In a world of diverse faiths and beliefs, it’s important to understand how the Bible teaches us to approach other religions. The scripture encourages us to respect others while staying grounded in our faith and shining God’s love to all.
Also Read: Bible Verses About Being Offended
Bible Verses About Other Religions
Exodus 20:3 – You shall have no other gods before me
“You shall have no other gods before me.” – Exodus 20:3
John 14:6 – Jesus is the only way to God
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6
1 Timothy 2:5 – Jesus is the only mediator between God and humanity
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” – 1 Timothy 2:5
Acts 4:12 – Salvation is found in no one else but Jesus
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 – Beware of false prophets and gods
“If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.” – Deuteronomy 13:1-5
1 Corinthians 10:20-21 – Do not participate in idolatry
“No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.” – 1 Corinthians 10:20-21
Psalm 96:4 – Give glory to the Lord alone
“For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” – Psalm 96:4-5
Isaiah 44:6 – The Lord is the only God
“This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.” – Isaiah 44:6
Matthew 7:13-14 – The narrow road that leads to life
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14
2 Corinthians 6:14 – Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” – 2 Corinthians 6:14
Isaiah 42:8 – The Lord will not share His glory with idols
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” – Isaiah 42:8
2 Kings 17:35-39 – Worship the Lord and forsake other gods
“When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”” – 2 Kings 17:35-39
1 John 5:21 – Guard yourselves from idols
“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” – 1 John 5:21
Jeremiah 10:2-5 – Do not be terrified by false gods
“This is what the Lord says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.”” – Jeremiah 10:2-5
Joshua 24:15 – Choose to serve the Lord alone
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15
Mark 12:30 – Love the Lord your God with all your heart
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” – Mark 12:30
1 Corinthians 8:4 – There is no God but one
“So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one.” – 1 Corinthians 8:4
Isaiah 45:22 – Turn to the Lord and be saved
“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” – Isaiah 45:22
Matthew 6:24 – You cannot serve both God and money
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” – Matthew 6:24
Jeremiah 25:6 – Do not follow other gods to serve them
“Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.” – Jeremiah 25:6
Exodus 23:24 – Do not bow down to other gods
“Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.” – Exodus 23:24
Matthew 22:37 – Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind
“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” – Matthew 22:37
Psalm 135:15-18 – Idols have no breath or power
“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” – Psalm 135:15-18
2 Chronicles 7:14 – Turn from wickedness and seek God’s face
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
Jeremiah 10:11 – The gods of the nations are idols
“Tell them this: “These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”” – Jeremiah 10:11
1 Timothy 4:1 – Some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” – 1 Timothy 4:1
Psalm 96:5 – All gods of the nations are idols
“For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” – Psalm 96:5
Galatians 1:8-9 – Do not accept any other gospel
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” – Galatians 1:8-9
Isaiah 43:10 – There is no God before or after the Lord
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” – Isaiah 43:10
1 Corinthians 10:14 – Flee from idolatry
“Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.” – 1 Corinthians 10:14
Psalm 16:4 – Don’t pour out libations to other gods
“The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.” – Psalm 16:4
Revelation 9:20 – The rest of mankind did not repent of their idolatry
“The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.” – Revelation 9:20
Isaiah 44:9-10 – All who make idols are nothing
“All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame. Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing?” – Isaiah 44:9-10
Acts 17:16 – Paul was distressed by the idols in Athens
“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.” – Acts 17:16
Exodus 23:13 – Do not pronounce the names of other gods
“Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips.” – Exodus 23:13
Jeremiah 10:14 – Everyone is senseless and without knowledge
“Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud; they have no breath in them.” – Jeremiah 10:14
2 Chronicles 33:15-16 – Manasseh removed foreign gods and restored the altar of the Lord
“He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel.” – 2 Chronicles 33:15-16
Acts 17:22-23 – Paul acknowledges Athens’ religious devotion but points to the true God
“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.’” – Acts 17:22-23
Zechariah 10:2 – The idols speak false divinations
“The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.” – Zechariah 10:2
1 Corinthians 10:19 – Idols are sacrifices to demons
“Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.” – 1 Corinthians 10:19-20
Jeremiah 14:22 – False gods are not the God of truth or salvation
“Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.” – Jeremiah 14:22
Psalm 115:4-8 – Idols are made by human hands and are powerless
“But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” – Psalm 115:4-8
Colossians 3:5 – Put to death all earthly idolatry
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” – Colossians 3:5