Bible Questions and Answers

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The expression is not ‘die by the sword’ but ‘perish with the sword’.

 

It cannot mean that everyone who takes up a weapon to use it will be killed by a weapon. I believe that the KJV translators made the right choice in translating the Greek word as ‘with’.

 

We all ‘die’, but the hope in Christ is that we will not all ‘perish’ (ie be destroyed forever). We know that when Christ returns to judge the world and establish the kingdom of God all wars will cease and the manufacture and use of weapons will come to an end.

 

Isaiah 2:4 ...he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

 

What I understand Jesus to mean is that those ‘in Christ’ who take and use a sword (or any other weapon) to resist evil will be raised from the dead and rejected by him at the judgment. They will perish ‘with’ – that is: 'alongside' or ‘at the same time as’ all of mankind’s weapons are destroyed.

 

Those who believe the gospel and are baptised into Christ for the remission of sins are not to resist evil.

 

 

The commandment is clear – we are not to offer resistance to those who would harm us. Jesus set the example. He could have defended himself with twelve legions of angels but he did not. 

 

Matthew 5:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

 

God, in allowing his beloved son to be killed by wicked men, also set us an example, showing us that under the new covenant in Christ we are not to use force even to defend our loved ones. This is not an easy concept, but we have to remember that this life is temporary and we all die sooner or later, whereas the life promised is eternal. For those in Christ, death is but a sleep awaiting the resurrection.

 

When Peter attempted to defend Jesus and cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear, Jesus rebuked him and healed the man.

 

Luke 22:51 ...Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

 

Peter was still thinking like a natural man. He had been determined from the time that Christ told him of his impending death that he wouldn’t stand by and let it happen.

 

 

Peter had a big lesson to learn and at the same time provide an example for us. James and John had a similar problem with the Samaritans

 

 

There is no record of armed resistance by Christians over the death of Stephen, or James, or Peter’s imprisonment by Herod to be put to death after Passover (Acts 12:4-17).  When Peter is released by the angel and he goes to the house where the believers are gathered, we do not find them sharpening swords and plotting to release him by force.

 

There is no armed resistance recorded in the New Testament. James makes the point that the ‘just’ were killed without resistance.

 

James 5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

 

What we find is exhortation not to resist evil in any way.

 

When Christians suffered severe persecution following the death of Stephen, they did not fight it. They left Jerusalem and went elsewhere. The devout men (Acts 8:2) who carried Stephen to his burial and lamented his death are not castigated for failing to protect him.

 

Those in Christ are to be an example in good works only. We are to love our enemies and do good, repaying good for evil.

 

Luke 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

 

Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

We are not avenge ourselves, but leave all in the hands of God.

 

 

We are not to think and act as the world acts, we are to follow Christ’s example as sheep to the slaughter.

 

 

1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation (behaviour) in Christ.

 

 

At supper Jesus had told the apostles that they must buy themselves swords.

 

They took him literally, as they usually did, and produced two. 

 

Luke 22:36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one... 38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

 

As it turns out, one was Peter’s.

 

From what Jesus subsequently says to Peter with regard to ‘taking the sword’ it follows that the apostles would be forced to re-evaluate what Jesus had meant.  As in the case of the ‘leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees’, it becomes obvious that Jesus is not speaking literally but metaphorically. 

 

Matthew 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

 

What the apostles lacked was spiritual understanding – the sword of the spirit. Their warfare was not to be carnal but spiritual. They had to stop thinking like men and think like Jesus.

 

 

 

Preaching the gospel involves changing the way that men think, not harming them.

 

 

We can’t imagine that the disciples still carried the swords after Jesus’ resurrection; when they finally understood the gospel, and he sent them to preach it.

 

 

Concerning the protection of our families the principle as I understand it is this: 

 

There has never been a person as innocent in a Godly sense as Jesus, but the disciples were not permitted to use physical force to protect him.

 

 

Those in Christ are not therefore justified to use physical force in this world to protect the ‘innocent’. If they were, they would do nothing but fight; because the world is full of evil perpetrated against the ‘innocent’. Where would we draw the line?

 

For the protection of our families we must trust in the living God. Not even a sparrow dies without God being aware of it. If we suffer the loss of loved ones we must recognize it as a trial of faith and learn from the attitude of Job:

 

Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

 

The gospel is preached in all nations and men and women of all nationalities are baptized into the one body of Christ. It follows that they cannot then join the armed forces of their respective countries and fight against each other. This is not obeying the commandments of Christ. Those in Christ cannot embrace nationalism and politics because the end result is that ‘Christian’ fights ‘Christian’.

 

Those who believe the gospel and are baptized into Christ have to be separate from the politics of this world.

 

 

In conclusion: if we protect ourselves and our families with fire arms we are acting contrary to the commandments of Christ and will perish at the judgment when all weapons are destroyed.

 

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I hope you have found this helpful.

 

God bless,

Glenn