What Does the Bible Say About Partiality and Favoritism?

This article encourages us to follow Bible’s steps to avoid showing favoritism in the family, the church or elsewhere. As Christians and believers in Christ, we are supposed to imitate Christ in our dealings without showing any favoritism.

In James 2:1, is the concern James shows concern for the sinful habit of showing favoritism in the church fellowship is very relevant in our situation today. Our actions betray our misunderstanding of what it means to be believers in “Our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.”

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Few of us would ever stop to think that we are doing in showing favoritism is breaking God’s law. Even then, we might not think that breaking the law in some small way, like showing a rich man to an important seat while leaving an ‘ordinary citizen’ to stand at the back, has the same condemnation as breaking other parts of God’s law! We need to listen to James’ strong words, seek forgiveness for our wrong attitudes and take action to change.

It will take courage and a careful understanding of Scripture to show the proper respect to those in public office without showing favoritism. We are too easily trapped into showing such honor to a public figure when we want his/her help in some way that we are then unable to challenge the way that person may be using the wealth and position given by God for the well-being of the community.

By making judgment about those who are not wealthy we often insult their standing as a Christian. We can also miss out on the spiritual gifts they may have to share and also prevent them from having the opportunity to develop those gifts.

In view of these, here are some Bible verses to guide and help us on what the Bible is saying about favoritism so that we should not be found guilty of that sin and also pray for the grace of God to overcome showing favoritism to some group of people.

Note: All reading in this post are quoted from English Standard Version Holy Bible except otherwise which will be specify after the verse.

1. Genesis 25:23 – And the LORD said to her, Two nations are in your worm, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.

2. Genesis 27:6-10

Verse 6 – Rebekah said to her son Jacob, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau,

Verse 7 – Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.

Verse 8 – Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you.

Verse 9 – Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves.

Verse 10 – And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.

3. Genesis 37:2-5

Verse 2 – These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and ZIlpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.

Verse 3 – Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.

Verse 4 – But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Verse 5 – Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more.

4. Genesis 43:33-34

Verse 33 – And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement.

Verse 34 – Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

5. Exodus 23:2-3

Verse 2 – You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice,

Verse 3 – nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

6. Leviticus 19:15 – You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

7. Deuteronomy 1:17 – You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.

8. Deuteronomy 10:17 – For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.

9. Deuteronomy 16:19 – You shall not pervert justice. You shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.

10. Deuteronomy 21:15-17

Verse 15 – If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved,

Verse 16 – then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn,

Verse 17 – but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

11. 1 Samuel 1:5-6

Verse 5 – But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.

Verse 6 – And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.

12. 2 Chronicles 19:5-7

Verse 5 – He appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,

Verse 6 – and said to the judges, Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD. He is with you in giving judgment.

Verse 7 – Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes.

13. Job 13:10 – He will surely rebuke you if in secret you show partiality.

14. Job 34:19 – who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?

15. Psalm 82:2 – How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah

16. Proverbs 10:3 – The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

17. Proverbs 15:8, 29

Verse 8 – The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.

Verse 29 – The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

18. Proverbs 24:23 – These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good.

19. Proverbs 28:21 – To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.

20. Micah 6:8 – He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love

21. Malachi 2:9 – and so I make you despised before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.

22. Matthew 5:45 – so that you may sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

23. Matthew 6:33 – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

24. Matthew 11:28 – Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

25. Matthew 22:16 – And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.

26. Luke 20:21 – So they asked him, Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.

27. John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

28. John 9:31 – We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, God listens to him.

29. John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

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30. Acts 10:34-36

Verse 34 – So Peter opened his mouth and said: Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,

Verse 35 – but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Verse 36 – as for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all).

31. Acts 15:7-9

Verse 7 – And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

Verse 8 – And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,

Verse 9 – and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.

32. Romans 2:9-11

Verse 9 – There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,

Verse 10 – but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.

Verse 11 – For God shows no partiality.

33. Romans 5:8 – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

34. Romans 6:1 – What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

35. Romans 8:28 – And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

36. Romans 9:14 – What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!

37. Romans 10:12-13

Verse 12 – For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

Verse 13 – For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

38. Romans 12:16 – Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited.

39. 1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

40. Galatians 3:27-28

Verse 27 – For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Verse 28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

41. Ephesians 5:1-2

Verse 1 – Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

Verse 2 – And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

42. Ephesians 6:4, 8-9

Verse 4 – Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Verse 8 – Knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Verse 9 – Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

43. Colossians 3:25 – For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

44. 1 Timothy 5:21 – in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

45. Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

46. James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

47. James 2:1, 8, 9

Verse 1 – My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

Verse 8 – If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well.

Verse 9 – But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

48. James 3:17 – But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

49. 1 Peter 1:17 – And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.

50. 1 Peter 3:12 – For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

51. 1 John 4:16 – So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

52. Revelation 3:20 – Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

That’s the some of the verses we have about favoritism or partiality. We need God’s grace to see us through as you join us to pray earnestly to our God for favor and forgiveness where we have shown partiality and favoritism to our closest friends or relative or to even those whom we know personally.

Prayer: Dear Lord, please help me to amend my ways where I have shown favoritism and give me the grace not to show favoritism to anyone alone rather to love all as You love the world, in Jesus name, Amen.