We began looking at war from the Old Testament in “War & Killing and the Bible Christian (1)”. That should be read first, before this Part (2). Our foundational verses from (1) won’t be repeated here.
In Part 1, the difference between killing and murder was noted. Killing an individual as capital punishment for a capital crime is justified, scripturally. Killing as punishment isn’t murder. On a larger scale, killing in war is warranted or vindicated…when it’s done in self-defense or to ‘end gross violation of human rights’ or cruel oppression. If so justified, it’s a ‘Just War’. It isn’t unlawful murder. And a nation which refuses to defend itself against undue attack would be negligent in its duty to its citizenry.
In this Part 2, we’ll look at war primarily from New Testament (NT) verses, and more recently. The NT doesn’t directly address the subject of war. But it does affirm that government (govt) institutions are from God. Anarchy isn’t God’s method. Also see the topic “Governmental Loyalty for Christians”.
Ac.22:24-29 the apostle Paul, a Roman citizen, resisted illegal mistreatment. He didn’t misconstrue “turn the other cheek”. Jews wanted to kill him. Paul asserted his rights. Ac.23:20-33 then two centurions with 200 soldiers protected Paul from Jews in Jerusalem, and brought him safely to governor Felix in Caesárea for a hearing. A standing army (or a militia) or police force can be used to protect citizens.
Jesus said in Mt.5:39, “Don’t resist evil; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also”. Individuals aren’t to take the law into their own hands. But if we can defend our family from an intruder (Ex.22:2), Jesus didn’t say to turn our family’s cheek so they submit to possibly being murdered!
Continuing in Mt.5:43-44, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy’. But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Le.19:18 “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Pharisee oral law added a racist clause about hating enemies (perhaps stretching De.23:3-6). In the Lk.10:29-37 parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus explained to the Jewish lawyer who his neighbor is. Jews and Samaritans were historical enemies. God didn’t authorize personal vengeance, Ro.12:18-19. Individuals aren’t to perpetrate racial fighting or wage war.
Lk.3:14 John baptized Jewish soldiers (of Herod?). He told them not to extort from anyone by violence, don’t make false accusations, and be content with their wages or rations. Don’t attempt to unlawfully increase them. Don’t abuse others. Lk.7:1-10 is the account of the faithful Roman (gentile) centurion, a leader of 100 men. Also the Ac.10 centurion Cornelius became the first gentile to receive the Holy Spirit.
The NT doesn’t say whether or not those believing centurions changed jobs after conversion. The Roman military was tied to false Roman religion. Depending on seniority, the centurion class paralleled the modern rank of major to one-star general (ref historian Colin Wells). Roman officers were responsible for persecutions & torture. It seems doubtful that a converted Christian centurion or Roman soldier would want to serve amidst heathen religious rites, or would still persecute & torture fellow Christians.
As a man, the only ones Jesus used physical force against were the moneychangers or usurers (Mt.21:12-13, Jn.2:14-16). Jesus the man was nonviolent and innocent of wrongdoing (Jn.19:4). As a lamb, He didn’t resist being taken into custody, Lk.22:47-54. (Police today can use deadly force against a person, innocent or guilty, who resists arrest and assaults the officer.) Is.53:5-8 “The Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, He didn’t open His mouth.” Jesus, unlike us, was to be captured and crucified to die for our sins (1Jn.3:5). If Jesus’ ruling Kingdom was of this world, then His servants would fight to protect Him from the Jews (Jn.18:36). But it wasn’t of this world.
Yet Jesus the now glorified Lamb fights with and defeats those who wage war against Him! Re.17:14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them because He is King of kings and Lord of lords.” The just King vanquishes His enemies. Re.19:11-16 “In righteousness He judges and wages war.” Jesus wars to avenge and save the righteous; He sentences and punishes the wicked. God is the Giver of life. He can take life, as He chooses.
But the King of kings doesn’t authorize all aggressor nations of the world to selfishly conquer and steal land or goods from other nations. Aggressors murder civilians too! Also in Re.13:10, “He who kills with the sword must be killed by the sword”. What goes around, comes around. God is just. Jesus said to His disciple Peter in Mt.26:52, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword”. (Jesus must die.) No individual vengeance. God will take vengeance. He authorized law courts and govt (e.g. Ge.9:5-6, De.17:8-11) to maintain law & order and to wield His judgment.
Allan Turner The Christian & War “Should justice be sacrificed on the altar of ‘peace at any price’?” Pacifism sees war as immoral and should be abolished. But absolute pacifism itself can be immoral!
Capital punishment and warfare in self-defense kills, but isn’t murder. Sometimes it’s unjust to refrain from using force; it’s a nation’s duty to protect its citizens. Having a police force that’s committed to public protection, and to discourage criminality in the streets, isn’t evil. It’s to maintain law & order. The person who shoots at police may be killed. That isn’t murder. The policeman on duty isn’t pacifist.
War has been called a ‘necessary evil’. Yet the initial sin that leads to war is the evil first cause. Ja.4:1 “From where come wars and fightings among you? Don’t they come from cravings that war within you?” Somewhere sin or greed occurred which can escalate into war. Should Christians participate in war?
Christ didn’t allow His people ancient Israel to engage in alliances with other nations as “lovers”. Ho.8:9-10 “Ephráim has hired lovers. Even though they hire allies among the nations, they will begin to waste away.” Forming political alliances was rebellion against God. Is.30:1-3 “Woe to the rebellious children’, declares the Lord, ‘Who make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, to add sin to sin.” Is.36:5-6 also. 2Ch.16:7-10 King Asa of Judah foolishly trusted his alliance with Syria, rather than trusting God. Ezk.16:2, 33-39 of Judah’s disloyal lovers. (2Ch.20:35-37 Jehoshaphát’s alliance was bad.) Ezk.23:1-35 Israel & Judah played the harlot with other nations. They yoked themselves to the heathen. Christ sent them both into captivity! Yokes with unbelievers are unequal, and have ended badly. Like an ox yoked to a donkey, it doesn’t work. Paul wrote in 2Co.6:14-15, “Don’t be unequally yoked to unbelievers”.
Our USA Constitution is dated “in the Year of Our Lord 1787” (ref it’s Article VII). Some historians say this indicates the majority of its signers were Christians. Jesus Christ is Lord!
Prior to the 1890s, the USA was a non-interventionist nation. George Washington’s Farewell Address of 1796 expressed our policy of non-interventionism. In Thomas Jefferson’s 1801 inaugural address, “Essential principles of our government…peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none”. The USA would engage in trade with other nations, but wouldn’t interfere in other nations’ wars. The Constitution is non-interventionist, but isn’t isolationist. Pr.26:17 is a general principle…don’t meddle with strife not belonging to you. Be non-interventionist.
Paul wrote in 2Co.10:3-4, “Though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare aren’t of the flesh.” Matthew Poole Commentary 2Co.10:3 “The men of the world war for their honour and glory, or for revenge and satisfaction of their lusts, or for the enlarging of their territories and dominions; but we do not thus war after the flesh.” Rather, the Christian is to put on the defensive spiritual armor of God (Ep.6:12-17). The only offensive weapon is the figurative sword of the Spirit, the word of God. Onward Christian Soldiers (1871) “Like a mighty army, moves the Church of God.” That doesn’t refer to carnal warfare.
Whereas God will judge carnal wars of selfish or covetous imperialists (Hab.2:8-12).
Should a Christian support a wrong or evil war effort? Paul wrote in Ep.5:11, “Do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness”. Ellicott Commentary Ep.5:11 “Keep no terms with them.” McLaren’s Expositions “Notice the plain Christian duty of abstinence.” Paul also wrote in 1Ti.5:22, “Do not share in the sins of others; keep yourself pure”. Barnes Notes “In no way are we to participate in the sins of other people.” Don’t participate on the side of evil in war either. Pastor Chad Wagner “No government has the right to make its citizens kill other people who didn’t attack them.” We can object or avoid war.
It would be sin for a Christian to defile his conscience (e.g. Ac.24:16, Ti.1:15). “A conscientious objector is an ‘individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service.” (Wikipedia) Based on scripture…a citizen’s conscience may not allow him to participate in a war of aggression or imperialism. But it may allow him to fight in a war of self-defense. God is the only true Lawgiver and Judge (Ja.4:12). If there’s a conflict between obeying God and obeying human government, Peter said God is to be obeyed rather than men (Ac.5:29). Obedience to God would have precedence over an ungodly military duty. We don’t worship a human govt, be it democratic or dictatorial. Noncombatant service may or may not be a conscience issue.
Do our leaders submit to God’s principles and to our Constitution? If a govt cannot be trusted to tell the truth about the need to go to war, can an honest man fight for an untrustworthy govt policy? We’re to conscientiously try to determine the justness of our govt’s laws & policy, based on God’s right principles.
Jesus said in Mt.5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers”. When ancient Israel approached an enemy city, they were first to offer it terms of peace (De.20:10-11). Justice and righteousness result in peace (Is.32:16-18). A fruit of God’s Spirit is peace (Ga.5:22).
Opinions vary about the justness of USA govt decisions to join in modern wars. We abandoned neutrality in 1917 to enter WW1. We entered WW2 after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Statistics show that unemployment was even higher in 1939 than in 1931. It’s said that in 1941 President FDR was looking for a way to get into WW2 (war preparations hiring lowers unemployment). He allowed the Japanese oil supply to be cut off. Did this goad Japan into an act of aggression? Japan retaliated by attacking Pearl Harbor.
James Perloff Pearl Harbor: Hawaii Was Surprised; FDR Was Not “Comprehensive research has shown not only that Washington knew in advance of the attack, but that it deliberately withheld its foreknowledge from our commanders in Hawaii in the hope that the ‘surprise’ attack would catapult the U.S. into World War II. Oliver Lyttleton, British Minister of Production, stated in 1944: ‘Japan was provoked into attacking America at Pearl Harbor. It is a travesty of history to say that America was forced into the war’. A pre-war Gallup poll showed 88 percent of Americans opposed U.S. involvement in the European war.” What were the real reasons for our entry? Later Japan was willing to make peace before we dropped atom bombs. General Eisenhower opposed using the bomb…150,000 civilians died tragically!
The USA govt viewed the war in Vietnam as a means of preventing the spread of Communism. Was our involvement in Vietnam a war of aggression to help France re-conquer Vietnam? It’s said the early Tonkin Gulf incident was a phantom to boost public support for the war. This long war lasted 15 years (1959-1975)…and we didn’t win! Our economy was experiencing recession from 1957–1961; and a war can alleviate recession. During the war years, citizens increasingly objected to us being in Vietnam. By the year 2000, a Gallup poll indicated that 69% of citizens thought our involvement in the war had been a mistake.
“Money makes the world go ’round.” The USA & Federal Reserve has so wanted the U.S. dollar to remain the world’s reserve currency! But Iraq’s Saddam Hussein wanted to trade oil for euros, not petrodollars. Some say this was a significant reason for our going to war with Iraq. Libya’s Gaddafi wanted a gold–backed currency behind Libyan oil trade. This too could’ve hurt the dollar. Saddam and Gaddafi were eliminated, whatever the real reasons. Conspiracy theorists say evil secret groups plan wars.
Rogue nations which forbid usury & derivatives are holdouts from USA & world banker organizations, and are taken down (militarily)…Iraq, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan (Iran in future?). North Korea and Cuba are also holdouts. Of note, Christ forbad usury among ancient Israelites (ref De.23:19, Ne.5:7, Ps.15:5). see “Money (2) – Biblical Honest Weights, Usury”.
Allan Turner op. cit. “The prudent soldier who fights for what he believes in, but later discovers that the real reason for the war was obscured by lies…is not guilty!” The media may present conflicting info regarding war issues. Real reasons for going to war can be difficult to sort out. Young Christians of military age aren’t statesmen who may know what’s going on behind the scenes. Dedicated young men have been wounded or gave their lives in war to support a cause they believed in. They’re to be respected. I’m for being rightly patriotic to our country, while not engaging in misguided patriotism to wrong principles!
Modern America elects interventionist presidents (whereas our founders were non-interventionist). The USA tries to force usurious secular Western values on non-Western nations! We give foreign aid to nations who are each other’s enemies. And we have favorites. That causes much resentment internationally. There are even nations which hate the USA who gives them aid! As ancient Israel and its “lovers”, being unequally yoked to heathen or anti-Christ nations has led to dangerous problems.
Was the American Revolution a violation of God’s principles? Some historians think the American Revolution was a war of self-defense. (Ne.4:7-21 reflects self-defense.) That Britain had attacked America, not vice-versa? The American colonists’ formal appeals for peaceful reconciliation were met with militarism, violations of British Common Law. The colonists didn’t want anarchy. Colonial charters established self-rule under the British monarchy. They resisted British Parliament (“taxation without representation”) as being a seeming invader, but not initially in revolution. The Revolution was a response to the: 1770 Boston Massacre, 1774 Boston Tea Party & its aftermath, 1775 attacks on Concord & Lexington and the Williamsburg gunpowder incident. Freedom from oppression won out!
Moving forward, in the American Civil War of the 1860s, there were Christians from the North fighting against other Christians from the South…a great tragedy for our country!
In wars between peoples and nations today, there are Christian brothers fighting each other! In the present day Syria civil war, Christians are fighting Christians. Also Arab Christians in the Middle East fight Israeli Jewish Christians! (On the other side of the coin, the Israeli govt wants Arab Christians in Israel to enlist in Israel’s military, the IDF).
Concluding, Paul wrote in 1Ti.2:2, “…That you may live a quiet and peaceable life”. Supporting wars of aggression and selfish imperialism is wrong. Again, peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Ga.5:22). As the song goes, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me”. The word of the Lord in Is.2:1-4, “They will turn their swords into plowshares. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.” Eventually carnal warfare will be a thing of the past. God’s lawful principles and peace will be known by all nations! May the Lord hasten that day…Shalom!
Bible Topic Exposition 