I'm just going to come out and say it. I hate this debate. I think it is stupid. I think it comes from those whose idea of suffering is working outside of air conditioning. I think it comes from a place of postmodern intellectualism disguising itself as Christianity. It displays a form of lazy theology, which takes one verse of the Bible and uses that verse to explain everything while ignoring larger context. I really hate it, and I'm tired of this going around while people are actually suffering until we decide to stop debating and actually go do something to help.
That's how I feel, and yet I keep getting dragged into it, which frustrates me even more. So instead of having to explain my thoughts 100 times over the next few years, I'm just going to write them down here, where now anytime this debate comes up again and someone asks, "what do you think?" I can point to this and say, "here you go!"
So bear with me. Here we go!
The Problem
As Christians we're called to be peacemakers. Jesus says in Matthew 5:9 that peacemakers are blessed and shall be called children of God. John writes in John 3:1 that we (saved by grace) are the children of God. Therefore we can assume that all who choose to be adopted by God through Jesus' blood are also called to be peacemakers.
War and violence, even in order for a good cause, are not peaceful.
Jesus further emphasizes our call to a life of peace in Matt. 5:39-41 (turn the other cheek, go two miles if asked to go one, etc...) and in Matt. 5:44 (love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you). In doing so He clearly lays out what our attitude should be toward those who hate us. He also overturns much of Jewish law and tradition that the Jews had known to be straight from God for thousands of years. He also was teaching against the violent, sinful nature man knew innately. Not a small deal.
This theme of peace and loving others, even those who hate us, continues throughout the New Testament in far too many references to list here. So it's clear that what Jesus said here was not simply a one-time thing to a specific group. His teaching on love and peace here is for all of His followers, now and forever.
And finally, to complicate matters further, Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12 that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil.
All of this leads us to The Problem. What do we do when others are suffering heavily and the only power we have to stop it immediately is brute force? Does Jesus really just want us to sit by and watch and pray without intervening?
... Well?
The Solution
Now is where I try not to rant but to actually approach this scholarly. But then again, where's the fun in that?
Look, I've been a Spirit-filled Christian now since I was a teenager. I've graduated ministry school and I learned for years under my father who was a Spirit-filled priest with a Master's in theology. I have served in church in some form since I was 17. I have been an elder at age 24 and a pastoral intern. I love Jesus with all my heart, I love the Bible as the Word of God, and I do my best to love each and every person in this world. I believe 100% word for word all the passages I quoted above.
And still I would drop bombs on ISIS until every single one of them were nothing but dust on the earth.
You see, I believe unequivocally that we are to live in peace and love with all mankind. But I also believe that there is evil in this world that often manifests itself physically through human beings. I believe God gave us the Bible to guide us, but I also believe He gave us the Holy Spirit to help guide us through what the Bible is teaching us. I believe the Holy Spirit, as we grow in it, gives us wisdom. I believe wisdom often manifests itself as "common sense." And I believe that common sense wisdom says that when you see an innocent child, woman, or man being assaulted you do something about it, in the physical.
It's easy to be a pacifist when you don't have any fight in your path. It's easy to quote Jesus in a way that I believe is out of context when people are dying thousands of miles away. But the truth is this:
If you don't believe in helping people with violence when violence is called for, you are a coward. Plain and simple.
If you saw someone attacking a child and you stopped to pray about it, you're a coward.
If you had the chance to stop a woman from being raped and you simply prayed about it, you're a coward.
If you wouldn't do everything physically in your power to stop one human being from brutally killing another one you are a coward.
I know one thing about Jesus, He was no coward.
It is true that Jesus told us to turn the other cheek when someone struck us. This same Jesus told His disciples to sell their cloaks and buy swords the night before He was betrayed (Luke 22:36). This same Jesus took the time to fashion a whip and then cause havoc in the temple because He was defending the honor of His Father's house (John 2). He was a friend to soldiers and never encouraged them to find other employment. In Revelation Jesus is described as the leader of heaven's armies (Revelation 19). Jesus is clearly not a pacifist.
So what about the teachings quoted earlier?
If we take the full context of Scripture, even just the New Testament, we are given a much clearer picture of what Jesus meant is these teachings. So let's break them down.
1. "Blessed are the peacemakers."
I think this is where we ask ourselves, what is a peacemaker? Some would say it's someone who always chooses non-violent solutions. But this goes against everything the Bible teaches us. First of all, while the question of physical violence is in debate among Christians, the question of spiritual violence is not at all. We are quite comfortable doing battle in the spirit realm often. We pray in earnest (or "violently") for healing, or salvation, or for deliverance. We are constantly in violent battle over our thoughts. And yet we still can live in peace. So what's the difference between contending in the spiritual or in the physical?
I would contend that the word "peacemaker" means someone who contends to make a place for peace. That contention is often violent. A peacemaker, therefore, is a warrior. Either in the spirit realm or in the physical. They are someone who clears away evil so that peace may reside.
Which naturally brings me to when Paul says...
2. "Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual."
Dangit. He just totally ruined my last answer... or did he?
The same Paul who wrote this also writes in Romans 13:2-5-
Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 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 you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
Hmm, I'm pretty sure he's talking about physical punishment here. So apparently Paul was either really confused or he knew that truths held in tension bring us to deeper truth. I'm going with the latter.
On one hand Paul is telling us not to fight in the physical, and on the other hand he's telling us that God gives us authorities to physically punish wrongdoers. So which is it?
Let me say that I believe what Paul writes in Eph. 6 is the higher truth. I believe that we are to see everything as a spiritual battle. We are not to look at the physical first and foremost. We are to believe that it is not actually people spearheading the evil happening but the spiritual forces behind them. Man was created good, it is when man chooses to worship either himself or darkness that he becomes an instrument of evil. We are to always be aware of this and spiritually battling against it.
But at the same time... sometimes a good physical butt-whupping is needed. Sometimes a physical battle is going to be part of the spiritual one. Paul, in his wisdom from the Spirit, recognized this. So did Jesus, as is clear from the larger context of the Bible.
Of course, there's still...
3. "Turn the other cheek."
Ah yes, the most popular oft-quoted verse of any pacifist, whether they are Christian or atheist. This phrase is the mantra for people who love doing nothing when others are in need of intervention.
So it seems pretty clear doesn't it? Yes, I would agree. It's very clear.
It's clear, but it's not simple.
First of all, what's the context here? Jesus is talking to Jews who were raised "eye for an eye!" If someone hurts you, you hurt them back the same way. But the time for that way of life was over, and so Jesus is teaching them the exact opposite of that way of life. He needed to be extreme in order to reset their religious mindset that was based on revenge and not love.
He follows the "turn the other cheek" teaching immediately by telling us to love our enemies, and to bless those who persecute us. Further expanding the notion of loving those who wrong us. And I believe all of it. Every word. I believe even in loving the Islamic extremists, and I pray for their salvation and their repentance that they may know something more than the hate they live in.
But I also pray that if they don't repent, that they are physically stopped, by whatever force necessary.
You see, one thing constantly missed about the larger context of what Jesus is teaching here is that He is teaching an enslaved people. They are not free, they are not powerful. They are under the rule of Rome. They have no hope of overcoming Rome with power, and yet many of them were seeking to rebel anyways, and such plans would eventually lead to Jerusalem being destroyed in A.D 70.
Jesus is telling people who have no physical power how to still be spiritually powerful. Through love. He is teaching the persecuted how to endure persecution and ultimately win the spiritual battle.
This teaching is also a personal teaching. Notice He never says, "when you see someone being raped and are in position to stop it, turn the other cheek!" No, He is talking to individuals about their own personal experiences. On our own, when we are the ones being persecuted, we are to turn the other cheek, and let the persecutor see our spiritual strength, our love. This teaching has NOTHING to say about what we do in times of defending others. Why?
BECAUSE THE PRINCIPLES FOR DEFENDING OTHERS NEVER CHANGED!!!
When it comes to defending others, we have the guidelines for instituting justice in the Old Testament. Paul talks about this when he talks about authorities in our lives. Authorities are people in positions of power. They have the power to institute justice, often through physical punishment.
Don't agree with me? Try finding these phrases in the Bible:
"Don't defend your family. Leave them to suffer."
"Allow the evildoer to hurt as many as he can."
"Toss out all laws and just love others."
"Never allow someone to be punished."
The Conclusion
There is nowhere in the Bible that tells us to avoid defending the defenseless, in fact there is quite a bit that advocates otherwise. There is also nowhere in the Bible that says that violence is never to be an answer. Not even in the New Testament.
Pacifism, the belief of never using violent force to intervene, is a cowardly and ultimately destructive belief system.
Using the Bible to condone pacifism shows a huge lack of contextual understanding by the reader. Either that or it displays a blatant attempt to use the Bible to validate one's personal beliefs with no regard for what the actual truth is.
Debating this ultimately is wasting time when action is needed. Western Chrstians, it's time to grow a spine and help out our brothers and sisters who are being killed by the millions worldwide, and if that means using force, so be it.
On one hand Paul is telling us not to fight in the physical, and on the other hand he's telling us that God gives us authorities to physically punish wrongdoers. So which is it?
Let me say that I believe what Paul writes in Eph. 6 is the higher truth. I believe that we are to see everything as a spiritual battle. We are not to look at the physical first and foremost. We are to believe that it is not actually people spearheading the evil happening but the spiritual forces behind them. Man was created good, it is when man chooses to worship either himself or darkness that he becomes an instrument of evil. We are to always be aware of this and spiritually battling against it.
But at the same time... sometimes a good physical butt-whupping is needed. Sometimes a physical battle is going to be part of the spiritual one. Paul, in his wisdom from the Spirit, recognized this. So did Jesus, as is clear from the larger context of the Bible.
Of course, there's still...
3. "Turn the other cheek."
Ah yes, the most popular oft-quoted verse of any pacifist, whether they are Christian or atheist. This phrase is the mantra for people who love doing nothing when others are in need of intervention.
So it seems pretty clear doesn't it? Yes, I would agree. It's very clear.
It's clear, but it's not simple.
First of all, what's the context here? Jesus is talking to Jews who were raised "eye for an eye!" If someone hurts you, you hurt them back the same way. But the time for that way of life was over, and so Jesus is teaching them the exact opposite of that way of life. He needed to be extreme in order to reset their religious mindset that was based on revenge and not love.
He follows the "turn the other cheek" teaching immediately by telling us to love our enemies, and to bless those who persecute us. Further expanding the notion of loving those who wrong us. And I believe all of it. Every word. I believe even in loving the Islamic extremists, and I pray for their salvation and their repentance that they may know something more than the hate they live in.
But I also pray that if they don't repent, that they are physically stopped, by whatever force necessary.
You see, one thing constantly missed about the larger context of what Jesus is teaching here is that He is teaching an enslaved people. They are not free, they are not powerful. They are under the rule of Rome. They have no hope of overcoming Rome with power, and yet many of them were seeking to rebel anyways, and such plans would eventually lead to Jerusalem being destroyed in A.D 70.
Jesus is telling people who have no physical power how to still be spiritually powerful. Through love. He is teaching the persecuted how to endure persecution and ultimately win the spiritual battle.
This teaching is also a personal teaching. Notice He never says, "when you see someone being raped and are in position to stop it, turn the other cheek!" No, He is talking to individuals about their own personal experiences. On our own, when we are the ones being persecuted, we are to turn the other cheek, and let the persecutor see our spiritual strength, our love. This teaching has NOTHING to say about what we do in times of defending others. Why?
BECAUSE THE PRINCIPLES FOR DEFENDING OTHERS NEVER CHANGED!!!
When it comes to defending others, we have the guidelines for instituting justice in the Old Testament. Paul talks about this when he talks about authorities in our lives. Authorities are people in positions of power. They have the power to institute justice, often through physical punishment.
Don't agree with me? Try finding these phrases in the Bible:
"Don't defend your family. Leave them to suffer."
"Allow the evildoer to hurt as many as he can."
"Toss out all laws and just love others."
"Never allow someone to be punished."
The Conclusion
There is nowhere in the Bible that tells us to avoid defending the defenseless, in fact there is quite a bit that advocates otherwise. There is also nowhere in the Bible that says that violence is never to be an answer. Not even in the New Testament.
Pacifism, the belief of never using violent force to intervene, is a cowardly and ultimately destructive belief system.
Using the Bible to condone pacifism shows a huge lack of contextual understanding by the reader. Either that or it displays a blatant attempt to use the Bible to validate one's personal beliefs with no regard for what the actual truth is.
Debating this ultimately is wasting time when action is needed. Western Chrstians, it's time to grow a spine and help out our brothers and sisters who are being killed by the millions worldwide, and if that means using force, so be it.
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