Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin: A Biblical Perspective
The phrase "love the sinner, hate the sin" encapsulates a theological principle concerning the appropriate Christian response to individuals engaged in sinful behavior. This concept distinguishes between the person, who is to be loved, and their actions, which are to be condemned.
The biblical basis for hating sin is evident in numerous passages. God himself is depicted as hating evil and wickedness. For instance, Psalm 11:5 states that Yahweh "hates the wicked and him who loves violence" [1]. Similarly, Proverbs 6:16-17 lists things hateful to God, including "a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood" [3]. Pride, in particular, is identified as sin and hateful to God [3]. Believers are exhorted to emulate this divine hatred of evil; Psalm 97:10 declares, "You who are lovers of the Lord, be haters of evil" [2]. John Gill, in his commentary on this verse, explains that evil is to be hated due to its inherently sinful nature, its destructive consequences, and its opposition to God's character and will [8]. The Bible also warns against various forms of hatred among people, such as malice, which springs from an evil heart and is forbidden [5]. However, the hatred of sin is distinct from hatred of individuals.
The command to love others, including those who sin, is a foundational aspect of Christian ethics. Jesus taught his followers to love their neighbors as themselves (Matthew 22:39) and even to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44). This love extends to sinners, as articulated by theologians throughout Christian history. Augustine, in City of God, emphasizes that "every man is to be loved as a man for God's sake" [11]. He clarifies that "no sinner is to be loved as a sinner," meaning that one should not approve of or condone the sin itself, but the person, as a human being, remains an object of love [11].
Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, addresses the question directly: "Whether we ought to love sinners out of charity?" [6]. He distinguishes between two aspects of a sinner: their nature and their guilt. According to Aquinas, a person's nature, which is derived from God, possesses a capacity for happiness, and it is on this basis that charity is extended to them. Therefore, "we ought to love sinners, out of charity, in respect of their nature" [6]. However, their guilt is "opposed to God, and is an obstacle to happiness," and thus, the guilt itself is not to be loved [6]. This scholastic distinction provides a clear framework for understanding how love for the person can coexist with hatred for their sin.
The concept also appears in Reformed thought. John Gill, commenting on Ecclesiastes 3:8 ("A time to love, and a time to hate"), suggests that while there is a time to love a friend, there is also a time to "hate a man, a sinner," which he clarifies as loving him less when he proves treacherous [7]. However, this "hatred" is not to be understood as malicious personal animosity, which is forbidden in scripture [4], but rather a rejection of the sinful aspect or actions. The Bible consistently condemns hatred that leads to strife, bitterness, or deceit [4].
The distinction between the sinner and the sin is crucial because it allows for both moral condemnation of evil and compassionate engagement with individuals. God's own character demonstrates this balance; while he hates sin, he also extends mercy and desires repentance [10]. The effects of sin can extend through generations, yet God's grace and mercy are extended to "a thousand generations" for those who love him and keep his commandments [9]. This highlights God's profound love and patience, even in the face of human sinfulness.
Sources
- Psalms “Yahweh examines the righteous, but the wicked and him who loves violence his soul hates. -- Psalms 11:5”
- Psalms “Psalms 97:10 (BBE) — You who are lovers of the Lord, be haters of evil; he keeps the souls of his saints; he takes them out of the hand of sinners.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Pride — Is sin -- Pr 21:4. Hateful to God -- Pr 6:16,17; 16:5. Hateful to Christ -- Pr 8:12,13. Often originates in Self-righteousness. -- Lu 18:11,12. Religious privileges. -- Zep 3:11. Unsanctified knowledge. -- 1Co 8:1. Inexperience. -- 1Ti 3:6. Possession of power. -- Le 26:19; Eze 30:6. Possession of wealth. -- 2Ki 20:13. Forbidden -- 1Sa 2:3; Ro 12:3,16. Defiles a man -- Mr 7:20,22. Hardens the mind -- Da 5:20. Saints give not away. -- Ps 131:1. Respect not, in others. -- Ps 40:4. Mourn over, in others. -- Jer 13:17. Hate, in others. -- Ps 101:5. A hindrance to”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Hatred — Forbidden -- Le 19:17; Col 3:8. Is murder -- 1Jo 3:15. A work of the flesh -- Ga 5:20. Often cloaked by deceit -- Pr 10:18; 26:26. Leads to deceit -- Pr 26:24,25. Stirs up strife -- Pr 10:12. Embitters life -- Pr 15:17. Inconsistent with The knowledge of God. -- 1Jo 2:9,11. The love of God. -- 1Jo 4:20. Liars prone to. -- Pr 26:28. The wicked exhibit Towards God. -- Ro 1:30. Towards saints. -- Ps 25:19; Pr 29:10. Towards each other. -- Tit 3:3. Christ experienced -- Ps 35:19; Joh 7:7; 15:18,24,25. Saints should Expect. -- Mt 10:22; Joh 15:18,19. Not marvel a”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Malice — Springs from an evil heart -- Mt 15:19,20; Ga 5:19. Forbidden -- 1Co 14:20; Col 3:8; Eph 4:26,27. A hindrance to growth in grace -- 1Pe 2:1,2. Incompatible with the worship of God -- 1Co 5:7,8. Christian liberty not to be a cloak for -- 1Pe 2:16. Saints avoid -- Job 31:29,30; Ps 35:12-14. The wicked Speak with. -- 3Jo 1:10. Live in. -- Tit 3:3. Conceive. -- Ps 7:14. Filled with. -- Ro 1:29. Visit saints with. -- Ps 83:3; Mt 22:6. Pray for those who injure you through -- Mt 5:44. Brings its own punishment -- Ps 7:15,16. God requites -- Ps 10:14; Eze 36:5. Pun”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of the Object of Charity, Art. 6: Article: Whether we ought to love sinners out of charity? I answer that, Two things may be considered in the sinner: his nature and his guilt. According to his nature, which he has from God, he has a capacity for happiness, on the fellowship of which charity is based, as stated above (Article [3]; Question [23], Articles [1],5), wherefore we ought to love sinners, out of charity, in respect of their nature. On the other hand their guilt is opposed to God, and is an obstacle to happin”
- Ecclesiastes (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ecclesiastes 3:8: A time to love, and a time to hate,.... For one to love his friend, and to hate a man, a sinner, as the Targum; to love a friend while he continues such, and hate him, or less love him, when he proves treacherous and unfaithful; an instance of a change of love into hatred may be seen in the case of Amnon, Sa2 13:15. A time of unregeneracy is a time of loving worldly lusts and sinful pleasures, the company of wicked men, and all carnal delights and recreations; and a time of conversion is a time to hate what was before loved, sin, and the conversion of sinners, th”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 97:10: Ye that love the Lord, hate evil,.... The evil of sin, which is to be hated, because of the evil nature of it, it being exceeding sinful; and because of its evil consequences, bringing death, ruin, and destruction with it to the souls of men, unless grace prevents; and disquietude, distress, and trouble to the saints themselves; and because it is hateful to God, being contrary to his nature, will, and law, and is hated by Christ; and therefore those that love him should hate that, shun it, avoid it, depart from it, and abstain from all appearance of it; as all such w”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 20:5: 20:5-6 jealous God: God is passionately opposed to our prostituting ourselves with false gods (see Josh 24:19-20). • in the third and fourth generations . . . for a thousand generations: It is important to keep both sides of this equation together. God does not punish children for their parents’ sins. Rather, he is saying that our sins affect future generations of descendants. But he is also restricting the natural effects of those sins to three or four generations, while graciously extending the effects of obedience to a thousand generations (see also 34:6-7; Deu”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 79: his eternal counsel, by which he separated the elect from the reprobate. 506 506 Bernard, in his Sermon on the Nativity, on 2 Cor. 1:3 , quoting the two passages, Rom. 9:18 , and Ezek. 18:32 , admirably reconciles them. Now, if the genuine meaning of the prophet is inquired into, it will be found that he only means to give the hope of pardon to them who repent. The sum is, that God is undoubtedly ready to pardon whenever the sinner turns. Therefore, he does not will his death, in so far as he wills repentance. But experience shows ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 27.--THE ORDER OF LOVE.: 28. Now he is a man of just and holy life who forms an unprejudiced estimate of things, and keeps his affections also under strict control, so that he neither loves what he ought not to love, nor fails to love what he ought to love, nor loves that more which ought to be loved less, nor loves that equally which ought to be loved either less or more, nor loves that less or more which ought to be loved equally. No sinner is to be loved as a sinner; and every man is to be loved as a man for God's sake; but Go”