“The Bible never mentions abortion, the Bible says life begins at first breath, the Bible says…”
Many pro-life Christians have faced challenges from abortion advocates who try to twist scripture to defend abortion.
While the Bible does not specifically use the word “abortion” it does very clearly establish personhood in the womb and condemn the murder of innocent people.
While religious arguments in defense of life will often not be persuasive for unbelievers, there are an estimated 235,000,000 Christians in the United States. If you are a Christian, there is a good chance that you will encounter other Christians who claim to be pro-choice. You may also debate bad faith atheists who try to use your faith against you to undermine your pro-life position.
It is good to be prepared to demolish arguments which twist scripture. Paul tells the church in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
As we face specific textual arguments and wade into the complexities of translations and theological debates, we know that the Bible must always be taken in context. Here are a few helpful Bible verses that can guide us through any later points of confusion.
- In Luke 1:41 John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb when in the presence of Jesus, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”
- In Genesis 25:22 Jacob and his brother Esau wrestled in the womb, “But the children struggled together within her…”
- In Judges 13:7 it is declared that Samson would be a Nazirite even in the womb and certain dietary requirements were placed on his mom, “…You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.”
The above verses are a few examples of many which clearly establish personhood in the womb according to the Bible. Though it should go without saying, the Bible also clearly condemns the killing of innocent people, Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.”
So, the Bible is clearly pro-life, but what are the most common arguments that abortion advocates make by twisting or misrepresenting scripture?
Let’s start with the worst argument that, “the Bible says life begins at first breath.”
This argument misuses Genesis 2:7 which says, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Abortion advocates will say this means that until an unborn baby takes his or her first breath, there is no soul, and they are not human. What they fail to mention is that in context, God had literally just formed Adam, the first man, out of the dust. The circumstances of the creation of Adam and Eve are clearly exceptional. Would they argue that women are not really humans unless they are literally formed from their husband’s rib? What about babies born in water births?
With that argument out of the way, let’s move on to some of the more challenging arguments.
Exodus Chapter 21, A Pregnant Woman Injured
Abortion advocates often cite a small minority of translations like the NRSV which says in Exodus 21:22-25, “When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman’s husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”
Meanwhile, most other translations like the Amplified paint a very different picture:
“If men fight with each other and injure a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely [and the baby lives], yet there is no further injury, the one who hurt her must be punished with a fine [paid] to the woman’s husband, as much as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall require [as a penalty] life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
As we contemplate this translational difference, it is worth noting the literal translation of the original Hebrew phrase וְיָצְא֣וּ יְלָדֶ֔יהָ (yātsû yelādêhā), means “her children come out.”
Regardless of the translational dispute, this scenario in no way describes an intentional elective abortion. Even if it is true that Exodus describes a situation where the unborn baby dies, it is not the same as an abortion, nor can it be said to justify abortion.
In fact, if it is true that the baby dies, the one who accidentally killed the child is to be punished! No matter how we translate Exodus it cannot be used to justify the intentional killing of an innocent baby in the womb.
Numbers Chapter 5, the so-called “The Biblical Abortion”
Abortion advocates love to point to Numbers 5:11-31 and claim that this is a Biblical prescription for abortion, and a justification for indiscriminate elective abortions.
Specifically verse 27 which, in the NIV translation, says:
“If she has made herself impure and been unfaithful to her husband, this will be the result: When she is made to drink the water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering, it will enter her, her abdomen will swell and her womb will miscarry, and she will become a curse.”
The context here, which I encourage you to read for yourself, is an Old Testament test conducted if a man suspects his wife has been unfaithful. The Priest would perform a ritual and if the woman was guilty there would be a curse.
It is worth noting that the modern NIV is basically the only major translation that uses the word “miscarry” in this verse. The KJV, among nearly all other major translations, uses the language, “her thigh shall rot” which is believed by many theologians to be a curse of sterility, not a miscarriage.
Interestingly, the very next verse says, “And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.”
Most Christians believe that the curse described in Numbers 5 is that the woman would become sterile, not that her unborn child would die.
For further theological breakdowns on this chapter, Catholic Answers as well as Answers in Genesis have both addressed this claim from Catholic and Protestant perspectives and both refute the idea that it defends modern day elective abortions.
Conclusion
Despite rare translational differences within the Bible, the overarching theme of God’s word is very clear. It is wrong to murder innocent people.
Throughout scripture, unborn babies are repeatedly identified as persons while in the womb. Because the unborn are humans, all the Biblical prohibitions on murder apply to them as well.
Defending LIFE,
Victor Nieves
President, Life Issues Institute
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