---
title: "Matthew 25:41-45"
description: "Christ judges the nations by their treatment of 'the least of these.' The unborn are the most vulnerable and voiceless class; a nation that fails to defend them fails Christ Himself. This grounds the abolitionist claim that abortion is a matter of national, eschatological judgment, not mere policy."
type: "scripture"
book: "Matthew"
chapter: 25
verses: "41-45"
translation: "NASB"
refutes: "Pro-life incrementalism"
affirms_abolition: true
themes:
  - "least of these"
  - "judgment of the nations"
  - "the vulnerable"
  - "sheep and goats"
source_url: "https://www.abhortion.org/scripture/matthew-25-41-45.html"
---

# Matthew 25:41-45

Book of Matthew · Chapter 25

## The text

> “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’”
> — Matthew 25:41-45, NASB

**The claim this verse counters:** "How a nation treats the most vulnerable is not a matter of ultimate, national judgment."

## The argument

Christ judges the nations by their treatment of 'the least of these.' The unborn are the most vulnerable and voiceless class; a nation that fails to defend them fails Christ Himself. This grounds the abolitionist claim that abortion is a matter of national, eschatological judgment, not mere policy.

## Context & notes

The speaker uses the sheep-and-goats judgment to argue nations are judged by justice toward the vulnerable — 'whatever you did not do for the least of these.' Read alongside Leviticus 20 (national complicity) it frames abolition as obedience under coming judgment.

## Themes

- least of these
- judgment of the nations
- the vulnerable
- sheep and goats

## Discussion questions

1. Who are 'the least of these' in a society that permits abortion?
2. If nations are judged by their care for the most vulnerable, how does abortion policy factor into that judgment?

## Source transcript

Drawn from Does the Pro-Life Movement Hate Justice? (T. Russell Hunter, 'Justice Alone') — 'Jesus is going to judge nations on... whether or not they were just... the least of these.'.

## Related

**Related scriptures:**

- [Leviticus 20:1-5](leviticus-20-1-5.md)
- [Matthew 23:23](matthew-23-23.md)
- [Proverbs 24:11-12](proverbs-24-11-12.md)

**Related arguments:**

- [Tolerating child sacrifice invites national judgment — doing justice forestalls it](../arguments/arg-national-judgment.md)

## Attribution

Verse text is quoted from the NASB. Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org