God’s love for each person is unconditional, while the biblical language that says “God hates sinners” is a figurative way of expressing God’s hatred of sin—the evil that separates us from Him. The two statements are therefore not contradictory when the word hate is understood in its proper theological sense.
1. “God hates sinners” is a prophetic formula, not a personal revocation of love
- Psalm 5 vs 4‑5 declares that God “hates all evildoers” (the wicked), not the human being per se2.
- The Psalms repeatedly pair this “hate” with God’s justice (e.g., Psalm 58 where the righteous rejoice at God’s vengeance against the wicked4).
- The prophetic “hate” therefore points to the sinful disposition that rebels against God, not to the created person who bears that disposition.
2. The Church’s theological distinction
| Aspect | What is loved | What is hated |
|---|---|---|
| Divine love | The human person, created in the image of God, endowed with dignity and capable of communion with Him. | — |
| Divine hatred | — | Sin and the will that persists in rejecting God. |
- St. Augustine explains that the one who “hates iniquity” hates the evil itself, not the person who is tempted by it5.
- St. Thomas Aquinas makes the same distinction: hatred of a thing is evil only insofar as the thing is good; we are therefore permitted to hate the sin in a brother while still loving his nature (the good that God gave him).
- The Catechism warns that “hatred of God’s neighbor… is always sinful” because it attacks the person, not the sin23, whereas sin itself is an “offense against God” that turns hearts away from His love25.
Thus, when Scripture says “God hates sinners,” the sinners are mentioned because they persist in sin; the hatred is directed at the sinful will, not at the person’s inherent dignity.
3. God’s unconditional love in Church teaching
- Deus Caritas Est (Pope Benedict XVI) affirms that “God is love” and that His love is “gratuitous, without any previous merit”18).
- Redemptor Hominis (John Paul II) teaches that Christ “became sin who knew no sin” to show a love that overcomes even the greatest evil14.
- Dives in Misericordia (John Paul II) states that “no human sin can prevail over the infinite mercy of God”16).
These magisterial documents make clear that God’s love is not withdrawn because of our sin; rather, He continually offers mercy and calls us to conversion.
4. Why the biblical language of “hate” persists
- Hebrew poetic idiom – The Psalms use strong oppositional language (love vs. hate, light vs. darkness) to stress moral reality.
- Pastoral warning – By saying “God hates the wicked,” the psalmist warns the community that persistent rejection of God’s law brings divine justice.
- Invitation to repentance – The contrast invites sinners to turn from the object of God’s hatred (sin) and return to the object of His love (the person).
5. Practical implication for the faithful
- Recognize God’s love for you as a person, regardless of your present state.
- Repent of sin because sin is what God rightly hates; this aligns us with His justice and opens the way to His mercy.
- Avoid personal hatred of anyone, even those who sin, because such hatred attacks the dignity God confers on every human being23.
In prayer we can ask: “Lord, fill my heart with your unconditional love, give me the grace to hate the sin that separates me from you, and help me love my neighbor even when he errs.”
Summary – The biblical phrase “God hates sinners” is a shorthand for “God hates sin and the stubbornness that persists in it.” God’s love for the human person remains unconditional; His hatred is always directed at the evil that alienates us from Him. Understanding this distinction resolves the apparent tension between the two biblical motifs.
[1] Catholic Encyclopedia Hatred
[2] Catechism of the Council of Trent The Ten Commandments - The First Commandment: No False Gods
[3] Sermons Upon Various Subjects page115
[5] Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament - Sermon 32 2
[7] Declaration Fiducia Supplicans On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings (18 December 2023) II. 27
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