| Highlights of DAWN | February 1976 |
Sword of Steel?
or Sword of the Spirit?
AS THE world attempts to chart a path for its guidance in the year which has so shortly begun, it does so with fear and misgivings. The parcel of unresolved troubles that the old year left on the threshold of the new makes an unwelcome gift; and there is no way of knowing what additional thorny problems the months ahead will bring forth. Unemployment, inflation, hunger, pollution, fiscal irresponsibility, crime, corruption—all seem to be beyond the ability of our governing authorities to resolve.
High on the list of these unresolved problems is the ever-present threat of war—perhaps the worst affliction of them all—bringing unimaginable suffering and evils upon countless numbers of the innocent and defenseless. At the moment, this nation is not actively engaged in any war, but the fear of again becoming so engaged is arousing many Americans to protest this nation’s actions in connection with the civil war now going on in Angola. Having endured the agony of a decade of ruinous war in Vietnam, the people have no stomach for another such tragic experience.
Plowshares into Swords
But this present antipathy on the part of the people toward war is no assurance that war will be averted. It is true that draft calls upon our young men have been suspended, but on becoming of military age our youth are still required to register. Meanwhile, the Defense Department is endeavoring to build up the army through volunteers. It is also spending vast sums to develop new weapons systems in order to be ready, as they see it, for any eventuality. Also, there is continued great concern in high places over the possibility of renewed warfare in the Mideast, which could quickly draw in nations other than those initially involved.
This possibility of armed conflict is giving concern, not only to the military, but also to certain of the clergy. One highly regarded religious journal recently featured an article entitled “Can a Christian Go to War?” and the conclusion of the writer was, not only that he can, but that under certain conditions he should bear arms in the defense of his country. Going one step further, he contends that certain wars that are not strictly wars of self-defense—such as the recent conflict in Vietnam—may not be contrary to biblical teaching.
In support of this position he cites God’s instructions to his ancient people Israel, specifically Deuteronomy the 20th chapter, as authority for Christians, under certain circumstances, to kill their enemies. He also cites Jesus’ praise of the Roman soldier, of whom he said, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Too, he quotes Paul’s admonition to the church to live peaceably with all men, but lays great stress on the words, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you.” Thus, he states, Paul is making a qualification which permits men, when they cannot live peaceably, to take up arms.
Whatever may or may not be said concerning Old Testament incidents of death by war or by sentence, our Lord Jesus made it abundantly clear that the law of the new, Christian dispensation is vastly higher than any that preceded it. In his Sermon on the Mount he said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. … Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—Matt. 5:5-11
“But I Say unto You”
Here Jesus is speaking to those who aspire to be his followers, and nothing in these statements suggests that the Christian may take up arms to fight for his rights, or even to defend himself against attack or persecution. Indeed, Jesus commands quite the reverse. Then he gives specific examples of the exalted standards required of the Christian. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment.” (Matt. 5:21) Jesus here flatly reaffirms the old law commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” But going far beyond that, he says that one who is simply angry with his brother shall, like the murderer, be in danger of the judgment.
Then Jesus continued, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matt. 5:27,28) Again, we see the lofty standards of righteousness and virtue enjoined upon the footstep followers of Jesus in this present Gospel dispensation. How greatly they transcend the law that was given to Moses for the guidance of God’s typical people!
Speaking further, Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate [love less] thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matt. 5:43,44) Love your enemies, Jesus tells us. How can we shoot those whom we love? Nay, we are, contrariwise, even to pray for them.
The Higher Law of the Gospel Age
Again Jesus spoke: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, That ye resist not [one who is] evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matt. 5:38,39) These statements by Jesus were not empty rhetoric; he lived out these very precepts in his own tortured life. These principles clearly instruct the Christian as to the part he is to play if confronted with the order to take up arms.
It is true, of course, that our Lord was greatly pleased with the faith that was manifested toward him by the centurion; so pleased, indeed, that he immediately healed the centurion’s servant of his illness. But Jesus neither commended nor condemned the centurion on his occupation. He commented on one fact, and one fact alone, relative to the centurion, and that was his faith, contrasting it with the lack of faith displayed by those to whom he was specifically sent in Israel. And thus he drew a valuable lesson.
“Put Up Again Thy Sword”
Yes, our Lord lived up to his own precepts. He was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. (Heb. 7:26) So greatly did he love the world of mankind, including sinners and enemies, that he gave his life for them. When he was apprehended by the vengeful mob, brought before the council, falsely accused and crucified, he made no attempt to defend himself. At the very end of his ministry, when Peter drew his sword to defend his Master, Jesus spoke his last words on the subject. “Put up again thy sword into his place,” he directed Peter, “for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Matt. 26:52-54) It is not unlikely that Jesus permitted Peter to carry a sword at that particular time, so that he might make his final point that they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
The Apostle Paul also had something to say on this matter. In several of his letters to the churches he denounced murder as the work of the flesh. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” But the fruit of the Spirit, he tells us, “is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.”—Gal. 5:19-22
True, the apostle did write to the church at Rome, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Rom. 12:18) The apostle was a practical man, and knew that all men are not easy to get along with. But he did not say that inability to live in absolute agreement with all men constitutes justification for shooting them!
Indeed, he specifically instructed the brethren of the Roman church, “Thou shalt not kill.” He admonished them to “preach the Gospel of peace,” and to “follow after the things which make for peace.” (Rom. 13:9; 10:15; 14:19) To the Hebrew brethren he wrote, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14) And to the Corinthian church he wrote, “Brethren, … live in peace; and the God of … peace shall be with you.”—II Cor. 13:11
The Real Armor of the Christian Soldier
Paul also makes figurative use of the armor of a soldier to stress the need for Christians to be properly equipped in their fight against the fiery darts and temptations of the Devil. But this in no way implies that he is instructing them to follow the calling of worldly soldiers, or to take up arms to kill their fellow men. The armor that he proposes they shall gird on is the whole armor of God: the breastplate of righteousness, the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Eph. 6:11-17) These weapons of the Spirit will protect the Christian soldier in his battle against the rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places; but they will work no harm against flesh and blood.
It is clear from the Scriptures that the Lord’s people must obey the injunction, “Thou shalt not kill,” and this injunction applies whether the experience involves defense of oneself, or defense of one’s country.
Nonetheless, every footstep follower of the Master knows full well that the Christian life is a constant battle against the world, the flesh, and the Devil, and that he will have ample opportunities and trying experiences to employ whatever measure of courage, self-discipline, and fortitude that his nature may possess—possibly even unto death. These experiences will result largely from his efforts to make known the glad tidings of the kingdom to all with whom he comes in contact, and from holding up the glorious banner of truth, even as they did with Jesus, even as they have with all the Lord’s people down through the Gospel Age. For preaching the truth is an outstanding part of the work entrusted to the Lord’s people in this age. And if one would fight and die as a soldier, how better to fight and die, if need be, than as a soldier for Jesus Christ?
Jesus’ Preaching of the Acceptable Year
Our Lord, of course, is our Example; and he clearly indicated that preaching the word of salvation was an important part of his own mission on earth, second only to the giving of his life as a ransom price for Adam. We read in Luke’s account that shortly following Jesus’ baptism at Jordan, and after being tempted for forty days of the Devil, he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. There he went into the synagogue and read aloud those wonderful words of the Prophet Isaiah which he knew applied to himself and marked out his commission to preach:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”—Luke 4:16-19 (Isa. 61:1,2)
Jesus spent three-and-a-half trying years preaching the Gospel. Never once did bodily weariness, or threats upon his life, or persecution, deter him from his appointed mission. His only place of occasional rest was the home of his dear friend Lazarus. He said on one occasion, wistfully, one must think, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”—Matt. 8:20
On another occasion Jesus decided to change the scene of his preaching and was on the long journey by foot from Judea to Galilee, which required that he pass through Samaria. Being wearied with his journey, Jesus sought to rest by sitting awhile on the edge of Jacob’s well, while his disciples went into the city to buy food.
At the well, we recall, he was spoken to by a woman of Samaria, who came to draw water. In view of his weariness and hunger, how easily might Jesus have ignored the woman’s questions, especially as she was a Samaritan, with whom the Jews had no dealings. But Jesus saw the occasion only as a priceless opportunity to tell forth the good news of the kingdom and of everlasting life for “whosoever will.” The woman later went into the city and told of her experience with this one who announced himself as the Messiah, and the men of the city went out to see him.
My Meat Is God’s Will
But Jesus had neither rested nor eaten. So his disciples, having returned with food, now urged him to eat. But Jesus said to them “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”
This reply greatly surprised his disciples. They had gone to some trouble to provide him with nourishment, and now his whole attitude was one of utter indifference to physical food. So great, indeed, was his indifference, that they supposed that he must have eaten in their absence. “Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?”—John 4:33
Jesus had, indeed, partaken of meat in their absence; but it was a meat of which they did not know. It was the meat of doing the will of God, and from this higher source of nourishment he gained strength and sustenance. In this case, God’s will for him was to preach to the woman of Samaria; and so intent was he on his task that he forgot his fatigue and his hunger and, indeed, found himself refreshed.
He then went on to impress them with a further lesson that would additionally show them why he was indifferent to the physical food they had brought to him. It was the fact that the time was short for the work that must be done. “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”—John 4:35
Obviously the disciples did not at that time share Jesus’ sense of urgency to preach the Gospel. Surely, one should be permitted time to eat and to rest! But Jesus, by his example, had shown them that there was a work to be done, and one’s physical needs are secondary to that work.
“And Many Believed Because of His Own Word”
Then the Lord spoke those words that have so encouraged all the reapers down through the age, even to this day: “He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” (John 4:36) And because the Lord had placed the service of the Heavenly Father ahead of his own physical needs, we are told that many believed: “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. … And many more believed because of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”—John 4:39-42
Thus He went for three-and-a-half years—preaching, enduring, and suffering, until the cross—until he finished the work that he had come to do.
So also did the Apostle Paul. There was never a time or place wherein Paul did not find or make an opportunity to tell forth the glorious message. “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel!” was his constant thought. (I Cor. 9:16) He was ever faithful to his commission “to bear … [Jesus’] name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.”—Acts 9:15
Immediately after the conversion of this persecutor of the early church, we read that “straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:20) Having miraculously come to a knowledge of the truth of God’s great love and Jesus’ sacrifice for the world, Paul could not bear to waste a single glorious moment, not a single precious opportunity to preach. He was caught up with a consuming passion to get on with the business of preaching the Gospel message. Indeed, so complete and swift was his transformation that many had great difficulty accepting him in his new role. “All who heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.”—Acts 9:21,22
Paul’s Sufferings As a Christian Soldier
Thus we find Paul, as a Christian soldier enlisted for life in the service of his beloved Lord, stoned and left for dead at Lystra; hailed before the magistrates in Philippi, beaten, and thrown into prison; driven out of Thessalonica at night by the angry Jews; hailed again before the judgment seat at Corinth; forced to flee for his life from Ephesus by the irate silversmiths; rescued from the furious mob by the Roman captain of the band and his soldiers in Jerusalem; saved once more from being “pulled in pieces” by the members of the Jewish council; in custody for two whole years at Caesarea; shipwrecked on the island of Malta; imprisoned in Rome for long years; and finally, it is believed, beheaded at Rome. Surely Paul’s life, consumed in preaching the Gospel, demonstrates that there is ample opportunity for Christians to lay down their lives without taking up arms and killing and being killed in the wars of man.
At no time after his conversion on the road to Damascus did Paul ever once resort to physical action, even when he was viciously attacked, scourged, and stoned. But until his work was finished, the Lord kept a loving, protecting hand over his life.
Paul truly fought a good fight. It was the good fight of faith. (I Tim. 6:12) He was well armed, for his armor was the glorious light of the Gospel. (Rom. 13:12) He wore the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of righteousness. (Eph. 6:17,14), and carried the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Eph. 6:17) His feet were shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.—Eph. 6:15
He invites all who call themselves Christian to engage in this same good fight of faith for the sake of the Gospel, to put on the same invincible armor of God, and to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God—the only sword that the Lord’s true people are authorized of God to wield.