40 Bible Verses About Persecution
W hen I was a young believer, I understood from the book of Acts that persecution was a central part of the daily life of the Apostles. I had also read about persecution in the early Roman Empire days. This was in the form of Christians being put into the coliseums where they were killed by lions and other wild animals.
However, I thought that these were ancient history. I was working on Wall St on international projects that spanned multiple continents. In the era before social media, I thought I was well read and knowledgeable about world events since I read the Wall St Journal and the New York Times every day. I never came across articles or opinion pages about persecution against Christians in the modern day. Surely this was a relic of the past. I knew vaguely of the situation in North Korea, being of Korean descent, but even then I wasn’t really aware of the extent of it.
At some point, my brother and sister-in-law signed me up for a subscription to Voice of the Martyrs (VOM). A full year went by as these newsletters gathered dust. I was too busy with my career and building corporate banking systems to care and it reflected my own spiritual walk that had grown cold and stale despite going to church every week.
One day (in the late 1990s) I was at my brother’s house and saw a VOM issue on their table so I finally picked it up and asked, what is this about anyway? It was focused on the persecution of Christians in Sudan. I barely knew anything about Sudan and would’ve been hard pressed to find it on a map. I started to read the newsletter and I couldn’t put it down. I was shocked at what I had read - that there were 2 million people, mostly Christians and animists that had been killed in the southern part of the country. I wondered out loud why this wasn’t on every headline in the news? Why wasn’t our government doing something about it? Why didn’t anyone else care?
I immediately started reading every book written by Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of VOM. His books completely upended my understanding of my own faith. As I began to re-read the Bible, I began to see how much the Bible talks about the reality of persecution. Most of Western Christianity seems to focus on prosperity and living the good life. Persecution here was someone ignoring you when you talk about Jesus or when your friends and family make fun of you for your faith. But this was at odds with the reality of believers in the other half of the world.
This faith journey led to my wife and I in the Middle East for the first time meeting with persecuted believers in the flesh and our lives would never be the same. Ultimately, it led to the founding of World Compassion Fellowship and has become a central part of our mission - to help the persecuted with holistic care such as medical care, vocational training and humanitarian aid as well discipleship and prayer.
The Bible is full of truth, comfort, and strength for those facing persecution. Whether you are experiencing persecution yourself or want to support those who are, these 40 Bible verses will encourage your heart, strengthen your resolve, and remind you that you are not alone.
Persecution Bible Verses
Persecution is to be Expected
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”
— 2 Timothy 3:12 (NIV)
“Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also…”
— John 15:20 (NIV)
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”
— Matthew 5:11 (NIV)
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”
— 1 Peter 4:12 (NIV)
“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him”
— Philippians 1:29 (NIV)
Strength in Persecution
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
— Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
“The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all”
— Psalm 34:19 (NIV)
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:8–9 (NIV)
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
— Romans 8:18 (NIV)
“The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?”
— Psalm 27:1 (NIV)
Responding to Persecution
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
— Matthew 5:44 (NIV)
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
— Romans 12:14 (NIV)
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
— Luke 6:27–28 (NIV)
“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”
— 1 Peter 3:14 (NIV)
Jesus on Persecution
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
— John 16:33 (NIV)
“You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
— Matthew 10:22 (NIV)
“Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
— Mark 13:13 (NIV)
“But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. And so you will bear testimony to me.”
— Luke 21:12–13 (NIV)
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”
— Matthew 24:9 (NIV)
Early Church Persecution
“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”
— Acts 8:1 (NIV)
“...We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.”
— Acts 14:22 (NIV)
“The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.”
— Acts 16:22–23 (NIV)
“You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”
— 1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NIV)
“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.”
— Hebrews 10:32–34 (NIV)
Encouragement for the Persecuted
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
— Psalm 9:9–10 (NIV)
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise — in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
— Psalm 56:3–4 (NIV)
“For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
— 2 Corinthians 1:5 (NIV)
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
— James 1:2–3 (NIV)
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
— Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)
God's Justice and Deliverance
“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.”
— Romans 12:19 (NIV)
“I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.”
— Psalm 140:12 (NIV)
“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well…”
— 2 Thessalonians 1:6–7 (NIV)
“The righteous person is rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead.”
— Proverbs 11:8 (NIV)
“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.
— Isaiah 54:17 (NIV)
Hope and Eternal Perspective
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
— 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
“‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
— Revelation 7:16–17 (NIV)
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
— 1 Peter 1:6–7 (NIV)
At World Compassion Fellowship, we are called to not only stand strong in our own faith but to stand with our brothers and sisters who are persecuted around the world. Your prayer, advocacy, and generosity make a difference.