Does the Bible say it?
“Love the sinner, hate the sin”: did Jesus say this?
No, Jesus never said this, and it is not in the Bible. Its oldest form is a line from Augustine, and the exact modern wording was made famous by Gandhi. Jesus taught love in far more costly and specific terms.
What it actually is
The nearest ancient source is Augustine of Hippo, who wrote in Letter 211 of “love for mankind and hatred of sins” (in Latin, cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum). The exact modern English wording was popularized by Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography (1929): “Hate the sin and not the sinner.” Neither is a quotation of Jesus or of any Bible verse.
Many Christians also find the slogan too easy, since it can flatter us into policing others while excusing ourselves. Jesus put the searchlight the other way around.
What Jesus actually said
What Jesus actually said about our own sin, and about love, is more searching:
A better question than the quote
Behind every “is this in the Bible?” is a gentler one: what does the Bible actually say, and who is the Jesus at the center of it? You do not have to take our word for it, ours least of all. Read his own words and see for yourself. It costs nothing but a little quiet and an honest look.
Meet JesusHis words and actsRead the Gospel of JohnJesus Christ is Lord.
Frequently asked questions
- Did Jesus say “Love the sinner, hate the sin”?
- No. Jesus never said this and it is not in the Bible. The phrase has roots in Augustine and was popularized in its modern form by Gandhi.
- What did Jesus actually teach about judging others?
- In Matthew 7:5 Jesus told his hearers to remove the beam from their own eye first. He aimed the call to honesty at ourselves before others.