New Testament scholar Dr. Wayne Grudem recently said that immigration advocate Matthew Soerens has convinced him to change his mind on some matters relating to immigration policy.
The comment came on an episode of Pastor Eric Geiger‘s “If I Had More Time” podcast. Geiger hosted Grudem and Soerens to discuss the theological and political issues of immigration. The episode corresponded to a sermon series Geiger has been preaching at Mariners Church in Southern California.
Grudem has authored numerous books, including “Systematic Theology,” which has become a standard text for many evangelical churches and Christian schools. He holds degrees from Harvard University, Westminster Theological Seminary, and Cambridge University.
Grudem is known for being conservative in his theological and political views. He is a founding member of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) and was formerly a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump.
Soerens is the vice president of advocacy and policy for World Relief, a global Christian humanitarian organization.
During the discussion, both Grudem and Soerens pointed out that while many of the laws given to the people of Israel in the Old Testament are not binding for Christians today, they offer principles that ought to shape not only how Christians relate to immigrants personally but also what kinds of policies they support.
Soerens pointed out that the laws God gave to Israel regarding immigration “were very countercultural at that time.”
“The other legal codes of the countries surrounding Israel were not concerned about the welfare of…foreigners who were coming in from outside,” said Soerens. “Now, that’s a double-edged sword, because God’s law to the people of Israel also has the expectation of integration, of coming in and abiding by the law, respecting the rules.”
Soerens argued that immigrants were included among widows, orphans, and the poor as a vulnerable group in the Old Testament because in the ancient world, “as a foreigner, you had no rights.
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“And it’s actually quite unique, and it says something about the character of our God that he insists, ‘Actually, no, these people should be treated as you treat your native-born,” said Soerens. “That’s actually not the standard of the United States of America. If you are a foreigner in the United States, even someone with a green card, you don’t have all the same rights as a native-born.”
