October 1, 2026
A recent guest opinion in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution argued that the Bible has little or nothing to say about abortion. As I read the article, the thought went through my mind, “Tell me you have never studied the Bible without telling me you’ve never studied the Bible.” It did not contain a single scriptural reference. As both a pastor and a former Georgia legislator, I respectfully but strongly disagree with the article.
The Bible does not use the modern English word “abortion.” It also does not use the words “Trinity,” “affordability” or “in vitro fertilization.” Christians nevertheless engage these issues because we derive our practical theology from the whole counsel of Scripture, not from the appearance of a particular English word.
The relevant question is not whether the Bible contains the word abortion. The question is whether Scripture has anything to say about the child in the womb.
It does.
The Bible consistently portrays the unborn as fully known by God, intentionally created by God, and precious to God.
King David declared, “You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). He continued, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book were written all the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them” (Psalm 139:16). David did not describe life beginning at birth. He described God actively at work before birth.
The prophet Jeremiah heard God say, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jeremiah 1:5). Likewise, Isaiah wrote, “The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother He named me” (Isaiah 49:1).
These are not isolated verses. They reveal a consistent biblical understanding that God relates to human beings before they ever take their first breath.
The New Testament reinforces that truth in a remarkable way.
In Luke’s Gospel, the same Greek word—brephos—is used to describe John the Baptist while still in Elizabeth’s womb (Luke 1:41, 44), the newborn Jesus lying in a manger (Luke 2:12, 16), and young children being brought to Jesus (Luke 18:15). Luke makes no linguistic distinction between the child before birth and the child after birth. The unborn John is not described as a different kind of being than the newborn Christ. He is simply a baby.
Even our English language reflects this reality. Expectant parents announce, “We felt the baby move yesterday” or “the doctor said the baby is doing great.” Grandparents eagerly ask to see ultrasound pictures of “the baby.” Only in the context of abortion does our culture often substitute clinical terminology to attempt to obscure the humanity of the child. Yet the word fetus is simply a medical term describing a stage of human development, just as infant or adolescent describes later stages. Changing the label does not change the nature of the life being described.
Scripture also repeatedly condemns the shedding of innocent blood. Proverbs tells us there are six things the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to Him, including “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:16-17). Deuteronomy pronounces a curse upon those who accept a bribe to shed innocent blood (Deuteronomy 27:25). Isaiah warns against those “who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20).
Whether one believes these passages speak directly to abortion depends largely on whether one believes the unborn child is fully human. Scripture’s answer is unmistakable. The child in the womb is known by God, formed by God, called by God, and described as a baby.
Reasonable people will continue to debate abortion law and public policy. Difficult pregnancies and heartbreaking circumstances deserve compassion, practical support, and genuine care. Christians should be among the first to walk alongside mothers facing impossible decisions.
But compassion for mothers and recognition of the humanity of the unborn are not mutually exclusive. In fact, a truly compassionate society seeks to care for both.
The recent AJC essay invited readers to believe that the Bible has little to say about abortion. After reading the passages above, I simply cannot reach that conclusion.
Scripture may not use the modern political vocabulary of our day, but it speaks clearly about the value of human life before birth. It tells us that God forms the child in the womb, knows the child before birth, calls the child by name, and even describes the unborn and the newborn with the same word.
That is not biblical silence.
That is a consistent, unmistakable affirmation of the humanity and dignity of the unborn.
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Wes Cantrell is the Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church of Woodstock and a former State Representative (2015-22). This column is based on a chapter about The Heartbeat Bill which is contained in his book The Job I Never Wanted, scheduled for release in September.
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