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Transcript of Pacifism and the Sword in the New Testament - By James M. Arlandson
8/4/2019 Pacifism and the Sword in the New Testament - By James M. Arlandson
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Pacifism and the Sword in the New Testament
James M. Arlandson
Part One: Jesus, Pacifism, and the Sword
Are Christians permitted to carry the sword (or modern weapons)? What should the Church¶s
policy be on war and peace? Should it counsel the State to turn the other cheek? Are
Christians permitted to join the police force and the military? How can they "love their
enemies" but may have to kill some of them?
The Scriptural truth that answers those questions divides the world into two realms. On theone hand, we have the kingdom of Caesar, and on the other the kingdom of God. A failure to
distinguish between the two will produce confusion about the New Testament¶s teaching on
the sword and peace²confusion that is rampant throughout the Church and the larger society
in this time of global conflicts that are continuing, regardless of who wins political elections.
On the other hand, once we separate the two realms, all of the Biblical passages on peace and
the sword will fall into place. This article is the first in a series on pacifism and the sword in
the New Testament. I hope it clarifies the issues.
Old Testament Background
To analyze the New Testament properly, it is imperative to understand the Old Testament.
The New Testament grows organically out of the older sacred text, but also transforms somemain themes.
This revered ancient source teaches a theocracy, merging religion and politics. The Law of Moses was thundered from on high, shaking Mt. Sinai and echoing across the Middle East
and eventually around the world. The plan was for the ancient Hebrews, the people of God, to
separate themselves from surrounding kingdoms and their pagan religions, and to worship the
true and living God, following carefully prescribed laws. These laws were designed to guide
them towards righteousness.
Further, God permitted ancient Israel to wage war on pagan inhabitants that were polluting a
small and specific land called Canaan. (He did not command his people to wage wars of
worldwide conquests.) The Israelites alternated between success and failure in cleansing the
land. But this bedrock principle can be learned from these (admittedly) severe decrees: God is
not opposed, in principle, to warfare, if necessary.
However, the people were unable or unwilling to follow God¶s decrees, except a remnant. So
God ordained a new path of following his righteousness, the gift of the Spirit. The prophet
Joel predicted, as follows:
28 I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old
men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men
and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28-29, emphasis added)
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God expands the horizon to involve all peoples. The Spirit is not automatically put ineveryone at birth, but anyone can receive the Spirit, if he asks God for him in the name of
Jesus.
The following questions from the short Bible survey are relevant to the New Testament.
Should the wars in the Old Testament be transferred forward to the ministry of Jesus and the
Church? If so, how? What about to secular governments? Jesus, a Jew, lived in a theocracy,though under Roman occupation, prior to the destruction of the Temple in AD 70 by the
Roman general Titus, son of the Emperor Vespasian (ruled 69-79), and Titus later ruled 79-
81.
Would Jesus carry on the earthly theocratic kingdom established by God in ancient Israel? A
hint of the answer, discussed shortly: if Jesus were to reestablish another religious-political
theocracy in a small land, it would not succeed, for God ordained something new that relates
to all peoples. Joel 2:28-29 prophesies, and Peter the lead Apostle applies the prophecy to the
birth of the Church in Acts 2.
We do not have time to discuss God¶s foreknowledge of national Israel¶s rejection of the
kingdom of God as Jesus proclaimed and lived it. For our purposes it is best to realize thatJesus did not reestablish the theocratic kingdom of Israel as some sort of military Son of
David (or in any other earthly way), the most powerful and righteous king (though not
sinless) in Israel¶s history. See Matt. 22:41-46 for Jesus¶ correction of the popular belief
about the Son of David.
For more articles on the complex and rich interrelations between the Old and New
Testaments, please see these articles:
How Jesus Christ Fulfills the Old Testament
How Christian Benefit from the Old Testament
God¶s Wars and Allah¶s Wars (scroll down to a Christian perspective)
Go here for an image of the Arch of Titus, and look for the Jewish Menorah sculpted on the
Arch, taken as booty from Jerusalem.
Two kingdoms
In his teachings and pronouncements, Jesus divides the kingdom of Caesar from the kingdom
of God. Though the phrases "kingdom of heaven" or "kingdom of God" are used over a
hundred times in the Four Gospels, we look at three examples that put the kingdom in action.
First, at the beginning of Jesus¶ ministry, he was tempted or tested (the Greek word can be
translated either way) by Satan to take all of the kingdoms of the world. Matthew 4:5-8 says:
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instance all the kingdoms of the
world. 6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been
given me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will be yours." 8
Jesus answered, "It is written, µWorship the Lord your God and serve him only.¶" (Luke 4:5-
7; cf. Deut. 6:13)
In divine cooperation between Jesus and the Spirit, they allowed Satan to lead Jesus up to a
high place and show him all the kingdoms of this world²their glory and political authority
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("exousia" in Greek means political authority; cf. Luke 4:6 and 12:11, 20:20, 23:7). Inaddition, "kingdom" at the time of Christ includes material resources, backed by a strong
military. However, Jesus raises his followers¶ vision to a spiritual transformation of theworld, one soul at a time, without robbing people by bloods hed or killing them. Then,
following his example, his disciples went north, south, east, and west, transforming the world
only by preaching a simple message and by praying.
Second, Jesus makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:18-44). He had predicted
his own death²he was sent to die, after all (Luke 9:22, 43-45; 12:50; 13:32-33; 18:31-34).
Now the hostility of the Jewish leadership heats up against him. It is in this context that the
teachers of the law and the chief priests keep a close watch on him to catch him in
committing treason against Rome or in breaking the law, so they could arrest him and turn
him over to "the power and authority of the governor" (Luke 20:20).
Some leaders ask him whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. Apparently, they saw him
as a political revolutionary who opposed Roman occupation. Would he endorse the taxation
of his fellow Jews for the benefit of unclean Gentiles? He replied with famous words that are
often quoted, though people may not know the exact reference and context. He speaks first in
this passage.
24 "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?" 25 "Caesar¶s," they
replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar¶s, and to God what is God¶s."
26 They were unable to trap him in what he said there in public. And astonished by his
answer, they became silent. (Luke 20:20-26; cf. Matt. 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17).
In that passage, the distinction between the kingdom of Caesar and the kingdom of God is
clear. If Caesar asks for taxes, then keep your focus on the kingdom of God, but pay them.
Incidentally, Jesus paid his taxes (Matt. 17:24-27). He even called a tax collector to become
one of his disciples (Matt. 9:9) and befriended them and other "sinners" (Luke 5:29 -32).
Third and finally, during his arrest, he said to Pontius Pilate, a Roman authority:
My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by
the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place. (John 18:36)
Upon this reply, Pilate exclaims that Jesus is a king. But Jesus spiritualizes the description of
a king. Pontius Pilate speaks first in the following verse:
"You are a king, then!" Jesus answered: "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this
reason, I was born, and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who is
on the side of the truth listens to me." (John 18:37)
At the birth of Jesus, the wise men call him "king of the Jews" (Matt. 2:2). In John 18:37 he
says that the purpose of his birth²as a king²is to testify to the truth. That means his
kingdom is heavenly and nonmaterial. He leads by the power of truth alone, not by worldly
pomp and glory, followed by a mighty military.
Thus, Jesus lifts his vision, and that of his disciples and ours, to a heavenly kingdom. He
separated off an earthly and theocratic kingdom²albeit established by God in ancient
Israel²from a spiritual kingdom about to be established beyond the borders of Israel to the
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farthest parts of the globe, wherever the gospel of the kingdom is preached. In his ministryand actions he never carried a sword or raised a militia to attack opponents, for he intended
only to fight spiritual beings and diseases, and to clarify the best possible image of God inkingdom theology. But he permits the State to carry a sword²at least he does not condemn a
centurion as such, as we shall see in another article in the series.
K ingdom warfare
The Old Testament background brings us to the ministry and teaching of Jesus, but he wages
spiritual warfare, not a military one. Three examples represent other passages in the New
Testament.
First, one of the striking features of the Gospels is the presence of demonic beings that attack
hapless people. The Gospels take them seriously, as if they are not myths, and so does Jesus(and so should we). He waged spiritual warfare against demons, wherever he went. After the
great test (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13), many passages describe his confrontation with them,such as Matt. 12:28 and 43; Mark 1:23-26, 5:2, 7:25, 9:25-26; Luke 4:33, 8:29 and 55, 9:42,
11:24, and 13:11. It would be most unwise if rationalistic theologians were to tell us that
these verses are ancient descriptions of mental illness. Most unwise indeed.
Second, he waged spiritual warfare against sickness. This passage, representing other
summaries, encapsulates in a few words the healing ministry of Jesus in Israel, four decades
prior to the Roman destruction of the Temple in AD 70:
30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many
others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they
saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And
they praised the God of Israel. (Matt. 15:30-31)
Third and finally, he waged spiritual warfare against false and incomplete ideas by teaching
true and full ones. In the famous Sermon on the Mount he explains what the kingdom of God
really is. It is the "new thing" prophesied by Isaiah (42:9, 43:19, and 48:6). Af ter he finished
the long discourse, the people respond thus:
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29
because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matt. 7:28-
29; 13:54 and 22:33)
These and many other passages in the Gospels demonstrate that Jesus is waging spiritual
warfare, not a military one. He is about to call his Church to do the same. He raises its vision
higher than conquering earthly kingdoms and regions. However, no Bible-educated Christian
should ever believe that the God of the Old Testament and the New Testament are different.They are not. The same God who purified the small and specific land of Canaan through
Joshua and his successors by military warfare is now purifying the whole world through Jesus
(the Hebrew name is Joshua) and his disciples by spiritual warfare, that is, only by preaching
the gospel and only by praying, not by hitting the stubborn with swords.
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Conclusion
An objector may ask: Separating off the kingdom of God from the kingdom of Caesar is allwell and good for the "heavenly minded," but what about us here on earth? Wars and
conflicts erupt. How do we handle them? What about the verses in the New Testament that
talk about the sword? Or is the New Testament so spiritual that we should retreat from the
world, not to mention from conflicts?
These are excellent questions, reflecting earth-bound realities. And these questions will be
answered in the next articles in the series. Suffice it say here that the inspired New Testament
does not leave us without guidance. God ordains that the State²law enforcement and the
military²may wield the sword (Rom. 13:1-7). And individual Christians may gladly join
these honorable institutions, thus becoming servants of God. But publicly and officially, they
serve the State. Privately, they serve God in their individual relationship with him.
However, the Church as an institution (also distinct from the kingdom of God, which createsthe Church) is "pacifist" in its own actions and internal policies because it follows the dictates
of the kingdom of God, his active rule and dynamic reign. That is, following its Lord, it
wages only spiritual warfare. Therefore, church leaders in the name of the Church or of Godshould never convene a council or general assembly in order to raise an army to fight battles
and to coerce heretics and opponents to conform.
However, being salt and light, the Church may also counsel the State. And since God ordains
that the State may wield the sword (Rom. 13:1-7), the Church should not teach only pacifism
to the State, or else the Church risks plunging a nation into harm from internal criminals and
external foes. Also, teaching only pacifism contradicts Scripture, as we shall see in the next
articles in the series.
Further, understanding the separate kingdoms of God and Caesar (the State) and the fact that
Jesus never set out to rebuild the theocratic kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6-7) is essential for
grasping all of the verses in the New Testament about peace and the sword. Such verses will
fall into place once the division of kingdoms is elaborated on. But if we merge the tworealms, we will witness religious atrocities that the Church committed sometimes (not
always) in its history. May we never again see the Church raise an army or militia to attack sinners and nonconformists (as the church with the army defines them)!
The mission of the Church, rather, is to save souls, teach believers, and help the needy in
practical ways. That is the essence of the kingdom message.
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Part Two: Pacifism and the Sword in the Gospels
Did Jesus endorse and encourage violence in the four Gospels, presumably a righteous kind
of violence? Did he call his original disciples to this? Did he order all of his disciples to buy
swords, really? Two verses may indicate that he did these things.
Matt. 10:34 reads:
34 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth, but a sword (NewInternational Version, NIV)
And Luke 22:36 reads:
36 [Jesus] said to [the disciples], "But now the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise
a bag; and the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one." (New Revised
Standard Version, NRSV)
Cited in isolation, those two verses suggest that swords and violence are a possibility. It
seems as if Jesus carried and wielded a sword. It seems as if all of the disciples should go out
and buy one each. After the death and burial of Jesus, they would have to face the world
alone without him, so they thought.
However, what happens to the apparent meaning of the two verses when they are not read in
isolation, but in context? Did Jesus really wield a sword and want all of the disciples to buy
one, for each?
This article is Part Two in a series on pacifism and the sword in the New Testament.
Matthew 10:34
Scripture must be read in context. As the old saying goes, a text without a context may
become a pretext. The context of Matthew 10:34 (in bold font) is quoted in full to explain themeaning of "sword":
32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my
Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before
my Father in heaven. 34 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the
earth, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law² 36 a man¶s enemies will be the members of his own household [Mic. 7:6]
37 Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone
who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who
does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his
life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Thus the verse cannot legitimately be used as a call to a military holy war on society. The
context, rather, is family relationships. The meaning of "sword" is now clear. It indicates that
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following Jesus in his original Jewish society may not bring peace to a family, but may"split" it up (Mic. 7:6), the precise function of a met aphorical sword . Are his disciples ready
for that?
Now we can appeal to the larger textual context. The non-literal interpretation of the sword is
confirmed by a parallel passage in the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 12:49-53 reads:
49 "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But Ihave a baptism to undergo [my death], and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do
you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now onthere will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against
three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother againstdaughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-
in-law against mother-in-law."
The proper way to interpret Scripture is to let verses clarify other verses, particularly parallel
passages. And now Luke 12:49-53 confirms the non-literal interpretation of Matt. 10:34.Jesus did not endorse physical violence against one¶s own family, but he warns people about
possible family division.
For more information on Matt. 10:34, such as the cultural context, click here.
Luke 22:36
The historical context of Luke 22:36 demonstrates that for three years Jesus avoided makinga public, triumphal entry of his visits to Jerusalem because he understood that when he set
foot in the holy city in this way, he would fulfill his mission to die, in a death that looked like
one of a common criminal, just as Isaiah the prophet had predicted hundreds of years before(Is. 53:12). He needed to complete his work outside of Jerusalem.
Now, however, Jesus finally enters the city famous for killing her prophets (Luke 13:33-34),
a few days before his arrest, trial and crucifixion, all of which he predicted. Religious leaders
were spying on him and asked him trick questions, so they could incriminate him (Luke
20:20). These insincere questions, though they were also asked before he entered the city,
increased in frequency during these compacted tense days. But he answered impressively,
avoiding their traps. Despite the tension, each day Jesus taught in the temple, and crowds
gathered around him, so the authorities could not arrest him, for fear of the people. Judas
volunteered to betray him, saying that he would report back to the authorities when no crowd
was present (Luke 22:1-6).
As Passover drew near, Jesus asked some of his disciples to prepare the Last Supper (most
likely the Seder). He elevated the bread and the wine, representing his body and blood, which
was broken and shed for the sins of the world in the New Covenant (Luke 22:7-20).
However, during the meal, Judas slipped out to search for the authorities because he knew
that it was the custom of Jesus to go to the Mount of Olives to pray (Luke 21:37), and that
night would be no different.
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At this point we pick up the textual context of Luke 22:36 (bold print). He is eating the LastSupper on the night he was betrayed.
Luke 22:35-38 says:
35 [Jesus] asked them [the eleven apostles], "When I sent you out without a purse, bag or
sandals, did you lack anything?"They said, "No, not a thing."
36 He said to them, "But now the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag.
And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one . 37 For I tell you, this
scripture must be fulfilled in me: µAnd he was numbered among the lawless¶; and indeed
what is written about me is being fulfilled."
38 They [the disciples] said, "See, Lord, here are two swords."
"It is enough," he replied. (NRSV)
The textual context reveals at least two truths. First, Jesus contrasts his ministry before hisarrival in Jerusalem with the tense few days in Jerusalem when spies and the authorities
themselves were seeking to trap him. Does the tension play a part in understanding why he
told his disciples to go out and buy swords? This is answered, below. Second, he says that hewould be arrested and tried as a criminal, as the prophecy in Is. 53:12 predicted. Does this
have anything to do with swords? Do criminals carry them around? This too is explained,
below. Jesus may have a deeper meaning in mind than the violent use of the swords. What is
it?
The interpretation of the verses can follow either a strictly physical direction in which swords
must be used, or a non-physical one in which swords must not be used, during Jesus¶ last
hours. The surest and clearest direction is the non-literal one, but first we analyze why the
literal one will not fit into Luke 22:34-38 and into the passage about the arrest in the Garden
of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-53).
V iolent use of the swords
Jesus says to the disciples to buy swords, but when they show him two, Jesus says those are
enough. The first direction, the literal one, is inadequate for two reasons.
First, the obvious question is: two swords are enough for what? Are they enough for a
physical fight to resist arrest? This is hardly the case because during Jesus¶ arrest a disciple
(Peter according to John 18:10) took out his sword and cut off the ear of the servant (Malchus
according to John 18:10) of the high priest. Jesus sternly tells Peter to put away his sword,
"No more of this!" and then he heals the servant, restoring his ear (Luke 22:49-51). Resisting
arrest cannot be the purpose of the two swords.
Second, were the two swords enough for an armed rebellion to resist the authorities and to
impose the new Jesus movement in a political and military way? Jesus denounces this
purpose in Luke 22:52, as the authorities were in the process of arresting him: "Am I leading
a rebellion that you have come with swords and clubs?" The answer is no, as he is seized and
led away (v. 54).
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So the physical interpretation of Luke 22:36 (the two swords were intended to be used) willnot work in the larger context. Two swords are not enough to resist arrest, to pull off a revolt
of some kind, or to fully protect themselves in the Garden of Gethsemane.
T he contextual meaning of the swords
In contrast to the literal interpretation of using swords physically, the following interpretationworks smoothly in context so that all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
First, Jesus reminds the disciples of his mission for them before he arrived in Jerusalem(Luke 9:3; 10:1-17). Did they need a purse, a bag, or extra sandals? No, because people were
friendlier, and their opposition to him was spread out over three years. Now, however, he isin Jerusalem, and he has undergone the compacted antagonism of religious leaders seeking to
trap him with self-incriminating words. When the authorities are not present, they send their spies. The atmosphere is therefore tense, and the two swords²no more than that²represent
the tension. Jesus¶ mission has shifted to a clear danger, and the disciples must beware.However, he certainly did not intend for his disciples to use the swords, as we just saw in the
literal interpretation, above, for he is about to tell Peter to put away his sword.
Second, "For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me: µAnd he was numbered among
the lawless¶" (Luke 22:37). By far the clearest purpose of the two swords is Jesus¶ reference
to Isaiah¶s prophecy (53:12). He was destined to be arrested like a criminal, put on trial like a
criminal, and even crucified like a criminal (but his arrest, trial and execution was based on
false evidence. He did nothing but good.) Yet, he was hung on the cross between two thieves,
which is also a fulfillment of Isaiah¶s prophecy (Luke 23:32; 39-43). What are criminals
known for carrying with them? Weapons, and to be numbered among criminals, Jesus must
also have weapons. That is why he said that only two swords would be enough²to fulfill this
prophecy. Also, Matthew mentions fulfilling prophecy (26:54). If Peter had kept on
physically using the sword to prevent Christ¶s arrest, prophecy would not have been
accomplished smoothly and without hindrance. Jesus says that he could call on twelvelegions of angels to protect him, meaning he is destined by God to die; he is not permitted to
stop even the mighty Roman Empire from fulfilling its role (Matt. 26:53). That is why Jesustold Peter to put his sword back in its place (Matt. 26:52). And in Luke he says to Peter after
he cut off an ear, "No more of this!" (22:51).
The third and final non-literal interpretation says that Jesus frequently used physical objects(seeds, lamps, vineyards, coins, lost sheep and so on) to teach non-physical, universal truths,
and the same is possibly true of the two swords. This interpretation of clarification issupported by Matt. 10:34: "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth, but a
sword." As we have seen (above) in context, he does not mean a literal sword that cuts up and
bloodies the family, but a spiritual and moral one that may divide it up non-physically. And it
is precisely Luke who clarifies Jesus¶ meaning of "sword" as non-literal, as we compared thetwo parallel passages of Matt. 10:34 and Luke 12:51. If Luke does this in 12:51, then whywould he not slightly shift the meaning of sword in 22:36-38?
Early Christian history
The foregoing interpretation of the non-physical use of swords does not say that the two
swords did not exist (Luke 22:38). They are not symbols, nor were they imaginary or
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invisible. Peter really did cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest with one of them(Matt. 26:50-51; Luke 22:49-51).
However, Peter¶s use of the sword is done before the formal birth of the Church at Pentecost,
when he will be filled with the Spirit in an unprecedented way (Acts 2). It would be
misguided to build church doctrine on such a reaction in the heat of the moment, during
Jesus¶ arrest at night, before Pentecost.
On the other hand, Jesus said to Peter in the Garden, "Put your sword back in its place,"
meaning, back in its scabbard or holder or in Peter¶s belt or another article of clothing. He
never said to throw the sword away, off to the side at a distance. Therefore, it is entirely
possible that some disciples carried the two weapons after the crucifixion and burial when
they lived in hostile territory, and maybe some did after the Resurrection and Ascension.
Therefore, I do not deny that an individual Christian may own a firearm to defend his home,
for example. But he must obey the law and avoid vices like over-inflated egos andrecklessness. Also, he does not officially represent the Church as an institution. He owns a
weapon privately, as a citizen of society. It is best to keep the kingdom of God (which creates
the Church) and the kingdom of Caesar separate. Then we will have clarity. On the other hand, if Christians do not choose to own a firearm, then they are free not to do this. The New
Testament offers choices and therefore freedom. They will be (or should be) protected by the
kingdom of Caesar (the State), if they are attacked by criminals.
However, it is imperative to understand that later reliable tradition says that none of the
apostles fought or even tried to fight their way out of fiery trials with swords, as some sort of
misguided, twisted, violent martyrs. Instead, tradition says that all of the apostles but John
were martyred as a direct result of persecution (John died from natural causes in old age).
Evidently, the example of Jesus throughout his life and in the Garden of Gethsemane made an
impression on them.
Though part of this is an argument from silence (drawing conclusions from what a text does
not say), it is a significant silence of the historical records that speaks volumes. As we shallsee in future articles, this silence will have the support of words.
Summary
As I concluded in the earlier article in the series, Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God and
the kingdom of Caesar are different and distinct. He did not purpose to reestablish the
theocratic kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6-7). Jesus waged kingdom or spiritual warfare,
preaching the kingdom message.
This article confirms that separation and message. The events in the Garden of Gethsemaneand the commands of Jesus there teach the apostles nonaggression. He said to Peter: "For all
who draw the sword will die by the sword" (Matt. 26:52). Peter and the others heard those
words that clarify the use of swords. Also, Matt. 10:34 cannot legitimately be used to justify a
physical fight. The sword appears in the context of family relations. The way of Jesus may
divide a family, morally, spiritually and relationally, but not violently. Therefore, a lifestyle
of the sword must not be part of the disciples¶ new walk with the resurrected Christ, as they
preached his message of hope.
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Thus, the Church must follow its Lord in waging only spiritual warfare and preaching onlythe kingdom message (2 Cor. 10:4-6 and Eph. 6:1-10). So this much is bedrock: the
Church²as an institution²is never permitted to spread the gospel or to impose personalrighteousness by the sword, for Christ¶s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). So only in
this sense is the Church²as the Church²a "pacifist" body, for it follows the dictates of the
kingdom of God, which creates the church. That is, ecclesiastical leaders should not convene
a special council and general assembly to vote on raising an army or militia in order to wagewar. Thus, the Church and the State must never be fused together.
Yet, the Church, by its nature and purpose, is commanded to exhort, teach, guide, and
counsel the government about the ways of God. The Church proclaims peace, or it may
counsel a just war, depending on the circumstances. If the Church were to teach only
pacifism, it would violate its own Scriptures (Rom. 13:1-7). But the Church and the
government are not the same.
Rather, the Church exists to save souls, teach believers, and help the needy in practical ways,
not to bloody and kill people with swords. And it continues its true mission to this day,
turning the world right side up.
So if the Church as an institution is not permitted to have an army and to wage war, are
individual Christians permitted to join the military and law enforcement of the State,
according to the New Testament? Yes, and that complex question is answered more fully in
future articles in the series. For now, applying Matthew 26:52 is sufficient. "All who draw the
sword will die by the sword." Clearly, that timeless truth in context refers to criminals, rebels,
and revolutionaries. Whether the cause of revolutionaries is just or unjust, they (and criminals
and rebels) use weapons, so they are at risk of dying by such weapons.
However, lawful soldiers and police officers also place themselves at a higher risk, more so
than average, law-abiding citizens, who do not have to use weapons. This does not mean that
lawful soldiers and police officers are on the same level as criminals, rebels, or revolutionaries²far from it. But the servants of the State, working in the two God-ordained
institutions of the military and law enforcement (Rom. 13:1-7), must be forewarned early onin their careers of the inherent danger that comes from using weapons.
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Part Three: Officers soldiers and God
According to the New Testament, is it possible to be honored by God and be a weapon-
carrying soldier or law enforcement officer, at the same time? Does God approve of soldiers
and officers of the State? Does he condemn the military? If not, may individual Christians
serve, Scripturally speaking, in law enforcement and the military?
This article, Part 3 in the series on pacifism and the sword in the New Testament, discusses
lawful military and civil officers of the State. Some were soldiers who seek repentance fromJohn the Baptist (Luke 3:7-14). Jesus meets a highly respected centurion who needed help
(Matthew 8:5-13). Another centurion named Cornelius, serving in the Italian Regiment,receives a strange, divine visit (Acts 10). Finally, a sword-carrying jailer who worked for the
civil government of the Roman colony of Philippi carried out his duty to imprison theApostle Paul (Acts 16:16-40).
Here are their stories in the Greek East of the Roman Empire. The lesson for police officers
and military personnel today will become obvious as we go.
John the Baptist and soldiers
According to the New Testament, John the Baptist, coming in the spirit of Elijah, was the
forerunner of Christ. John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Oneday, during the short life of John the Baptist²short because Herod the tetrarch beheaded him
(Matthew 14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-29)²some soldiers, likely Jews serving the government inJerusalem, traveled out to the Jordan River to see him. While they were listening, he told a
large crowd that they must bring forth fruit (character and actions) worthy of repentance, not just get wet at their baptism (Luke 3:8). After different classes of people ask what fruit they
must produce, the soldiers ask a pertinent question about their own careers.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extortmoney and don't accuse people falsely²be content with your pay." (Luke 3:14)
It seems, then, that the soldiers were deeper than curiosity seekers. They asked aboutrepentance. It is important to note what John says and does not say. He tells them to follow
after justice. Apparently, it was common knowledge that soldiers generally used their power and authority to intimidate people. He also tells them to be content with their wages;
logically, this implies that they may remain in the military as soldiers. That is what he said.But what he does not say is that they should quit the army.
The silence is significant. John never denounced them as soldiers, exactly at the moment
when the fiery preacher could have done so. One of the requirements of their repentance did
not involve walking away from their career. They could repent of their sins and belong to themilitary. They did not have to repent for carrying weapons or belonging to the military. This
also implies, historically, that they could use their weapons, if necessary.
Jesus and a centurion
The following story in the ministry of Jesus is moving (to me, at least). Centurions in Israelwere mostly recruited from outside Galilee, not necessarily from Rome or Italy, but they
came from such regions as Lebanon and Syria. Centurions were the backbone of the army,
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keeping the peace and issuing executive orders. They commanded a lot of power. Whathappens when a centurion and Jesus meet?
Matthew 8:5-13 is long, but I encourage the readers to take the time to read it.
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 "Lord," he
said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." 7 Jesus said to him, "I willgo and heal him." 8 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under
my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under
authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and
he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 10 When Jesus heard this, he was
astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in
Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west,
and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of
heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the dar kness, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will
be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
(Matthew 8:5-13; see Luke 7:1-10)
We can learn at least five truths from this inspiring episode.
First, the centurion was kindhearted, for he cared for one of his servants. The centurion
asking help for a servant indicates desperation as if he were a moral father, perhaps. He
certainly was a caring head of household and commander. Also, the parallel passage in Luke
says that some elders of the Jews encouraged Jesus to help the soldier, pleading, "This man
deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue" (Luke
7:4-5).
What is the timeless truth drawn from this first point? It is fitting for a soldier to be helpful to
a nation that he enters. The (local) elders of the Jews praise this gentile who built their
synagogue. It is possible to be godly and to serve in the military, wielding a sword.
Second, the centurion shows some humility. He tells the Lord that he is not worthy of Jesus
coming under his roof. This wins the heart of Jesus, catching his attention. Such humility is
doubly important for persons in command. Sometimes power corrupts good character,
causing us to become arrogant (which is different from confidence, a virtue).
Third, the centurion understands the chain of command. If he tells a soldier to do something,
then the soldier does it. In a similar, but spiritual way, if Jesus tells the disease to depart, it
will obey. The centurion recognizes that Jesus has spiritual authority that transcends time and
place. Jesus does not have to be on location to heal, so the centurion wisely discerns. This is
truly a remarkable insight.
Fourth, it is now important to note what Jesus says and does, and what he does not say or do.
He honors the centurion¶s request and heals his servant. Next, he praises the centurion to high
heaven for his insight, using superlative language: "I tell you the truth, I have not found
anyone in Israel with such great faith" (verse 10), not as great as the gentile commander¶s
faith. What does Jesus not say or do? He does not denounce the centurion as a military
servant of Rome. He never says, "Leave the army, for it is corrupt and intrinsically evil! If
you don¶t, I¶ll never heal your servant!" As a moral example and teacher, if he wanted to
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point out behavior and practices that harm the people doing them, then he would have doneso. But he didn¶t.
Fifth and finally, we civilians must honor soldiers and other military personnel. If they need
help in practical ways, then let¶s pitch in and help. Let¶s bring healing not only to a soldier
himself or herself, but to his or her household, as well. If Jesus did this, then why should we
ignore his example?
Peter and Cornelius, a centurion
Doesn¶t a Roman centurion deserve divine censure on the face of it? After all, we¶re reading
the New Testament that teaches nothing but "peace and love," right? Note God¶s assessmentof the commander:
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the
Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously tothose in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a
vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" 4
Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. (Acts 10:1-4)
Apparently, Cornelius¶ godliness positively influenced his family²not an easy task since
often the family can see the hypocrisy in the head of household more clearly than outsiders
see it. The end of the story, one of divine coincidences, is happy. Cornelius and his family
convert, are filled with the Spirit, and are baptized (verses 44-48). He is a military man and
the first gentile convert to the Church.
The same analysis that was applied to John¶s counsel to soldiers and Jesus¶ praise of a
centurion in the previous two sections fits here as well. Neither God himself nor the leadApostle Peter tells the centurion to leave the army or give up his weapons. Further, no one
knows if Cornelius ever killed an enemy, but if he rose to the rank of centurion, then he
probably served for a long time, as a career. And if he served for a long time, then he
probably saw some action. If he saw some action, then he probably killed an enemy, or
ordered his men to kill. Yet, it is possible to be blessed of God while serving in the military
and possibly killing an enemy in battle or in law enforcement. Most important, Cornelius
shows that soldiers should develop good and godly characters as they serve the State.
Paul and a jailer
Paul was constantly persecuted just for preaching the gospel, not for committing acts of
"righteous" violence. In this case he expelled a demon from a hapless girl, so he waged
spiritual warfare, just as we saw Jesus do, in the first article. In the Roman colony of Philippihe and his traveling companion Silas were "severely flogged" and jailed in the inner cell of
prison, which was probably stinky, damp, insect- and rat-infested. Their feet fastened in
stocks, they were singing hymns to God, but then an earthquake in the middle of the night
loosed their bonds and opened the prison doors.
27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was
about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted,
"Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell
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trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must Ido to be saved?" 31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved²you
and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others inhis house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then
immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house
and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God²
he and his whole family. (Acts 16:27-34)
Being filled with joy, the jailer and his family convert to Christ. However, Paul never tells the
jailer to abandon his career. In fact, the jailer is seen fulfilling his duties in an official
capacity the next day (vv. 35-36). The jailer carried his sword after his conversion.
Conclusion
As we have seen in the first two parts in the series, Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God and
the kingdom of Caesar are different and distinct. Also, he did not set out to reestablish thetheocratic kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6-7). This present study confirms the distinctions. That
is, all of these passages show individual converts in the military and law enforcement in the
kingdom of Caesar (the Jerusalem government submitted to Rome). The texts do not suggestthat the Church as an institution should become militant. The stories are about individuals
serving as lawful agents of the State, not in a Christian institution. They were qualified agents
of Caesar, not amateurs, so these examples do not demonstrate that the Church is permitted to
assign weapons to anyone at all.
Parts of the lessons drawn from these passages are based on an argument from silence (what a
text or history does not say). However, this is not a problem. Biblical narrative is compressed;
that is, it does not go into intricate detail as Greco-Roman texts do, such as the histories of
Thucydides and Livy. Silence in the Bible can often (but not always) be significant. Thus, the
main characters, followers of God, are teachers or preachers. They are never short of words.
If they had something to say about disassociating from the military or from law enforcement,they would have said it. But they didn¶t.
In addition, the logic of history requires us to assume that in the Roman Empire at that time
soldiers and law enforcement officers may have to kill an enemy. It is completely certain thatJesus and the New Testament authors assumed this. They lived in the Roman Empire, and
Jesus predicted his own death by the authorities. In any case, surely there were other kindhearted and generous men²but not part of the military²whom God could have honored
with his blessings recorded in the New Testament. Instead, God chose to help and callmilitary men and a law enforcement officer.
Further, each of the passages speaks loudly enough. By means of positive actions, God
honors each soldier or law officer with conversion or healing or wise counsel. Apparently,God did not condemn them as soldiers or as a law enforcement officer, demanding them torepent of their involvement in the (alleged) anti-God institutions (what he did not say or do).
Instead, he blessed them just as they were (what he did), leaving the issue of weapons at that.Evidently remaining in the military and law enforcement, each one carried his weapons after
receiving a divine blessing or conversion.
In a future article, we will see Peter (1 Peter 2:13-14, 20; 4:15) and Paul (Romans 13:1-7) saythat God ordains governing authorities to keep the peace. In the Roman Empire, this entailed
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wielding the sword, if necessary. So why would Peter or Paul tell the centurion or the jailer togive up their careers or weapons in the Book of Acts? The Apostles were acting consistently
with their theology in their epistles. So here we have more positive evidence.
Also, not every one in the military or law enforcement is blessed automatically; sometimes
individuals may become corrupt. They must be prosecuted. On the other side, these soldiers
and officers (studied above) showed godliness, repentance, and humility. This caught God¶sattention.
All of these passages, especially the last two, demonstrate that devout Christians may
certainly and gladly join the military and law enforcement, without thinking twice about it, if
they feel called to those two honorable institutions. If they have to use the sword on
evildoers, then so be it, provided the officers and soldiers follow the law. Officially and
publicly, they are servants of the State and act in that capacity, so they should have no angst
about using force, if necessary and lawful.
However, as noted in the previous articles, the Church as an institution (also distinct from the
kingdom of God, which creates the Church) is "pacifist" in its own actions and internal
policies because it follows the commands of the kingdom and its heavenly King; his kingdomis his active rule and dynamic reign today. That is, church leaders in the name of the Church
or of God should never convene a council or general assembly in order to raise an army to
fight battles and to coerce heretics and sinners to conform.
Rather, the mission of the Church, waging only spiritual warfare, is to save souls, teach
believers, and help the needy in practical ways, not to bloody opponents with swords.
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Part Four: Church and State²and the Sword
Confusion too often prevails over discussions on the relation between the Church and the
State. Things get even more complicated when the sword²military and law enforcement²is
brought into the debate.
Should the Church be a State of sorts, as it has in some parts of its history? Should theChurch wield the sword in the name of God? We have already seen in previous articles that
Jesus separates the kingdom of God from the kingdom of Caesar, but what are the teachingsand practices of the early church? Do they hint that the New Testament church took a slightly
different path?
This article, Part Four in a series on pacifism and the sword in the New Testament, aims toanswer these questions, examining passages in the Epistles.
Background
The Epistles were primarily written to explain pressing, practical needs, as well as to
introduce new Christian theology. In the Mediterranean world, while Christians traveled, they
were sometimes subjected to violence that everyone also suffered from, such as banditry (2Corinthians 11:26). This was a pressing, practical need. But no ecclesiastical policy of
carrying swords can be found in the New Testament documents. Though the motive and needexisted to write such a policy, the New Testament authors do not take that opportunity.
Additionally, swords, even small ones, were expensive, so how could the fledgling Church
buy them for the fast-growing number of disciples? Leaders needed to take care of the poor with food distribution (Acts 6:1-7). But is it conceivable that some prosperous recent converts
to the new Jesus movement owned swords? Yes. However, the enemies of the Church wouldhave accused it of violence if it had ever used swords regularly or as a policy.
By analogy, history says that the early Christians were (falsely) accused of cannibalism, adeliberate distortion of the Eucharist in which they spiritually partook of the blood and body
of Christ. Why would not their enemies accuse them of putting society in danger, if manyChristians carried swords and killed their persecutors, especially as a matter of ecclesiastical
policy? On the contrary, Christians were sometimes persecuted and even martyred by unjustcivil authorities.
Though the background to the epistles is, in part, an argument from silence (what a text or
history does not say), the silence is significant. The logic of history requires us to assume thatif the early Christians had an opportunity and a motive to retaliate with violence as a matter
of church policy, but the records demonstrate that they did not do this, then we can be certain
that they in fact followed the path of peace and nonviolence.
Peter
As noted in Part Two, on the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, Jesus told the disciples tosell their cloak and buy a sword (Luke 22:36). Then the disciples show him two swords, and
he said the two were enough. Part Two explains why Jesus never intended that the twoswords (no more than that) should be used during the events in the Garden of Gethsemane
where he was arrested. There his commands teach the Apostles nonaggression. He said to
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Peter: "For all who draw the sword will die by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). Peter and theothers heard those words.
However, Jesus also said to Peter in the Garden, "Put your sword back in its place," meaning,
back in its scabbard or holder or in Peter¶s belt or another article of clothing. He never said to
throw the sword away, off to the side at a distance. So it is entirely possible that he and
another disciple carried the two swords after the crucifixion and burial when they lived inhostile territory, and maybe some did after the Resurrection and Ascension.
Therefore, I would not deny that an individual Christian today may own a weapon to defend
his home, for example. But he must obey the law and avoid vices like machismo and
recklessness. Also, he owns a weapon privately. He does not officially represent the Church
as an institution. In his ownership, he is a citizen of society. We must follow the New
Testament teaching on the separate kingdoms of God and of Caesar. Then we will have
clarity. Alternatively, a Christian is certainly free not to own a weapon. The New Testament
offers a choice and therefore freedom. But this must be emphasized: Christians who opt to
own a firearm must follow the law.
It is important to understand that later reliable tradition says that none of the Apostles foughtor even tried to fight their way out of fiery trials with swords, as some sort of misguided,
twisted, violent martyrs. Instead, tradition says that all of the original Apostles but John were
martyred as a direct result of persecution (John died from natural causes in old age, but even
he was heavily persecuted). In fact, Peter was martyred in Rome. He requested that he should
be hung upside down, since he was unworthy to be crucified "properly," as Jesus was²right
side up. Therefore, a lifestyle of the sword was never part of the disciples¶ new walk with the
resurrected Christ, as they preached his message of hope. Evidently, the example of Jesus
throughout his life and in the Garden of Gethsemane made an impression on them.
In the previous section, it was noted that the silence of a text or of history may be significant,
and the same can be applied here. The records do not show a widespread policy of violence inthe Church, as Christians moved about in the Roman Empire, preaching the message of God's
love. Peter used the sword only once, but this was before Pentecost when the Church wasformally born (Acts 2). And Jesus rebuked him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Therefore, it
would be misguided to build an entire church policy on this one action by a man in the heatof the moment.
Paul confirms this nonviolent policy with positive evidence.
Paul
His Second Epistle to the Corinthians reports on his own trials during ministry, which led to
"beatings, imprisonment, and riots." Even though he suffered much unjust violence from his persecutors, he does not lash out with swords, raising a small militia or sending anassassination hit squad. Per contra, he speaks of these weapons:
"Weapons of rig hteousness in the right hand and in the left" (2 Corinthians 6:7, emphasis
added).
Physical weapons do not occupy either hand. To strengthen this interpretation of hands empty
of physical weapons, he also says in the same epistle:
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3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons wefight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to
demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself upagainst the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
In these two passages Paul seems glad to contrast divine and moral weapons with physicaland worldly ones. He explicitly denies worldly weapons and explicitly affirms divine or
moral ones in his ministry. Jesus set the example, and Paul followed him, or perhaps he
followed the policy commonly practiced among other leaders in the church who knew Jesus.
This indicates that the widespread use of swords in the Church never took root.
In Paul¶s Epistle to the Ephesians he repeats the notion that the Christian¶s weapons are not
physical, but spiritual. Paul borrows from the image of the Roman soldier and explicitly says
that the true sword is the Word of God (cf. Hebrews 4:12). Paul writes:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so
that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against
flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the
full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth
buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your
feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this,
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil
one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
(Ephesians 6:10-17)
Paul completely agrees with the kingdom message of Jesus, which involves spiritual warfare,
such as fighting Satan (who is a real spirit being, contrary to the assertions of rationalistictheologians). Also, his Epistle to the Ephesians was probably an encyclical, meaning it was
intended for several churches. This confirms, again, that the use of physical weapons was notwidespread in the early church, according to apostolic teaching.
The State
Though neither Peter nor Paul endorse the sword for the Church as a policy after Pentecost
(and Paul openly disconfirms its use), they teach that God endorses agents of the State, who
carry the sword and who bring peace and justice to the world. Paul assumes that the military
is part of t hi s world system (1 Cor. 9:7, 14:8; 2 Tim. 2:4), and so does Jesus, incidentally
(Matt. 22:7; Luke 11:21-22, 14:31-32, 19:27). But we now look at passages in the Epistles
more carefully.
To begin with, Peter writes that civil authorities may punish those who do wrong:
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to
the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those
who do wrong and to commend those who do right. (1 Peter 2:13-14; cf. Paul's similar
declaration in Titus 3:1-2)
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15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or evenas a meddler. (1 Peter 4:15)
Significantly, Peter also teaches in his epistle, near those two passages, that the State can go
awry and persecute Christians, even though they may live a godly life. So the State does not
receive unquestioned, unchallenged permission to do what it likes. Since the State does not
receive direct revelations from God nor is it drenched in the revelations of a theocrat, thismeans that we can use reason to shape the State. Of course, the Church should offer its
guidance, but ultimately the State does not have to listen to it. It would be wise, however, if
the State recognized that it receives its ultimate ordination from God, so it should not oppress
people.
Be that as it may, Paul, agreeing with Peter, writes that God establishes, in general terms,
civil authorities who are God's servants and who bear the sword:
1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority exceptthat which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has
instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the
one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God's servant
to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing.
He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it
is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also
because of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's
servants, who give their full time to governing. (Romans 13:1-6)
All of these passages are full of truths, but five stand out for our purposes.
First, God ordains the State to impose order on the world, even by the sword. But the State
must follow justice, not excessive policies that oppress religious or political freedom.
Second, the believer and unbeliever alike should submit to the governing authorities so the
citizens can enjoy a peaceful life. This is especially incumbent on Christians who have to
maintain their witness to the world, living a godly life.
Third, the agents of the State punish the wrongdoer and commend the good. Historically,
punishing criminals was harsh in the Roman Empire (too harsh by today¶s standards), but we
can use reason to craft the State to follow justice. Regardless of the particulars, the timeless
principle behind the history and the text says that punishment of wrongdoers is a God-
ordained option.
Fourth, the words "judgment," "sword," "terror" (= "fear" in Greek), "wrath" and
"punishment" are found in Romans 13:2-4. In the Old Testament, God does not shy away
from executing justice on the surface of his planet, against his highest creation, humans.
Thus, the so-called "God of the New Testament," so wrongly separated from the "God of the
Old Testament," does not teach only peace and love²though that is the main message. With
that said, in the New Covenant God uses primarily the State to bring about justice and
judgment here on earth.
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The interrelationship between the Old and New Testaments is complex, and readers may gohere to study this topic more thoroughly.
Fifth, if a Christian becomes a soldier or a police officer, then he off ici ally and publ icly
serves the State. But his private faith and religion will make him a better servant because he
strives to act with integrity. Ultimately, the Christian soldier or officer serves a just and
loving God, so he follows and obeys justice and love (not one without the other). All of thisdepends on fluctuating circumstances. The soldier or officer must exercise wisdom as to
when and how to apply love and justice. This is why he must stay in Christian fellowship, so
he can ask for counsel from the body of believers. Fellowship is so essential that it is a matter
of life and death²spiritually mainly, but also physically. He must also know the law, which
provides a lot of guidance in difficult situations.
Public and Private
However, it may be objected that the distinction between the public and private is toocomplicated. After all, the agent of the State works in a God-ordained institution and
becomes a servant of God. So how can the two be separated? The reply is simple.
First, Christians are in the world, but not of it (John 17). Every one of us Christians feels the
two-sided pull in our minds, between a good conscience and the Spirit on one side, and the
world, the flesh, and the devil, on the other. Christian servants of the State, because they
wield extra power, feel the internal struggle more strongly.
Second, related to the first point, the Christian¶s allegiance is first to the Lord and to God¶s
Church, and sometimes the internal tug-of-war is hard in the fallen world. For example, if a
Christian serving in the State sees any corruption, he must take appropriate action, especially
if the corruption hurts people. He may have to pay a price for his integrity, but he will be
rewarded by God, if only with a good conscience and divine gratitude at the end of his life
(but hopefully with human gratitude down here on earth also). He did the right thing,
regardless of the rewards.
Third, God ordains the government as a whole institution, but that does not mean that it
receives direct revelations from God. Sometimes parts or all of it can go astray (e.g. a
tyranny). So only in an indirect sense or in the big picture are members of law enforcement
and the military servants of God (members of other religions working in law enforcement and
the military also become servants of God). But Christians should not believe that these
institutions are infallible. Therefore, in a direct and more significant sense Christians are
servants of the Lord in their personal walk with him.
Fourth, to blend the two spheres of private and public, Christians witnessing about the gospel
while they are on duty should do this discreetly, tactfully, and wisely. Boasting of their statusas God¶s servants or excessively sharing their faith is wrong. As the old saying goes²shareyour faith, and use words only if you have to. That is, actions speak louder than words. Only
by their good conduct do Christians earn the right to be heard.
Thus, in private, Christians working in law enforcement and the military serve the Lord (as
all Christians do at any job). In public, the ones who serve in law enforcement and the
military have a higher responsibility due to more power than their fellow Christians who
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work at ordinary jobs. So it is best and less complicated to maintain the difference betweenthe public and the private while serving in the State.
Summary
To answer the question in the Introduction, the early church did not take "a slightly different
path" from the kingdom message of Jesus.
Neither Peter nor Paul, the two main leaders of the early church, bloodied people with swords
af ter Pentecost, the formal creation of the Church (Acts 2). It would be unwise to build anentire doctrine of violence on one action of a man in the heat of the moment, during Jesus¶
arrest before Pentecost. At least, this study shows that sword use does not become a church-wide policy. So the New Testament church followed the path of Jesus who proclaimed the
kingdom of God. But both Apostles write that the State is ordained by God to use swords, inaccordance with justice.
The following is the main idea threaded throughout the series, and the evidence brought
forward in this article confirms it. Jesus separated the kingdom of God from the kingdom of
Caesar. Also, he did not try to reestablish the theocratic kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6-7). Peter and Paul follow Jesus.
This implies that the Church is not the State, and neither is the State the Church. The two
must be kept separate in their roles in society. This is the wisdom of God, because when the
two institutions were fused or confused, trouble erupted sometimes (not always) in church
history. Seeing itself as a State of sorts, it sometimes became arrogant and resorted to
violence to stamp out enemies and nonconformists. On the other side, too often the State
encroached on Church jurisdiction, interfering in appointments of leaders and even attacking
the Pope, more than once in church history (e.g. the Avignon Papacy and the sack of Rome in
1527). The Church and State were not adequately separated in history
From the Age of Enlightenment to the present, the United States has learned that hard lesson
of separation, and that hard-learned lesson explains why its citizens enjoy religious freedom
and tolerance. The government must not impose one or any religion or denomination on the
people. And the Church must not force itself on the government. However, the Church by its
very nature and purpose may counsel and guide government leaders and advocate policies,
but the leaders are not obligated to obey the Church. It may even peacefully protest when the
government passes unjust legislation. But may we never again see a church denomination
raise a militia to attack, torture, or execute dissidents and nonconformists!
Therefore, the Church as an institution (also distinct from the kingdom of God, which creates
the Church) is "pacifist" only in its own actions and internal policies, because it follows the
dictates of the kingdom of God, his active rule and dynamic reign. And Jesus the King wagedonly spiritual warfare, and the Apostles followed this path in early church history. But theChurch violates its own Scriptures if it transfers this kingdom policy (only pacifism within
itself) to the State, because the New Testament ordains that (only) the State may use thesword, if necessary and lawful. However, church leaders in the name of the Church or of God
should never convene a council or general assembly in order to raise an army to fight battlesand to coerce heretics and sinners to conform.
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Part Five: Should the State turn the other cheek?
I have often heard confusing and confused uses of "turn the other cheek." The saying seems
so imbalanced and out of touch with reality, as it circulates around the world, out of context
and isolated. Someone gets punched, and he is told to turn the other cheek. I also hear
pacifists say this to the government when it is about to respond to an attack. "Jesus said toµturn the other cheek.¶ So how can we commit an act of violence in response?"
It¶s that last application I¶m concerned about. At first glance, the clause seems to teach
universal pacifism. But where exactly does the high standard come from in the Gospels?What happens if we examine the verse in context? To whom should it apply? To the kingdom
of Caesar (the State) or to the followers of Christ in the kingdom of God?
Let¶s find out what the famous saying means through three possible interpretations and see if the saying itself and any of the interpretations are relevant to the State.
Rhetorical interpretation
One interpretation says that the clause is rhetorical. It is a hyperbole or an obvious andintentional exaggeration, not to be taken literally. For example, Matt. 7:3-5 shows Jesus¶ use
of this time-honored and effective rhetorical device, in which he says to pull a "plank" out of our eye before we judge. Obviously, we cannot literally have a plank in our eye. So the
rhetorical interpretation of "turn the other cheek" is plausible. It protects the clause from being distorted and misapplied beyond recognition when it is interpreted too literally and too
far.
Thus, it is a little known and little appreciated fact that Jesus replied to his critics as theyinsulted him. He was not literally slapped until his arrest and trial, and at that time he was
submitting to God¶s plan to die for the sins of the world. However, before then, during histhree-year ministry, he did not stand there meek and mild and silent, looking down at the
ground wishing for the verbal assaults to finish. Rather, he confronted the insults and the
insulters (see almost the entire chapters of Matt. 12, Luke 20, and John 8 for examples), or he
walked away. So we should not drive "turn the other cheek" into absurd directions of absolute
passivity.
However, let¶s take the clause as if it should be put into practice, not only as a rhetoricaldevice. Many scholars believe that taking it as written explains it more clearly, as it was
originally intended. Thus, at least two other main interpretations of the verse are possible: thehistorical (legal) and the eschatological (the end times), which can overlap. Our focus is on
them for the rest of the article.
Historical interpretation
Here is the verse quoted in the famous Sermon on the Mount. Matt. 5:38-39 says:
38 You have heard that it was said, "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." 39 But I tell you, "Do
not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right check, turn to him the other also." (Matt. 5:38-39)
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So it appears in the context of the law of retaliation between neighbors or in a small dispute,not a national crisis. There are four parts to the historical (legal) interpretation.
First, Jesus ministered in Israel four decades before the destruction of the Temple in AD 70.
And at that time the law of retaliation appears in a legal context, in a courtroom, not in a
dispute that was settled by private vendettas. The Mishnah, an early source of commentary on
the Torah, was finalized in its written form at the end of the second century or beginning of the third century AD, but the traditions were transmitted orally long before that. Though
caution should be observed in using the Mishnah for New Testament studies due to the
chronological gap (first to third centuries), the Rabbinic rulings may hint at the ethos or
general character of the first century, especially when relative unanimity among the Rabbis
prevailed. Jesus could not fail to know this ethos.
The following passage from the Mishnah, seen in the context of bodily injuries, says that all
disputes of this kind must be heard in a court:
Assessment [of injury] in money or money¶s worth must be made before a court of law . . . .
(Baba Kamma 1.3)
At this time in Judaism, bodily injuries could be compensated for with money. Also, Matt.
5:40 confirms a legal context: "if someone wants to sue you." Finally, Matt. 5:25 exhorts
Jesus¶ disciples to be reconciled with an adversary who is taking them to court, again a legal
context.
Second, the word "strike" can mean to hit with the palm of the hand, the assailant doing this
deliberately, not in a brawl (A. B. Bruce, T he E xpositor¶s Greek T estament , vol. 1, p. 112).
Also, if a hand strikes the right cheek, and the assailant is right-handed, then this means that it
is the back of the hand that makes contact, further indicating formality and deepening the
insult (D. A. Carson, T he E xpositor¶s Bible C ommentary:M atthew, vol. 8, p. 156; Mishnah
Baba Kamma 8:6). In addition, the Greek word for "strike" is found in Matt. 26:67, Mark
14:65, John 18:22 and 19:3, all of which speak of a legal context, after the trial of Jesus. This
indicates formality and a ritual. So the offended party who follows Jesus should not retaliatewhen formally opposed or insulted.
Third, the command not to resist "evil" or an "evil or bad one" (person) should be clarified.
Evil is an abstraction until it is embodied in people. So in my opinion it is best to see the
meaning of the word as an "evil person" in its historical context. The Judaism of Jesus¶ time
is first concerned with social guidelines, not abstract theology. Matt. 5:25-26 says to settle a
dispute peacefully on the way to court, when an opponent has something against the follower
of Jesus. But in Matt. 5:38-39, the follower has a grievance against a neighbor. Either way,
Jesus is merely saying that it is better either to pursue peace (vv. 25-26) or to let the offense
go (vv. 38-39), rather than drag the offender into court and rather than let the opponent dragthe Christian into court. Instead of the disciples of Christ taking an adversarial position, hecounsels them to see the "evil person" as a future friend and brother outside of a court of law,
while they love their enemy and pray for him (vv. 43-48). This is sound advice to hisfollowers who are called to lead in a new and higher way, rather than demand their rights in a
court of law.
Fourth, the verse must be interpreted in its literary context, or the verses surrounding thetarget verse. One commentator paraphrases Christ¶s central idea according to the entire
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context of the key verse in this way: "Though the judge must give redress when demanded,you are not bound to ask it, and if you take My advice you will not" (Bruce, p. 112). In other
words, Christ does not deny that anyone has the legal freedom to sue for an offense, becausehe understood and respected the Torah, which allows for it. For example, 1 Cor. 6:1-8
discusses setting up Christian courts of arbitration. So the Scriptures do not forbid entirely
settling disputes in a court of law. Jesus¶ main point is the following in a legal context: his
disciples should not retaliate, but obey Lev. 19:18 and Matt. 5:42-45, which exhort them notto bear a grudge or seek revenge, but to love their neighbor. He shows us a higher way:
forgiveness and reconciliation.
It should be pointed out before leaving this section that some interpreters see Matt. 5:38-39 as
legal and also eschatological (Carson, p. 156). Both interpretations may be true at the same
time. But it is to this last one that we now turn.
Eschatological interpretation
"Eschatology" means "the study of the last or end times." In the context of Jesus¶ ministry,
this means that he is ushering in a new way of living for his followers. He is about to send the
Spirit so his followers can walk in his new call of the kingdom of God.
This is the context of Luke 6:29, the parallel passage of Matt. 5:39. Luke 6:29 (bold font)
reads:
27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless
those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one
cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking
your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do
not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:27-31)
Now the clause appears in a context other than a legal one. (Anyone who has taught for any
length of time knows that familiar and favorite ideas are given in different forums and to
different audiences.) And this context talks about kingdom believers as individuals or as a
community (e.g. a church) loving enemies, blessing and praying for them, and doing good to
them. These high commands can be done only after the coming of the Spirit in a New Age
and within the kingdom of God.
A commentator on this passage writes that "turn the other cheek" means the "ritual slap on
the cheek given a Christian µheretic¶ in the synagogue" (E. E. Ellis, quoted in Walter W.
Wessel, T he E xpositor¶s Bible C ommentary: Luke, p. 893). This analysis fits perfectly with
Jesus¶ prediction that some of his early followers, in sharing their faith in their own Jewish
setting, may be flogged, which is worse than a slap on the face (Matt. 10:17). Christians will
also suffer persecution in the larger gentile world (v. 18). So Jesus¶ counsel to them is thatwherever and whenever they are persecuted, they must not take revenge, such as sending outan assassination hit squad to kill the accuser or the judge in revenge for unjust persecution
(assassinations were not uncommon in the ancient world). Instead, the disciples are to walk out of the village, town, or city, shaking the dust off their feet and going elsewhere (v. 23;
Luke 10:10).
I have a friend (call him Joe) who in his early twenties worked at a summer job with a bully.
He did not literally slap Joe (which may have been done formally in the ancient world, but
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not today, in the same way). Rather, the bully mocked Joe¶s faith and made his employmentunpleasant. However, Joe would only look the bully in the eye, say his name, and then tell
him, "Jesus loves you!" (or words like that). Joe did not take him to court on harassmentcharges. At the end of the summer the bully converted to Christ. He was overpowered by the
kingdom message of the love of God. Years later, the ex-bully was a guest speaker at a
Christian retreat that Joe led and I attended. It seems Joe followed the example of Jesus in
replying to a critic (see Rhetorical interpretation, above). I have heard of similar stories.
I would not apply Joe¶s solution to every situation that the reader may know about. For
example, a reader¶s life may be threatened, which is different from a formal "slap" on the
cheek, so he should report the danger to the appropriate authorities. Also, domestic violence
should not be tolerated because a divine covenant is being broken between the couple who
had become one flesh, so the battered does not have to turn the other cheek. The domestic
violence may escalate and threaten the life of the battered who should seek help. Neither
example has anything to do with a rhetorical device, a legal context in settling a dispute
between neighbors, or an outside enemy insulting the kingdom believer. The original contexts
of "turn the other cheek" must be maintained, instead of applying carelessly the clauseeverywhere and anywhere.
However, Joe¶s kingdom action in his own context is what an eschatological interpretation
embodies. He turned the other cheek or did not retaliate and then turned an enemy into afriend. The commands of the kingdom of God may be difficult, but the new community can
do them only through Christ. It is the kindness of God expressed by his followers duringinsults that may win people to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Jesus Christ is the ultimate example
during his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. The king¶s sacrifice and kingdom action have beencalling enemies for two thousand years, all over the globe, turning them into friends of God
before the great judgment (the heavenly legal context) is called into session on the last day.
Conclusion
The key to understanding this series on pacifism and the sword in the New Testament is
found in the first article. There Jesus separated the kingdom of God from the kingdom of Caesar. The early church followed his wisdom. The results of this study support that two-
kingdom theology.
Thus, in addition to the rhetorical interpretation, we have two other main ones, the historical(legal) and the eschatological. But whichever one an individual Christian or believing
community chooses (or a combination of the three), none of t he inter pret ati ons direct ly
apply t o t he S t ate. "Turn the other cheek," appearing in the context of the Sermon on the
Mount and then the Sermon on the Plain, is addressed to the new kingdom community who
heeds the call to a new way of life. The kingdom of Caesar has to deal with life-and-death
danger, not a rhetorical device, a formal slap on the face between neighbors in a legalcontext, or a per sonal , eschatological context of insults. To be accurate and faithful to theverse, it says nothing about a national attack or criminal activity, which the kingdom of
Caesar has to deal with.
Therefore, certain extra-pious church leaders must be careful not to wrench out of context averse meant for kingdom Christians and apply it to the State as if the State is part of that
kingdom. The two kingdoms of God and of Caesar must not be fused together.
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Further, the two passages in Matthew and Luke should not be misinterpreted to ignore thehelpless. It is one thing to let go of an offense if it happens personally to you as an individual
Christian. But it is quite another to walk away if the insult happens to someone else. In thatcase, no one who can offer help should ignore the plight of the weak and persecuted.
Therefore, it is unwise to force "turn the other cheek" on to the military and police officers
that have to protect the weak and persecuted. As organizations, they do not live under the
same demands as eschatological believers do, though there may be some who work in the twohonorable, God-ordained institutions (Rom. 13:1-7).
As noted in Part Four , the New Testament permits the State to respond to crime or an attack,
even with a sword. True, a government may negotiate when attacked, for it does not have to
go to war or respond in kind every time. But no government official should feel bound by
"turning the other cheek."
In contrast to the State, the Church as an institution is "pacifist" only in its own actions and
internal policies, because it follows the dictates of the kingdom of God, his active rule and
dynamic reign. And Jesus the resurrected king waged only spiritual warfare, and the Apostles
followed this path in early church history. Therefore, the Church²as the Church²should
never convene a council or general assembly to raise a militia to fight battles or coercedissidents and heretics to conform. But the Church violates its own Scriptures if it transfers
this kingdom policy (only pacifism within itself) to the State.
Therefore, if the State does not respond, even with the sword, to a national attack or criminal
activity, then such passivity and inaction becomes immoral and negligent²even vile. This
violates the full teaching of the New Testament. The general population must be protected
immediately, even if the State has to swing the sword (Rom. 13:1-7).
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Part Six: Questions and answers on pacifism and the sword
Christians are commanded to love their enemies, so are Christian soldiers and police officers
permitted to kill them? How can they maintain their witness about God when they may have
to pull the trigger? Wasn¶t Jesus a pacifist? Wouldn¶t revelations guide the State better than
reason?
This is Part Six in a series on pacifism and the sword in the New Testament, asking and
answering questions that were not covered in the earlier articles.
1. Are the Church and the kingdom of God the same?
Basic New Testament theology says they are different. I cannot improve on George Eldon
Ladd¶s book A T heology of the N ew T estament , rev. ed. (Eerdmans, 1974, 1993). He writes:
The Kingdom is primarily the dynamic reign or kingly rule of God, and derivatively, the
sphere in which the rule is experienced. In biblical idiom, the Kingdom is not identified with
its subjects. They are the people of God¶s rule who enter it, live under it, and are governed by
it. The church is the community of the Kingdom but never the Kingdom itself. Jesus¶
disciples belong to the Kingdom as the Kingdom belongs to them; but they are not theKingdom. The Kingdom is the rule of God; the church is a soci ety of women and men. (p.
109)
Explaining Scripture, Ladd goes on to say that the kingdom creates the Church, not the other way round. The Church testifies about the kingdom. The Church is the instrument of the
kingdom. And the Church is the custodian of the kingdom (pp. 109-17).
I have been careful in this series not to fuse the Church and the kingdom of God together.
However, if a church denomination were to teach that the kingdom and the Church are
identical, then the New Testament still does not permit the two (fused as one) to wagemilitary war. Jesus separates the kingdom of God from the kingdom of Caesar. That is themain point of the series.
2. Why did the Medieval Church wage war so often?
The words "so often" in the question reflect the popular view, but the Church enjoyed long
stretches of peace. Also, Protestants attacked each other and Catholics in the Thirty YearsWar (1618-1648), for example. So we should not see the Medieval Church as the only one
that wandered off from the New Testament. Incidentally, it is simplistic and inaccurate to callthe entire Medieval Age the "Dark Ages." For centuries huge cathedrals were built and many
universities sprang up, so the society had to be prosperous (the birth of capitalism and the rise
of the middle class), and people had to be smart to accomplish those things. It was not oneday after another of violence, any more than for other societies.
With that said, we consider the ideal and the real.
Ideally, the proper response for the Church (Catholic and Protestant) throughout its history
would have been to ask the State, such as the kings of Europe and the "Holy RomanEmperor," to fight the battles. Indeed the Church did this, but confusion of the two realms
often won out. They were not adequately separated.
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Now for the real. It is too easy to condemn every policy of the Medieval Church and later times. The Church faced hard reality. Both Protestants and Catholics had to confront, for
example, the aggressive, invasive armies of Islam, which were taking vast territories. TheChurch was doing the best it could with the light it had, under difficult circumstances. For me
to look back now and only criticize it is too easy, though there is much to criticize.
In any case, to follow the New Testament properly, the Church should fulfill its mission of saving souls, teaching believers, and helping the needy. It should not raise armies and wage
wars. That¶s the job of the kingdom of Caesar that is permitted to carry the sword (Rom.
13:1-7). The US (and other nations), thankfully, follows this divine order. That is why we
enjoy religious tolerance and peace.
This article tracks the timeline of the Islamic invasions long before the Church declared its
first Crusade. Also go here, here and here for other timelines.
Go to these two articles (What Islamic Science and Philosophy? and Islam and the Problemof Rationality) to see how Western philosophy in the Medieval Age had to refute and get
away from Islamic philosophy, which was bogged down in occasionalism, which is defined
in the articles. These two articles (Hyping Islam¶s Role in the History of Science and The Not-So-Golden Age of Islamic Philosophy) balances out the picture that says Islam embraced
the cultures it conquered. Rather, numerous Christians and Jews who did not convert to Islam
are the ones who transmitted classical culture as they lived under their Islamic overlords. This
article (Islam, Christianity, Classical Civilization, and Modernity) discusses how the
Medieval West advanced in philosophy, and Islam got stuck in itself.
Therefore, it is inaccurate to say that Islam sustained the West during the entire Medieval
Age. The full and complete story must be told.
3. What does "forcefully advancing" mean in Matthew 11:12?
One of the more difficult passages in the Gospels is Matthew 11:12, which reads, according
to the most accurate translation of the Greek:
12 From the time of John the Baptist . . . until now, the kingdom of heaven has been
forcefully advancing; and violent and rapacious men have been trying . . . to plunder it. (D.
A. Carson, E xpositor¶s Bible C ommentary: M atthew, Zondervan, p. 267)
In his commentary, Carson summarizes various interpretations of the verse. But then he
formulates the best one (which seems right to me and others, too). John is the forerunner of
Christ, announcing repentance. Then God transfers the call of the kingdom from John to
Jesus. Consequently, the reason why the kingdom is depicted as advancing forcefully is that it
had never before been revealed with such energy and power. Jesus¶ miracles and assaults ondemonic strongholds and false ideas had never before been so striking. John the Baptist, in
prison, heard of the miracles and asked Jesus if he was the Promised One. Jesus answers
affirmatively, citing the miracles (Matthew 11:1-6).
In addition, "violent and rapacious men have been trying to plunder it" means, as follows:
Herod¶s imprisonment of John . . . the attacks by Jewish leaders now intensifying (Matt. 9:34;
12:22-24), the materialism that craves a political Messiah and the prosperity he would bring
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but not righteousness (Matt. 12:2-24). Already Jesus has warned his disciples of persecutionand suffering (Matt. 10:16-42); the opposition was rising and would get worse . . . . (Carson,
pp. 267-68)
Thus, the kingdom was and is advancing forcefully, and it does not include swords or
military holy wars. This interpretation of Matthew 11:12 fits the grammar and vocabulary of
the verse as well as the entire sweep of the Gospels and even the whole New Testament. Thisseries of articles on pacifism and the sword confirms it, as well.
4. Christians are commanded to love their enemies (Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-36). So
are Christian soldiers and police officers permitted to kill them?
That is a great question, for it summarizes the objection some pacifists may have concerning
Christians who join the State that God ordains to wield the sword. What if the State requiresits agents²including Christians²to kill in some circumstances? The reply is fivefold.
First, the easy answer²too easy in fact²is to teach that Christians should withdraw from
any "messy" involvement in the State. However, I have always thought that it is the lowest
form of ingratitude when the Church asks the State to do the "dirty work" of protectingChristians, but they do not pull their fair share.
If Christians have an extra-sensitive conscience about harming anyone in any circumstance,
but they still want to serve in law enforcement and the military, then it is sound advice for
them to work behind the scenes. However, when an enemy mortally threatens citizens, and
the Christian police officers or soldiers have no other choice than to use lethal force, then
they should not feel an ounce of guilt about it, provided they follow the law. There is nothing
wrong if Bible-educated Christians²who therefore do not have to suffer from an extra-
sensitive conscience²fight on the frontlines with all the risks that entails. No one has to be
poisoned with hatred in his heart as he pulls the trigger.
Second, in Scriptural context, the command to love our enemies requires doing good to them
(see Part Five and Luke 6:27-31). It is not merely a gooey feeling. I have heard first-hand
stories about soldiers who have done good to an enemy immediately after he threatened them
with mortal danger. As soon as he dropped his weapon, the soldiers treated his wounds so he
would not die. That is goodness in action; therefore, that is "love your enemy" in practice.
True stories like that abound, but they never make the news in the mainstream media.
Third, as we saw in Part Three, Jesus and the Apostles Peter and Paul endorsed weapon-
carrying soldiers and officers who did not have to leave their careers, after they encountered
the kingdom of God, two of them converting. There is no Scriptural evidence that they stayed
only and always behind the frontlines. This may be, strictly speaking, an argument from
silence, but the logic of history requires us to assume that Roman soldiers may have to kill anenemy. It is completely certain that Jesus and the New Testament authors assumed this aboutthe Roman military. They lived in the Empire, and Jesus predicted his own death by those
authorities. And God chose to help and call military men and a law enforcement officer, andas new-born Christians they may have had to kill an enemy. So we must balance parts of
Scripture with all of Scripture.
Fourth, other themes besides love are found in the Four Gospels, such as justice (Matthew
12:18, 20; 23:23; Luke 18:7-8). In fact, Jesus explicitly juxtaposes the justice and the love of
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God. Pronouncing woes on certain self-righteous Pharisees, he says: "But you neglect justiceand the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone"
(Luke 12:42). He says love and justice complement, not oppose each other.
And sometimes justice is hard; in extreme circumstances it includes using physical force on
lawbreakers and perpetrators of violence, domestic or foreign. Such protection expresses the
justice of God and the love of God to peaceful citizens. Jesus helped a military officer. Andthe first gentile convert to Christianity was a military officer, not a civilian (see Part Three for
details). Jesus assumed that the military was part of life in this world (Matt. 22:7; Luke
11:21-22, 14:31-32, 19:27). And Christians may join that part, if they feel called.
Therefore, it is misguided to impose one verse or theme ("love your enemy") on everyone
who protects us, even by force, as if that one verse or theme represents the only one in the
Bible. Unbalanced idealism obsessed over by utopians can lead to absurd conclusions, in at
least a few difficult circumstances. Paradoxically, these extreme idealists appeal to Jesus, but
they go way beyond all of his teachings. See these verses on the judgment of God on his
enemies: Luke 11:50-51; 12:20, 51-53, 57-59; 13:1-9, 22-30; 16:19-31; 17:26-37.
Fifth and finally, blessed are the flexible and the teachable. As I noted in Part Four , if aChristian becomes a soldier or a police officer, then he off ici ally and publ icly serves the
State. But his private faith and religion will make him a better servant because he strives to
act with integrity. Ultimately, the Christian soldier or officer serves a just and loving God, so
he follows and obeys justice and love (not one without the other). All of this depends on
fluctuating circumstances. The soldier or officer must exercise wisdom as to when and how
to apply love and justice. This is why he must stay in Christian fellowship, so he can ask for
counsel from the body of believers. He must also know the law, which provides a lot of
guidance in difficult situations.
5. You write that individual Christians may own a firearm. But you have concluded
repeatedly that theC
hurch is pacifist. Yet it is made up of individualC
hristians whomay own a firearm. Would you clarify this?
That concern is easy to answer. I have written again and again:
Church leaders in the name of the Church or of God should never convene a council or
general assembly in order to raise an army to fight battles and to coerce heretics and sinners
to conform.
It is best to distinguish between the kingdom of Caesar (the State) and the kingdom of God,
which creates the Church. Christians have a dual citizenship, one foot in the world system
that is doomed to perish, and one foot in the kingdom of God (1 Pet. 1:17; 2:9). To apply this
essential two-kingdom theology specifically, Christians should not email each other in order to form a militia of firearm-carrying friends for the Church. None of them should proclaim, "Iown my firearm in the name of my Church!" Neither should they say: "As a parachurch
organization, we own our firearms in the name of the Lord!" That misguided notion is toostrange for words, for it blurs the distinction between the two kingdoms. An individual
Christian may own a firearm as a citizen of society, not as an official or even unofficialrepresentative of the Church. And neither should church leaders call an assembly of its
weapon-carrying members with the express purpose of "taking care" of their perceivedenemies or for any purpose.
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It is imperative to maintain the two-kingdom theology, and then there will be no confusion.Thus, the Church as an instituti on is pacifist within itself, for it follows the dictates of the
kingdom of God ushered in by Jesus. And he waged only spiritual and moral warfare, not amilitary one. Individual Christians may own a firearm as citizens of society. To illustrate
further the difference between the secular-social and the ecclesiastical, if they enter a society
that forbids any kind of private ownership of a firearm, then they should not break its laws in
the name of the Lord or the Church, demanding their God-given right. The very idea isrepugnant, for not only are they citizens of the kingdom of God, but also of the kingdom of
Caesar. If we keep the two kingdoms separate, especially in the debate over the sword, then
we will enjoy clarity.
6. How can Christian soldiers or policemen maintain their witness about God (Matthew
28:18-20), when they may have to kill?
Many of the answers provided in Question Four apply here; nonetheless, I take slightly
different directions in my reply now.
Ideally, we should witness about God to everyone. In America, the message of the gospel is
everywhere: on television, radio, and the street corner. Even church buildings bring anawareness of the gospel. Nothing stops a criminal from repenting of his sins in one of them.
In fact, through advanced media technology the gospel is penetrating into the remotest
corners of the globe. Witnessing takes many forms. So who is to say that a criminal or enemy
soldier against whom deadly force is used never had his chance to hear the gospel? He may
have heard and rejected it.
Further, even in times of peace, average Christian citizens who do not carry weapons may
never reach some people. Not everyone will convert, as the Scripture affirms everywhere.
Therefore, if not everyone will convert in times of peace, then how much more will no
conversions be a possibility in times of conflict? Conversely, maybe in hard times people are
more open to hear the gospel. In that case, doors may open to share one¶s faith. Whatever thecase, Christians do not know (or rarely know) in advance who is convertible. Often the
unconvertible are model citizens, but sometimes they are violent criminals and enemies. Butwhen they threaten citizens and agents of the State with immediate, mortal danger, the
Christian soldier or policeman may have to use deadly force, for he does not have time to ask whether such violent suspects and enemies have heard the gospel.
As noted in the answer to Question Four, it is misguided to impose only one theme in the
Bible onto anyone, let alone Christian soldiers and officers who are God-ordained to exercise,sometimes, justice that requires lethal force. The Scriptures teach the love of God, witnessed
to in the gospel, and the justice of God, also a part of the same gospel.
If pacifists believe that Christians using lethal force according to the law is a bad witness tothe gospel, then the pacifists do not understand the full teaching of the New Testament.
7. What if a Christian lives under an unjust government? Should he join the military or
law enforcement?
That question reflects a sad reality around the globe. If a Christian lives under an oppressive
regime, such as a bloodthirsty dictatorship or communism, then he must take extra-special
care about working for the State in the institutions that require weapons and killing. He may
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be propping up injustice in an irredeemable system. But if he is in a position to bring aboutreform or carry out peace and justice, purging out oppression, then in this (extremely) rare
case he may stay in the institutions. He needs to pray for wisdom each day, if he is forced toremain in law enforcement or the military under an oppressive regime. Maybe he can work
behind the scenes.
However, Christians living under a democracy have an easier decision in working for theState. If such a privileged Christian joins the military, but concludes that a military operation
is unjust, then he has a heavy burden of proof to make his case, especially when the majority
of the lawmakers supported the action (never mind later backpedaling by these same
lawmakers just to score political points). Maybe a compromise can be reached for the
objector. Perhaps he can work behind the scenes, but still in the military. But he may have to
pay a heavy price for prematurely quitting or escaping from the military that is overseen by
democratic institutions following the law.
8. You say that we can use reason to craft the State. But reason has often failed (e.g. the
Nazi regime). Isn¶t it better to use revelations to guide the State?
Your wall between revelation and reason is shaky. Brilliant persons like Aquinas benefitedfrom revelation (e.g. the Bible) and did not abandon their reason. In fact, this entire series is
based on the two areas, not one without the other. We have discovered reasonable truths and
revelations from the New Testament that expresses the wisdom of God for society.
To reply to your main point, however, Aristotle teaches us, wisely, that extreme actions and
policies are indicators that reason is not being followed (see his N icomachean E thic s and
Politic s; incidentally, I do not endorse everything Aristotle says, but his wisdom far
outweighs his blind spots).
In any case, it is clear that the Nazi regime went to extremes, more than any in history. The
same is true of the old Soviet Union (and its story has not been finally written yet), China,
North Korea, Cuba, Iraq under Saddam, and others. It is true that these extreme human rights
abusers had their own internal logic that gave the appearance of reason, but they could notsee that their starting point or foundation for their own logic within their heads and cadre of
leaders was murderous, greedy, and bloodthirsty, as seen in Hitler¶s M ein K am pf .
Thus, extreme vice is no evidence of sound reason²but of the exact opposite. For people to
live in maximum peace, governments must adopt moderate policies that ensure basic
freedoms, in such areas as religion and speech. People must be free to worship as they want
and to criticize all governments and all religions.
Plus, the answer depends on what you mean by "revelations." States that depend on them also
oppress their people, such as imprisoning or killing them if they leave the State religion. It isa sad reality that "revelations" themselves maymteach violence and brutality and humanrights abuses²after Jesus came and showed us a better way. Also, the Church must truly
follow its sacred Scriptures; then it will not make foolish and deadly errors like starting theReich Church in Nazi Germany. If the German Church had followed the New Testament
closely, it would never have fused itself into Nazi ideology and endorsed or looked the other way as the Nazis oppressed and mass-murdered people. But the Confessing Church opposed
both the Reich Church and Nazi ideology. (See the Confessing Church¶s BarmenDeclaration.)
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Thus, the Church, interpreting its Scriptures properly, may guide the State, but the two shallnot become one. If they do, we will witness a repeat of religious atrocities perpetrated by the
Church sometimes in its history.
In addition to the new and revolutionary teaching of Jesus, God-given reason (apart from
direct revelations) confirms that it is best to keep the kingdom of God separated from the
kingdom of Caesar. Enlightenment thinkers also figured that out, as they looked back onhistory, especially church history. Birthed in the Enlightenment and Christian revivals, the
US has learned that hard lesson of separation, and now its citizens live in religious peace. The
State should never impose religion, and the Church should keep its distance from controlling
the government. Power corrupts. Corrupted power may lead to violence. Religious violence is
especially repugnant to all clear reasoners. Thus, anyone should be permitted to leave his
religion or to worship as he likes (or not at all) and not be harassed by religious "brown
shirts" or "goon squads."
9. So what¶s the bottom line? Was Jesus himself a pacifist or not?
That question is direct enough, but it is framed misleadingly. Jesus never carried a sword and
bloodied or killed people with it. However, the Gospels do not teach only pacifism, as the previous answers and the first three articles explain. He praises a centurion, not condemns
him (Matt. 8:5-13). As noted, he assumes that the military was part of this life and this world
system, again separating the kingdom of God from the kingdom of Caesar (Matt. 22:7; Luke
11:21-22, 14:31-32, 19:27).
But Jesus was involved in a special kind of warfare, a spiritual one that would solve the
world¶s problems if only people would open their eyes. He was ushering in the kingdom of
God in an unprecedented way. He confronted the powers of darkness that actually harassed
people. He was working miracles so people could be free of their ailments. He was parrying
the verbal thrusts of his enemies. He was teaching his disciples who often misunderstood
basic ideas. The crowds clamored so much for him that sometimes he told his disciples to goapart for some rest. But no one should see him as a retreatist. He crisscrossed Israel preaching
and ministering the deeds of the kingdom of God, knowing that it would spread around theglobe. The kingdom started as small as a mustard seed, and its plant grew surprisingly large,
much larger than the seed would indicate. Eventually, however, he was killed for his servicesrendered, but then he was resurrected, vindicated. That¶s the kind of warfare he waged.
May the Church follow him fully!
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Part Seven: Summary
This article is the conclusion of the seven-part series on pacifism and the sword in the New
Testament. The purpose of the series has been to bring clarity to many contradictory and
confusing opinions circulating around the web and in the print media.
Part One is the key to the entire series. It demonstrates that Jesus separates the kingdom of God from the kingdom of Caesar. And he did not intend to reestablish the theocratic kingdom
of Israel (Acts 1:6-7), which fused together religious and civil law with a military in the OldTestament. Instead, he does a new thing (Isaiah 42:9; 43:19; 48:6) throughout the globe,
establishing the kingdom of God that breaks down all barriers. It is a remarkable (andmiraculous) fact that his movement has and is succeeding, for it indeed goes around the
world. His prediction that it would do this has been and is being fulfilled (Matt. 13:31-32;28:18-20).
Following the key theme of two kingdoms, I hypothesized in the Introduction and Conclusion
of the first article that all of the verses in the New Testament on pacifism and the sword
would fall into place and receive clarification. I wrote (slightly edited):
. . . Understanding the separate kingdoms of God and Caesar (the State) . . . is essential for grasping all of the verses in the New Testament about peace and the sword. Such verses will
fall into place once the division of kingdoms is elaborated on.
The entire series confirms that hypothesis. The two-kingdom theology means that thekingdom of God does not wield a sword. Rather, the spiritual kingdom wages only spiritual
warfare. The New Testament hands the literal sword over to the kingdom of Caesar.
Before proceeding, I should point out that I did not deal with two topics: the doctrine of justwar and the Book of Revelation. A study of just war would demand an even longer series.
Plus, if we cannot sort out what the New Testament says, then we cannot move past the preliminaries, for the New Testament is the foundation for hundreds of millions of believers.
The Book of Revelation describes events in the End Times that only God has control of, and
he will judge his planet in his way and in his time. It would have been difficult to build
doctrine on that book. But nothing in it contradicts this series. In fact, the sacred book
confirms it, particularly the doctrine of divine judgment.
Part Two in the series reveals that at first glance the Gospels seem to permit the disciples towield a sword. Matthew 10:34 says that Jesus came to bring a sword, not peace. However,
this verse is found in the context of family division, not a military holy war. He never commanded his followers to use a sword against a stubborn family member. In fact, just the
opposite: a violent family member may become hostile against a new convert to the Jesus
movement. His disciples have to be ready for that.
Next, in Luke 22:36 Jesus told his disciples on the night he was betrayed and arrested that
they should sell their cloak and buy a sword, each. The disciples then show him two swords,
and he said that the two were enough. However, when Peter actually used one of the swords
in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was about to be seized and led away, he rebuked
Peter. "No more of this!" And then: "Put your sword back in its place! He who draws the
sword shall die by the sword!" Parts Two and Four demonstrate that this one act of violence
happened before the formal creation of the Church (Acts 2). Sword use was never a church-
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wide and regular policy. The disciples turned the world right side up with preaching and praying alone²following their Lord and waging only spiritual warfare.
In Part Three we see that God honors soldiers and officers with blessings. Two of them even
converted. Each one remained in the military, and each one carried his weapons after
receiving a divine blessing or conversion. However, we should balance that out with the truth
that the New Testament texts do not suggest that the Church as an institution should becomemilitant. The stories are about individuals serving as lawful agents of the State, not in a
Christian institution. They are trained agents of Caesar. This fits the two-kingdom theology
so clearly spelled out in the entire New Testament, confirming the theme of the series as well.
Part Four shows that God ordains that the State may wield the sword to enforce justice on the
earth, which brings about peace (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-16 and 4:15). This part in the
series demonstrates, once again, that the two kingdoms are separate, which expresses the
wisdom of God. There are four implications of Part Four, as follows:
First, the State does not receive direct revelations from God. We can therefore use reason to
shape it and to establish, for example, democratic institutions. We do not have to follow the
dictates of any theocrat throughout history. But the Church should counsel the State towardsrighteous policies, avoiding religious or secular oppression and intolerance. And it would be
beneficial if the State were to realize that it receives its ultimate ordination from God.
Second, the United States has learned the lesson of separation. The Founders of our nation
write the First Amendment of the Constitution thus, in its entirety:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
After learning the hard lesson of keeping the State and the Church separate, the US is
following the divine order revealed in the New Testament. That is why its citizens living
under this law enjoy God-ordained religious freedom and tolerance.
Third, the lawful agents of the State are called "servants" of God (Romans 13:4). As I
observed in Parts Four and Six (slightly edited):
. . . If a Christian becomes a soldier or a police officer, then he off ici ally and publ icly serves
the State. But his private faith and religion will make him a better servant because he strives
to act with integrity. Ultimately, the Christian soldier or officer serves a just and loving God,
so he follows and obeys justice and love (not one without the other). All of this depends on
fluctuating circumstances. The soldier or officer must exercise wisdom as to when and how
to apply love and justice. This is why he must stay in Christian fellowship, so he can ask for counsel from the body of believers. He must also know the law, which provides a lot of
guidance in difficult situations.
Fourth and finally, the following has been another theme running throughout the series. I
have written in nearly every article:
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Church leaders in the name of the Church or of God should never convene a council or general assembly in order to raise an army to fight battles and to coerce heretics and
opponents to conform.
If the Church were to do this, we would witness a repeat of its atrocities sometimes (not
always) in its history. May we never see the Church committing atrocities again! However,
since God ordains that the State may wield the sword, Christian pacifists disobey their ownScriptures if they counsel only pacifism.
Part Five argues that it would be most unwise for the Church to counsel the State to turn the
other cheek. That forces the theology of the kingdom of God on to the kingdom of Caesar.
Part Five concluded (edited):
Thus, in addition to the rhetorical interpretation, we have two other main ones, the historical(legal) and the eschatological [end times]. But whichever one an individual Christian or
believing community chooses (or a combination of the three), none of t he inter pret ati ons
direct ly apply t o t he S t ate. "Turn the other cheek," appearing in the context of the Sermon on
the Mount and then the Sermon on the Plain, is addressed to the new kingdom community
who heeds the call to a new way of life. The kingdom of Caesar has to deal with life-and-death danger, not a rhetorical device, a formal slap on the face between neighbors in a legal
context, or a per sonal , eschatological context of insults. To be accurate and faithful to the
verse, it says nothing about a national attack or criminal activity, which the kingdom of
Caesar has to deal with.
Part Six follows a Question and Answer format, covering topics not found in the previous
parts. Notably, it explores the dilemma that says that all Christians are commanded to love
their enemies, so are Christian soldiers and police officers permitted to kill them, if necessary
and lawful? The short answer is yes. Readers may click on Part Six, below, to find the
discussion.
To conclude the series, I end once again with the main foundation or theme. The kingdom of
God is distinct from the kingdom of Caesar. Briefly stated, the mission of the Church, whichis created by the kingdom of God, is to save souls, teach believers, and help the needy in
practical ways. It was not and will never be called to bloody people with swords.
May the two kingdoms never again be fused together!
And may the Church fulfill its true mission!
Thi s series i s dedicated t o all t he law en forcement and mi l it ar y per sonnel ar ound t he wor l d. Thank you for your service.
James M. Arlandson may be reached at here.
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Part Eight: Addendum: Fight or Flight?
After I finished the series on Pacifism and the Sword in the New Testament, someone wrote
me these questions:
What if the Church is targeted for persecution by the government or by large groups of
extremists, but the government does not come to the aid of Christians? For example,rioting Muslims in Nigeria or Sudan attack churches on a wide scale. Can Christians
defend themselves, because the State does not come to their aid?
Those questions slide into areas that my series did not cover exactly. But the reality behindthem is deeply moving and tragic, so I decided to tackle them in public, after thinking about
them for a while.
By way of review, all of the articles in the series before this addendum are directed at a
readership that lives in relative freedom and peace under a tolerant government.
I also write in nearly every article that the Church should never convene a council or general
assembly to raise militias in the name of God or of the Church, in order to wage war or attack
nonconformists. This New Testament teaching speaks against aggression to force people toconvert or to rob their resources. This is not self-defense or the protection of the oppressed.
In Part Four I analyze Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-14 and 4:15, which say that God
ordains governing authorities. But in the larger context the passages assume that thegovernment does not become extreme or fall apart, so that anarchy prevails.
Finally, in Parts Two and Four I conclude from Scripture that individual Christians may own
a firearm (or not) for the protection of their home, for example.
Therefore, I do not deny that an individual Christian may own a firearm to defend his home,for example. But he must obey the law and avoid vices like over-inflated egos and
recklessness. Also, he does not officially represent the Church as an institution. He owns a
weapon privately, as a citizen of society. It is best to keep the kingdom of God (which createsthe Church) and the kingdom of Caesar separate. Then we will have clarity.
However, those questions (above) are about anarchy and self-defense and the protection of
the oppressed. The assumption is that the State no longer exists or is unable or wronglyunwilling to protect its persecuted citizens. The questions also assume forming gr ou ps for
self-defense, not only maintaining self-defense individually. All of this is a thorny challenge.
Under those extreme conditions, here are two options that a network of churches may follow,
very cautiously and wisely. The options come out of my study of the New Testamentsketched out in the entire series. I will assume that readers have carefully read each article.
Option One: Fight
It must be conceded from the outset here that this option may be the worst one for many
situations around the world. It assumes that a large region or nation is chaotic and anarchic. Itassumes that the government is unable or unwilling to come to the aid of most or all of its
persecuted citizens. We are not talking about an individual Christian getting slapped on the
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cheek or church windows being broken. So the context of Option One is crucial. Readersmust not gloss over it. Also, extreme cases make bad general policies, so readers must be
careful about applying Option One out of context. Thus, no country in the West can claimsuch extremities, particularly America. That insults the truly oppressed, who are stuck, for
example, in refugee camps and are regularly attacked by thugs. We live in the freest society
in the world; therefore, neither the far right nor the far left hiding in the mountains, so to
speak, can justify violence for political ends.
With that said, Option One must be explored when real-life and extreme circumstances
rapidly develop. It serves only as a last resort. Two New Testament bedrock principles guide
the ten practical suggestions (not the Ten Commandments) that follow.
The first principle says that people have the right to defend the weak and persecuted and
themselves from attacks, according to the full teaching of the New Testament (see Part Five
in the series and especially the Conclusion). The entire ministry of Jesus was devoted to
helping the weak and harassed members of society. Fortunately, in his historical context, the
religious bullies he confronted²or to be more accurate, they confronted him²did not
destroy homes or places of worship or attack people physically on a large or small scale. But
they were not above devouring widows¶ property (Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47). Also, the entireBible is filled with references about protecting and helping the downtrodden (Ex. 23:6, 11;
Ps. 41:1; 82:3-4; Prov. 19:17, to reference only these). And we saw in the Introduction to thisaddendum that individual Christians are permitted to defend their homes, according to
Scripture, as explained in Parts Two Four . The timeless principle from these passages andJesus¶ ministry says that defending the oppressed is God-ordained, even if done in a physical
but lawful way. So we should not take "turn the other cheek" too far, according to Part Five.
The second bedrock principle says that the kingdom of God must be kept separate from the
kingdom of Caesar or the State. That is the clear teaching of the New Testament, expressing
divine wisdom. When the Church (which is created by the kingdom) was fused with the
State, the Church sometimes (not always) in its history committed unjust religious violence.Excessive religious zeal is unattractive, and religious violence coming from such zeal is
doubly repulsive. The evidence for the two-kingdom theology is brought out in the entireseries, so we have no time to cover old ground now. Readers are invited to click on Parts One
and Two at the end of this addendum to get a start.
So, under real-life extreme conditions like those in Africa, what is the best way to defend and protect the persecuted and to work towards not fusing the two realms together, in t he long
run? Here are ten practical guidelines that are based on the two bedrock principles. For
clarity and emphasis I repeat key clauses throughout this section.
(1) In extreme circumstances and as a last resort, if Christians are forced to form armed
organizations to defend themselves and to protect the needy (and organizing in this way is adangerous prospect because so many things can go wrong), then they must still fight for thefreedom of all peoples of all religions. They must be religiously neutral. In effect, they
become secular in their publ ic actions and goals, though they are Christians in their per sonal and private lives. Such organizations nobly and unselfishly seek to reestablish the State
without themselves becoming extremists and taking over the neutral government and turningit into a religious state, of sorts. The ultimate goal is to reestablish religious freedom and to
throw off religious oppression, as seen everywhere in Islamic countries (see points three, five,
and ten in this addendum, below).
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To understand the importance of the public and private spheres, click on Part Four in theseries, and find the section "Public and Private." Though the distinction may be nuanced, it is
critically significant.
(2) The first point means that such armed organizations, fighting to keep the kingdom of God
separate from the State and to help the downtrodden, must not fall into the trap of becoming
thuggish Christian militias. After the pain of persecution has gone away, they may becomeviolent, suppressing religious dissidents or nonChristians. These organizations must not fall
prey to the policies and goals of the very radicals who are attacking them. State-sponsored
religious violence is especially repugnant.
(3) To fill out the second point more fully, such organizations must not copy the radical
policies of original Islam that impose religion on people and that pass anti-apostasy laws, for
example. These unjust laws²unjust because they suppress religious freedom²forbid people
to leave Islam, whether becoming atheists or Christians. "Apostates" may be imprisoned or
executed under the Islam of old and of today.
(4) These organizations taking a religiously neutral stance and becoming secular in their
publ ic practices and goals must not adopt odd names like "the Lord's Resistance Army." Thismisrepresents the essential message of the gospel. If they insist on a name, it should reflect
the purpose of gaining religious and political freedom for all people of all religions. The use
of names may seem technical, but names and purposes are important for the public that is
watching closely, especially under severe circumstances. However, see point ten (below) for
a cautionary note about radical Islam, politics, and the freedom of religion.
(5) Here are some acts (only representative samples) that such organizations must not do.
They must not exact revenge on civilians. That is, they must not attack innocent Muslims, for
example, in reprisal for radical Muslims attacking innocent Christians. The protectors of the
weak who are fighting for all people under a religiously neutral banner must not lower
themselves to the level of Muslim radicals. Proper defenders must follow justice and fairness.They fight only against the opposing militias or military. To cite more representative
examples of what not to do, they must never force children or adolescents to fight. They mustnever enslave people. They must never rape anyone. They must not rob or pillage. If
individual Christians serving in these last-resort organizations are confused about justice andfairness during conflicts, then the Geneva Conventions still has good guidelines. Leaders in
the African self-defense organizations protecting ever yone who is oppressed should study therules of the Geneva Conventions and inform their individual fighters about them.
For a contrast between modern rules of engagement and those laid out in the Quran, the
Sunnah (the example of Muhammad), and Islamic law, click on this article. It may be
difficult for readers to believe, but the Quran, the Sunnah, and Islamic law permit the rape of
women prisoners of war and the enslavement of all prisoners of war, to cite only these twoatrocities (click on the link for the evidence). Of course, the same Islamic documents andsources permit the free release of prisoners of war, but why do the founding documents of
Islam permit the atrocities in the first place? The differences between the modern era andarchaic "revelations" are clear. But Islamists want to impose an archaic age on everyone.
They must be resisted by words alone, after peace has been restored.
(6) As to purpose, after the organizations in Africa have restored order, no one should believethat shariah or Islamic law is just. Click on the link to find out why it is unjust by its very
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nature. No society should yield to it, if that society values religious and political freedom. Itmust be resisted by words and legislation alone, after peace has been effectuated.
(7) After a religiously neutral government has been established, then African Christians will
be free to preach their message in an environment of peace and tolerance. That is the best
way to spread the message of the gospel²preaching alone. (It is the best way for members of
other religions to spread their message too.) Any conversion to one religion or another shouldcome out of a free conscience and a free choice, after hearing words alone. No conversion
should happen with swords (or modern weapons) in the foreground or in the background.
And no conversion to another religion should be stopped by threats of violence, "legal" or
illegal. For Christians, spreading the Word is the ultimate goal. Listeners vote with their feet.
That is, if they like the gospel, they will follow it gladly. If not, they are free to go their own
way without fear of harassment. To repeat, Christians must not copy Islam that too often
oppresses people who refuse its message.
This report says that six million African Muslims leave Islam each year. The link in point six
(above) about shariah gives us a hint as to why so many leave.
(8) To repeat and summarize the main thesis of the entire series and of this addendum, thekingdom of God must be separated from the kingdom of Caesar or the State. In the extreme
case of a State not existing either de jure or de facto, all armed African organizations in the
process of defending freedom for all must accomplish their goals as religiously neutral publ ic
organizations, though individual Christians make up the organizations. This may seem too
technical, but, again, click on Part Four in the series, finding "Public and Private."
(9) Once peace and order has been restored, keeping the two realms of the kingdom of God
and the State separate expresses the wisdom of God, according to the New Testament. (This
divine wisdom is not found in the Quran, the Sunnah, and Islamic law, as Islamic scholars
understand them, fusing together Mosque and State. Both institutions are embodied in the one
person of Muhammad.) Fighting to keep the two realms separate and even to reestablish areligiously neutral state is the highest and most virtuous goal of these religiously neutral and
last-resort organizations made up of individual Christians. They justly do this so people of allwalks of life and religions can breathe free. No citizen should ever have to come under a
church and a state that have been fused together. To judge from history, it is a sad fact thatthe two institutions (fused as one) may eventually impose a religion on everyone or require a
tax from unconverted "second-class" citizens.
This Reaction Statement by the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria strikes theright balance on the heartbreaking problem of Muslim extremists attacking Christians and
churches on a large scale. He asks the g overnment to restore order, church buildings, and
homes. If I understand his Statement correctly, he seems to value the separation of Church
and State, following the New Testament. But the Statement assumes that Nigeria still has agovernment intact; Option One does not assume this.
(10) Once lasting peace and order have been restored, the organizations defending the weak and persecuted for secular-neutral goals must disband. They should return to normal life.
They should, however, get involved in the l eg al political process. Ballots, not bullets, are the best way to ensure a lasting peace in a nation that permits free speech and free political
parties (plural or more than one).
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But a word of caution. The political process must not yield to radical policies as reasonable people understand them. As noted, shariah is not moderate. It oppresses people, especially
women, by its very nature. The policies of fundamental Islam are incompatible with liberaldemocracies. To step outside of the African context only for a brief moment, Lebanon must
be careful not to surrender to shariah and fundamentalism. (It goes without saying that
terrorist groups are not invited to form political parties.) Extremists, such as Hizbullah, by
their nature are unreasonable. If given enough power, they will impose shariah, believing(wrongly) that God is leading them. And it is a fool¶s errand to t al k them out of their extreme
and barbaric goals that typically hide behind sweet words and warm smiles and are
implemented in small steps.
These ten New Testament guidelines based on two bedrock principles reflect what the
Founders of the USA worked out, for the most part. However, chaos and anarchy did not
prevail in the eighteenth century compared to situations in Africa today. Did militias in the
American War of Independence make mistakes? Yes, because all humans do. But on the
whole the early Americans followed the divine order laid out in the New Testament, whether
all of them did this with full knowledge of the sacred text or not. It is a blessed fact thatthings worked out well. Now all Americans of all backgrounds and religions enjoy a lot of
freedom and prosperity today.
All reasonable people around the globe want this kind of freedom and prosperity, except theradicals and fanatics, who are unreasonable by definition. After all promoters of true freedom
restore lasting order, the radicals and fanatics must be resisted only by words alone and bymoderate laws that ensure freedom for everyone, especially women.
Option Two: Flight
This option may be the best one during times of severe and widespread persecution,
particularly for civilians caught in the crossfire of bullets. But the option assumes that a
moderate, nonextremist government has the opportunity and the means to restore peace andfreedom, eventually.
This option depends on a brief history lesson from the early church. Saul (later known more
commonly as Paul) used to persecute the early Christians, before he had his Damascus Roadexperience and converted (Acts 9). He received this permission from the high priest and the
Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Saul approved of Stephen¶s martyrdom in this passage. Then heseems to have ignited or been a leader of a general persecution of all believers. Acts 8:1-3
reads:
1 And Saul was there [at the stoning of Stephen], giving approval to [Stephen¶s] death. On
that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the
apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen andmourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house,he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. (Acts 8:1-3)
Though suffering greatly, the Christians did not raise a militia to defend themselves or the
weak²most of them were the weak. They did not assassinate Saul. Rather, they defendedthemselves by wisely fleeing the severe persecution.
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These New Testament Christians practiced wisdom that is relevant to today. Civilian populations in our times must flee from conflict and severe persecution. If the church, in its
entirety, has the option to seek refuge away from the conflict and severe persecution, then itshould take that path. Christians may return to their homes after order has been restored by a
just government, as reasonable people understand it (see the last paragraph under Option Two
here for a minimal definition of a ³just government´). It seems that the early Christians
eventually returned to theirs, after the persecution stopped (e.g. Acts 11:1-2; 15:4).
Of course, no one needs any sacred text to tell him or her to flee persecution. But the New
Testament is important for hundred of millions of Christians who may not know it fully. So it
should be explained, for they may believe wrong things about it. For example, deliberately
seeking or fatalistically submitting to martyrdom is nowhere taught in the New Testament.
Jesus had a unique and special call to die for the sins of the world. No one else has his call.
Simply said, it is often best to walk or run away from trouble (Matthew 10:23; Luke 21:20-
21), though flight itself is a hardship. No one has to fight all the time. In fact, fighting (Option
One) is the last resort, under extreme and specific circumstances. But each conflict is
different, so churches must seek the wisdom of God in their own context.
I used the words "just government" but how does one define them? At a minimum, a just
government has these three policies: (a) freedom of religion for all individual believers,
without imposing a second-class tax on nonMuslims or members of another religion, and
without imposing anti-apostasy laws, and without imposing shariah; (b) free speech that may
criticize the government or a religion; and (c) political freedom so people may form political
parties. Any government that does not allow, at a minimum, all three is unjust.
Conclusion
The New Testament offers options and therefore freedom. Option Two may be the best in
most cases, but no church should follow rigid rules. It m
ay be possibl e t om
erge bot hopti ons, in one way or anot her , sel ectively d one. Or churches may come u p wit h t heir own
opti ons. These ten guidelines could be expanded and more could be added in; they could also be applied to other extreme cases around the globe. In each extreme situation in which the
church finds itself, leaders have plenty of discretionary choices. But I would urge all churchesto follow the clear teaching of the New Testament, particularly the separation of the Church
and the State, if they are forced, as a last resort, to form armed organizations for self-defenseand for the protection of the oppressed living under anarchy and widespread and extreme
persecution.
Next, historical events and the ideals of the New Testament may conflict, despite the best
intentions of the ones who are defending themselves and the persecuted. As terrible events
unfold rapidly, African Christians may not follow ideals. We should be careful not to judgethem too harshly (though all criminals should be prosecuted). At least with these ten
principles and with the option to flee, all Christians everywhere now have the basics of the
New Testament, which provides a lot of divine guidance.
In the long run, once lasting peace and order are restored and the refugees have returned totheir homes, voting is the best way to establish religious and political freedom for all . Ballots,
not bullets, ensure lasting peace in a nation that allows freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of political parties (plural or more than one).
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Despair is to the mind what starvation is to the body. No one should live without hope. Thatis a terrible plight. The free and prosperous churches around the globe should help in
practical ways persecuted churches and all oppressed peoples, especially those stuck inrefugee camps.
Compass Direct News keeps track of the persecution of Christians around the world.
Samaritan¶s Purse, overseen by Franklin Graham (son of Billy Graham), delivers materials
and food to oppressed people. I strongly recommend a donation to this organization.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide follows the plight of persecuted Christians.
And so does the Barnabas Fund.
Copyright by James Malcolm Arlandson.