This should be a rather simple chore, to see what the Bible says about an unborn child. So let’s begin with Exodus 21:22-24 (all passages from NKJV):
If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But 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.
The woman was "with child" who could be harmed if she was caught up in a fight between men. The pre-born child had all the protection of the law. If the premature birth brought no further harm to the child, then the punishment exacted could be rather mild. However, if the child suffered any harm, punishment was severe. It is quite obvious here that what was inside the woman was a child.
Job had a couple interesting comments in chapter 3 that bear on our study (vv 3 &16 ):
May the day perish on which I was born, and the night in which it was said, “A male child is conceived”. Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like infants who never saw light?
Job was feeling sorry for himself and was essentially wishing he’d never been born or even conceived. Notice he said, “a male child is conceived” - he was a child from the moment of conception! Notice also he calls stillborn babies “children” and those who die before seeing birth are “infants” who never saw light.
In Psalm 51:5 David said he was sinful since conception. For brevity I will not quote Psalm 139:13-16 but the passage speaks of how wonderfully made the author was while still in the womb. Even Ecclesiastes 11:5 speaks of the “child” in the womb.
Isaiah 49:1 tells of how God called him while he was still in his mother’s womb, which means he was certainly a living human being at that time. And Christians are usually familiar with Jeremiah 1:5 where God speaks of knowing him before he was born.
In Matthew 1:18 we are told Mary was “found with child.” Luke 1:41-44 tells about how the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy upon hearing Mary’s greeting.
God’s word plainly calls an unborn baby a “child” or an “infant.” The pre-born child is a human being. When anyone kills a human being without justification (e.g., punishment for crime, self defense or defense of another) God’s word calls it “murder.” Since a child in the womb has not committed a crime nor has tried to cause harm to another person, then the killing of that child is nothing less than murder.
The Christian must see the pre-born child as God sees him; fully human. There is NEVER a justifiable reason to kill a child just because he isn’t born yet. Therefore, a Christian who supports abortion is guilty of supporting the murder of the unborn.
According to God’s Word, abortion is wrong, and Christians have no basis to claim otherwise.
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