture. There are commands neither to add to nor take away from what is written and to handle accurately the word of truth and to fail to obey these commands is to disrespect the God who inspired them. So, for me, one of the ways I try to comply with them is to critically evaluate what I read in commentaries and other theological works such as this book.
Regarding the use of Old Testament law in Christian ethics, my gut feel is that most Christians don’t give it a lot of thought. They selectively apply some Old Testament commands and ignore others without considering the implications of their decisions. All too often, I have been guilty of this although the approach I tend to take is closer to the third one. That said, I can see value in complementing that approach with elements of the one Dr. Hoffmeier takes.
In addition to a systematic ethical approach, Dr. Hoffmeier applies exegetical principles and explores the use of the Hebrew language in passages applicable to sojourners and foreigners. Because our English translations often muddle the word choices made by the biblical writers, those who cannot read the Old Testament in its original Hebrew may miss some nuances that can be important to ethical application.
With his background as a former missionary kid and a Christian archaeologist, Dr. Hoffmeier has spent significant portions of his life as a resident alien in various countries. So, this gives him some experience in dealing with modern immigration law and policy, another asset for delving into this topic.
Now that I have discussed Dr. Hoffmeier’s background and methodology, I will discuss some of the points he makes in his book:
• In the ancient world, as today, nations had borders and controlled entry and exit. For example, Jacob and the patriarchs had to request permission from Pharoah to settle in Egypt. This status quo was taken for granted by the Old Testament.
• There are two Hebrew words key to understand Old Testament law pertaining to foreigners. One word, ger, refers to aliens who have taken up permanent residence. The other word, nekhar, refers to non-resident aliens, such as visitors. Because gerim, resident aliens, had to secure permission to take up residence, Dr. Hoffmeier views legal aliens such as green card holders as a modern equivalent of gerim. In like manner, he views migrants as modern versions of nekharim, non-resident aliens. Because illegal aliens enter without permission or exceed the bounds of their permission, he views them as nekharim, as well. These differences are important for ethical application because different rights and responsibilities are specified for gerim and nekharim in the Old Testament.
• As guests of host nations, Gerim and nekharim did not have the right to invite other foreigners to join them. That right was reserved for citizens. The only exception appeared to be when they secured a wife from the home country (e.g. Rebecca, Isaac’s wife.). Consider that Pharoah, not Joseph, invited Joseph’s family into Egypt. If you are pro-immigrant, you might take umbrage at this, consider how you would react if someone you invited to dinner or a party decided to bring all his friends along. One particular scene from the 80’s movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun comes to mind.
• There is a modern practice of churches offering sanctuary to illegal aliens facing deportation. Dr. Hoffmeier considers this to be an unbiblical use of the concept of sanctuary. In the Torah, the Israelites were commanded to set up sanctuary cities. Murder was a capital crime to be meted out by the avenger of blood. However, those guilty of manslaughter, accidental homicide could flee to a sanctuary city where he would face trial. If convicted of murder, he was to be handed over to the avenger of blood; if not, he was to reside in the sanctuary city, safe from the avenger of blood. Sanctuary wasn’t about evading a lawful penalty, but about ensuring a fair trial and protection from an unwarranted punishment. It was not about preventing a lawful sentence from being carried out.
• Dr. Hoffmeier gives an interesting example of complying with immigration law. He and a foreign student had attended the same church. Because of a problem with his student visa, the student faced a choice, leaving the country and reapplying for entry, with the risk of being turned down, or illegally overstaying his visa. On the advice of the church, he followed the law, and the church lined up an attorney who specialized in immigration law to go to bat for him. I bring this up because it contrasts with something that made the news during the Trump administration. Some Christian refugees had failed to complete certain immigration paperwork within the specified time period and were being deported, to the chagrin of the church hosting them. While I applaud that church for hosting them, I also consider it derelict in that it didn’t see to the legal needs of these refugees, thereby exposing them to the risk of deportation back to a hostile home country.
These are just some of the points made by Dr. Hoffmeier. Whether you agree with his conclusions or reject them, please give them careful consideration. His conclusions and your views are not the standard by which you will be judged in the last day; God’s word is. Handle it accurately.
At the outset, Dr. Hoffmeier outlines his approach to Old Testament ethics, application of biblical law to modern issues. Dr. Hoffmeier has identified four general approaches:
• Looking for literal correlations between biblical law and modern issues
• Take seriously the demand for justice found in Israel’s prophets
• Examine the legal material in the Torah to understand the theological or ethical principle behind the Law and use that doctrine to shape or critique federal, state and local laws
• Take a comprehensive view of the teachings of the Bible in theological, social and economic areas, thereby establishing a biblical worldview as a way of evaluating contemporary social and legal issues
Dr. Hoffmeier takes the fourth approach in this book. I am glad that he systematically outlines his methodology because I am as interested in how he drew his conclusions as I am in the conclusions themselves. This allows me to better evaluate the validity of those conclusions. Personally, I think way too many people base their evaluation of another’s views on whether they agree with them or not. As it turns out, I already agreed with much of what I would find in the book, but that agreement alone is an inadequate basis for evaluating the validity of the conclusions documented in the book, especially because they pertain to divine scripture. There are commands neither to add to nor take away from what is written and to handle accurately the word of truth and to fail to obey these commands is to disrespect the God who inspired them. So, for me, one of the ways I try to comply with them is to critically evaluate what I read in commentaries and other theological works such as this book.
Regarding the use of Old Testament law in Christian ethics, my gut feel is that most Christians don’t give it a lot of thought. They selectively apply some Old Testament commands and ignore others without considering the implications of their decisions. All too often, I have been guilty of this although the approach I tend to take is closer to the third one. That said, I can see value in complementing that approach with elements of the one Dr. Hoffmeier takes.
In addition to a systematic ethical approach, Dr. Hoffmeier applies exegetical principles and explores the use of the Hebrew language in passages applicable to sojourners and foreigners. Because our English translations often muddle the word choices made by the biblical writers, those who cannot read the Old Testament in its original Hebrew may miss some nuances that can be important to ethical application.
With his background as a former missionary kid and a Christian archaeologist, Dr. Hoffmeier has spent significant portions of his life as a resident alien in various countries. So, this gives him some experience in dealing with modern immigration law and policy, another asset for delving into this topic.
Now that I have discussed Dr. Hoffmeier’s background and methodology, I will discuss some of the points he makes in his book:
• In the ancient world, as today, nations had borders and controlled entry and exit. For example, Jacob and the patriarchs had to request permission from Pharoah to settle in Egypt. This status quo was taken for granted by the Old Testament.
• There are two Hebrew words key to understand Old Testament law pertaining to foreigners. One word, ger, refers to aliens who have taken up permanent residence. The other word, nekhar, refers to non-resident aliens, such as visitors. Because gerim, resident aliens, had to secure permission to take up residence, Dr. Hoffmeier views legal aliens such as green card holders as a modern equivalent of gerim. In like manner, he views migrants as modern versions of nekharim, non-resident aliens. Because illegal aliens enter without permission or exceed the bounds of their permission, he views them as nekharim, as well. These differences are important for ethical application because different rights and responsibilities are specified for gerim and nekharim in the Old Testament.
• As guests of host nations, Gerim and nekharim did not have the right to invite other foreigners to join them. That right was reserved for citizens. The only exception appeared to be when they secured a wife from the home country (e.g. Rebecca, Isaac’s wife.). Consider that Pharoah, not Joseph, invited Joseph’s family into Egypt. If you are pro-immigrant, you might take umbrage at this, consider how you would react if someone you invited to dinner or a party decided to bring all his friends along. One particular scene from the 80’s movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun comes to mind.
• There is a modern practice of churches offering sanctuary to illegal aliens facing deportation. Dr. Hoffmeier considers this to be an unbiblical use of the concept of sanctuary. In the Torah, the Israelites were commanded to set up sanctuary cities. Murder was a capital crime to be meted out by the avenger of blood. However, those guilty of manslaughter, accidental homicide could flee to a sanctuary city where he would face trial. If convicted of murder, he was to be handed over to the avenger of blood; if not, he was to reside in the sanctuary city, safe from the avenger of blood. Sanctuary wasn’t about evading a lawful penalty, but about ensuring a fair trial and protection from an unwarranted punishment. It was not about preventing a lawful sentence from being carried out.
• Dr. Hoffmeier gives an interesting example of complying with immigration law. He and a foreign student had attended the same church. Because of a problem with his student visa, the student faced a choice, leaving the country and reapplying for entry, with the risk of being turned down, or illegally overstaying his visa. On the advice of the church, he followed the law, and the church lined up an attorney who specialized in immigration law to go to bat for him. I bring this up because it contrasts with something that made the news during the Trump administration. Some Christian refugees had failed to complete certain immigration paperwork within the specified time period and were being deported, to the chagrin of the church hosting them. While I applaud that church for hosting them, I also consider it derelict in that it didn’t see to the legal needs of these refugees, thereby exposing them to the risk of deportation back to a hostile home country.
These are just some of the points made by Dr. Hoffmeier. Whether you agree with his conclusions or reject them, please give them careful consideration. His conclusions and your views are not the standard by which you will be judged in the last day; God’s word is. Handle it accurately.
November 21, 2019
Great Overview
Biggest does a great job in putting together a biblical picture of how Christians should respond to immigration issues. It is increasingly important that we know what God has to say on the matter. It was easy to read and understand. Great book!
Biggest does a great job in putting together a biblical picture of how Christians should respond to immigration issues. It is increasingly important that we know what God has to say on the matter. It was easy to read and understand. Great book!
February 18, 2018
A helpful little book that explores the concept of the Alien/ foreigner in scripture and what rights they were afforded and under what terms & conditions.
November 13, 2018
Clarifies what the Bible says about immigration
July 27, 2019
Excellent analysis of Biblical passages regarding difference between resident aliens and foreigners.
April 22, 2025
A very fair and balanced treatment of the biblical basis for thinking about immigration issues.
July 28, 2009
To preface this review I want to note that I came to this book not necessarily as a fan of Hoffmeier's work(in fact I've read nothing else of his and was not really familiar with him), but rather for the subject matter which seemed to imply application of the Bible's teachings towards this modern dilemma/issue/controversy/etc. This was a book that I received as an early review copy from Crossway Books as part of librarything.com's Early Reviewers books. While I certainly entered with my opinion fairly established on the topic, I was not even sure of what stance Hoffmeier took, and so approached it with an openness to hear someone take a fairly definitive stance largely because of their interpretation of Scripture(and if they disagreed, I was ready to dialogue with the information and not simply write it off).
All that said, however, I believe what Hoffmeier has actually done here is research any and all references to immigration/aliens in the Bible and directly apply them to today's standards without giving proper consideration to what the issue really is today. Although we are meant to feel as if we have an impartial author on this issue because he is an immigrant himself and has many relations with immigrants, there is not much given to personalize the plight of the immigrant. Instead we are given all these references to legal immigrants(ger) and the rights they claimed and are told that these same standards should be applied today. I think most people would agree that any legal immigrant/citizen of a country is entitled to certain rights, so this seemed like an unnecessary point that distracted from what is really the contentious issue.
We are left at the end of the book with an extremely short chapter which seeks to wrap up the research and provide an answer for today, but instead we seem to be left with a cold, impersonal response that all are supposed to acquiesce to the laws of the governing nations. It really is a disservice to all the work of the rest of the book to bring everything to this synopsis which seems so undeveloped. Much could be gained from understanding immigrants more and really seeking to understand what is meant by Romans 13 rather than simply taking it at face value. I may still not have agreed with the interpretation, but it really deserves to be a much longer book that really digs deeper into this issue. It feels like we just got half of what the book's title implies, so I hope for the sake of expanding this conversation he will go further with this topic to provide a strong support for his stance. As Christians we all need to welcome dialogue and see outside of ourselves, but we need to be ready to give a clear explanation.
All that said, however, I believe what Hoffmeier has actually done here is research any and all references to immigration/aliens in the Bible and directly apply them to today's standards without giving proper consideration to what the issue really is today. Although we are meant to feel as if we have an impartial author on this issue because he is an immigrant himself and has many relations with immigrants, there is not much given to personalize the plight of the immigrant. Instead we are given all these references to legal immigrants(ger) and the rights they claimed and are told that these same standards should be applied today. I think most people would agree that any legal immigrant/citizen of a country is entitled to certain rights, so this seemed like an unnecessary point that distracted from what is really the contentious issue.
We are left at the end of the book with an extremely short chapter which seeks to wrap up the research and provide an answer for today, but instead we seem to be left with a cold, impersonal response that all are supposed to acquiesce to the laws of the governing nations. It really is a disservice to all the work of the rest of the book to bring everything to this synopsis which seems so undeveloped. Much could be gained from understanding immigrants more and really seeking to understand what is meant by Romans 13 rather than simply taking it at face value. I may still not have agreed with the interpretation, but it really deserves to be a much longer book that really digs deeper into this issue. It feels like we just got half of what the book's title implies, so I hope for the sake of expanding this conversation he will go further with this topic to provide a strong support for his stance. As Christians we all need to welcome dialogue and see outside of ourselves, but we need to be ready to give a clear explanation.
February 4, 2015
This book is mostly an explanation on what being an "alien" meant in the days of the Bible; the differences between being a legal/resident alien and being a "foreigner", or illegal immigrant, are discussed.
I wrongly assumed it would focus on applying those Biblical principles to the current immigration "crisis", as alluded to in the title. It did certainly touch on this, and the final chapter sums it all up and applies it to our current situation, but that wasn't the bulk of the book.
The text was somewhat repetitive, and unfortunately, it was rather dry reading (think history textbook). That said, I agreed with most of Hoffmeier's positions, and do think it could be helpful for those wanting to know what the Bible says about immigration. As a supplemental text to a more thorough history book, or especially the Bible, it would add lots of insight.
A quote that pretty well sums up the author's position:
"The Bible clearly distinguishes between the status of a legal alien (Hebrew 'ger') and a foreigner (Hebrew 'nekhar' and 'zar'), and one consequence of this is that there really is a difference between the legal standing of a present-day documented alien and an illegal immigrant. Therefore it is legally and morally acceptable for a government to deal with those in the country illegally according to the nation's provisions. The Christian insists, however, that they be dealt with in a humane manner. Expatriation (as Abraham experienced) in itself is not inhumane, but it must not be done in a heartless manner." (p.157)
I wrongly assumed it would focus on applying those Biblical principles to the current immigration "crisis", as alluded to in the title. It did certainly touch on this, and the final chapter sums it all up and applies it to our current situation, but that wasn't the bulk of the book.
The text was somewhat repetitive, and unfortunately, it was rather dry reading (think history textbook). That said, I agreed with most of Hoffmeier's positions, and do think it could be helpful for those wanting to know what the Bible says about immigration. As a supplemental text to a more thorough history book, or especially the Bible, it would add lots of insight.
A quote that pretty well sums up the author's position:
"The Bible clearly distinguishes between the status of a legal alien (Hebrew 'ger') and a foreigner (Hebrew 'nekhar' and 'zar'), and one consequence of this is that there really is a difference between the legal standing of a present-day documented alien and an illegal immigrant. Therefore it is legally and morally acceptable for a government to deal with those in the country illegally according to the nation's provisions. The Christian insists, however, that they be dealt with in a humane manner. Expatriation (as Abraham experienced) in itself is not inhumane, but it must not be done in a heartless manner." (p.157)
July 7, 2016
Okay, you got me. I'm too liberal on immigration. Hoffmeier makes a good case. Countries have a right to set the terms of immigration, and immigrants have an obligation to honor those terms. Another important observation is that the "sojourner" passages in Scripture don't apply to border crossers. They're analogous to our legal aliens. Yet my heart goes out to those clamoring to get in. If I were born in the middle east or South America, I'd want to come to the U.S., too. I also think that America benefits from immigration. All of it.
Notes:
(1) Precedent for National sovereignty when the exodus jews wanted to pass through Edom, but Hoffmeier undermines his own point in that the Edomites should have let Moses pass (33)
(2) As an alien, Abraham understood he had to obey the foreign land's laws and customs (48)
(3) Challenges a definition of "sojourner" that describes an illegal alien. (52)
(4) Distinction between legal and illegal alien must be kept when examining ethics (53)
(5) Good point about the Pharaoh's concern that the Jews would outnumber Egyptians and corrupt culture (61)
(6) Interesting section on "gleaning". The Israelites were forbidden from reaping the edges of their crops or going back over them a second time. This served as a form of welfare for the poor and the alien. Interesting that it was out of the abundance, and the poor had to do the gleaning work themselves (89)
(7) Romans 13 makes clear that illegal immigrants are bound to the governing laws of the recipient nation (145)
Notes:
(1) Precedent for National sovereignty when the exodus jews wanted to pass through Edom, but Hoffmeier undermines his own point in that the Edomites should have let Moses pass (33)
(2) As an alien, Abraham understood he had to obey the foreign land's laws and customs (48)
(3) Challenges a definition of "sojourner" that describes an illegal alien. (52)
(4) Distinction between legal and illegal alien must be kept when examining ethics (53)
(5) Good point about the Pharaoh's concern that the Jews would outnumber Egyptians and corrupt culture (61)
(6) Interesting section on "gleaning". The Israelites were forbidden from reaping the edges of their crops or going back over them a second time. This served as a form of welfare for the poor and the alien. Interesting that it was out of the abundance, and the poor had to do the gleaning work themselves (89)
(7) Romans 13 makes clear that illegal immigrants are bound to the governing laws of the recipient nation (145)
November 20, 2010
In a time of rapid demographic changes caused by rampant illegal immigration and laxly enforced immigration policies, as well as escalating political infighting on such issues which have further clouded the situation, it is with great joy that someone gets back to the basics of the conversation. What are the basics you ask, well the bible for one. Inside this outstanding book you will discover that the bible has a great deal to say about what an alien (legal), and a foreigner (illegal) are and how they are to be treated. You will discover what the true "sanctuary city" is and why the modern model is a farce, as well as learn what the true purpose of such an institution was. You will, once finishing the book, have a clearer understanding of what is required by God of you towards aliens and foreigners and how countries have a right to protect themselves from unwanted intrusions from outside. I was happy to see that my own thoughts on the matter at hand have been vindicated in this book and hope that those who are on the fence about the subject will have their minds opened up to the truth. Immigration reform will only begin when people are rightly informed about what God intended for them to know and do. Only then can the people of God make the difference by influencing the law to make it closer to God's law thereby settling the argument for good.
May 29, 2009
The introduction shows why the author has some interest and authority in the topic of immigration. Then the author establishes the foundation for the issues. Next he shows how resident aliens and foreigners are differentiated and treated in the Old Testament history and law. He also provides suggestions and conclusions about how these factors should guide our thinking about immigration issues.[return][return]I found the book very interesting. The distinction between resident aliens and foreigners was helpful, as was the description of the many benefits afforded resident aliens in Israel. I have recently read the Pentateuch but was surprised to see how often the aliens were included in the laws, including social benefits like gleaning and receiving part of the tithe, as well as participating in the feasts and offerings. He discusses Matthew 25:31-46 so well that it caused me to go reread it and rethink how I have applied it. I also agree with his discussion on the practice of sanctuary.[return][return]I recommend the book as a study of the topic and how it addresses the treatment of legal immigrants and gives some good thought toward how we should treat the concept and the reality of illegal immigrants.
November 10, 2012
The author provides a thorough and measured look at how the Bible defines and addresses the questions of how to deal with sojourners, foreigners and aliens from the national, legal, and church perspectives.
Dr. Hoffmeier thoroughly reviews multiple Old Testament passages dealing with aliens and foreigners within Israel's borders, the Jews when living in Egypt, and the nation of Israel in exile. Hebrew draws a distinction between foreigners who are traveling through or conducting business in a country and aliens who are living within the borders with official position. This distinction informs his conclusions for dealing with the immigration issues in the 21st century.
He remarks that the New Testament does not offer "direct teaching or law about aliens and the illegal immigrant" (131)as "Christians are aliens in the world because of their status as citizens of the kingdom of God" (139).
Hoffmeier upholds the rights of nations to enforce their borders and requires all people, Christians in particular, to honor the laws of the nation where they reside.
Hoffmeier's conservative and thoughtful approach to an often volatile and divisive issue was a welcome read.
Dr. Hoffmeier thoroughly reviews multiple Old Testament passages dealing with aliens and foreigners within Israel's borders, the Jews when living in Egypt, and the nation of Israel in exile. Hebrew draws a distinction between foreigners who are traveling through or conducting business in a country and aliens who are living within the borders with official position. This distinction informs his conclusions for dealing with the immigration issues in the 21st century.
He remarks that the New Testament does not offer "direct teaching or law about aliens and the illegal immigrant" (131)as "Christians are aliens in the world because of their status as citizens of the kingdom of God" (139).
Hoffmeier upholds the rights of nations to enforce their borders and requires all people, Christians in particular, to honor the laws of the nation where they reside.
Hoffmeier's conservative and thoughtful approach to an often volatile and divisive issue was a welcome read.
November 1, 2014
Excellent foundational study on the issue utilizing biblical theology through both testaments. More could be written on current issues, but Hoffmeier wisely refers that to other authors. His intent is to provide initial timeless guidelines concerning Israel's presence as an earthly people and Christians as a heavenly people.
April 23, 2013
I cannot argue with the author's excellent biblical research. But In order to come to a completely biblical position I believe other facts must be addressed, such as the economic policies we adopt that create hardships and poverty in other nations. Must we who are Christians not also judge ourselves for these things and stand for correction of these sins of greed?
January 24, 2010
Raises interesting questions, but its claim that old testament nations distinguished between legal and illegal immigration is ultimately unpersuasive. Hoffmeier should have focused more of his book on proving this salient point.
February 28, 2010
This book did not lead me to answers in the immigration debate. It was to quick to dismiss the historical notions of sanctuary the church has upheld for centuries. Sanctuary should be given out to those who are in need.
July 11, 2010
This book emphasizes the immigration problem by opening up the Scripture and explaining the difference in legal aliens, foreigners who might not be legal and the value God places on them while holding them accountable. It is a complement to "Gospel in Life" by Keller and "When Helping Hurts."
August 31, 2012
Hoffmeier focuses too much on the Egyptian view of immigrants.
April 29, 2017
Hoffmeir does a thorough job explaining what the Bible teaches about immigrants and aliens.
His analysis is thoughtful and measured. He attempts, where applicable, to speak to modern day situations in light of the ethical teaching derived from Scripture.
I think this is a timely work and should be consulted by deacons and church boards as well as others who work with immigrants and aliens.
His analysis is thoughtful and measured. He attempts, where applicable, to speak to modern day situations in light of the ethical teaching derived from Scripture.
I think this is a timely work and should be consulted by deacons and church boards as well as others who work with immigrants and aliens.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews