The Christian Dilemma of War, pt. 6
As we saw last week, the just war theory is not without difficulties. It is a complex position on war because it requires the government and citizens to think very carefully concerning all the issues involved. Some have said the just war theory is not only about war, it’s about “a way of thinking that refuses to separate politics from ethics.” Jean Elshtain has noted that the just war theory has made positive contributions in our contemporary civic life. It rejects utopian fantasies, protests abuses of power, calls for proper action against injustice, fosters respect for other nations, and acknowledges the need for self-defense. It also is realistic about both human dignity and human depravity. Some wars are justifiable and some are not; the just war theory is an attempt to understand the difference.
As we conclude this series, we need to ask if the just war theory is compatible with the New Testament. Does the New Testament call for Christian pacifism? If so, it would be strictly forbidden for a Christian to serve as a soldier or governmental official possessing the power of the sword. However, the New Testament writers many times place soldiers and government officials in a positive light. John the Baptist told the soldiers gathered around him not to engage in extortion and to be content with their wages (Luke 3:14). John was not known for being timid; if being a soldier was immoral or an illegitimate profession he would have told them. In Matthew 8, Jesus praised a Roman centurion for having greater faith than anyone in Israel (8:5ff). In Acts 10, Peter was directed to the house of Cornelius, an active-duty centurion described as a devout man who feared God. Cornelius and his household became the first gentile converts to Christianity, and yet Peter did not command Cornelius to leave the military. There were also Christian men who served in the Roman government and possessed the power of the sword. Sergius Paulus was a proconsul (Acts 13:7, 12), Erastus (Rom. 16:23) was a city treasurer, and Zenas (Titus 3:13) was a lawyer. In all of these events, there is never a hint that being a soldier or serving in the government is incompatible with the Christian faith
Other examples that do not support pacifism include Jesus instructing his disciples to buy a sword for self-protection (Luke 22:36), his approval of a king who used the sword against wicked men (Matt. 21:33-41), and his suggestion that if his kingdom were an earthly kingdom the use of the sword would have been proper (John 18:36). One should not miss the metaphors of soldiers, warfare, and armor in the Christian life (Eph 6:10-20; 2 Tim 2:3-4; 2 Cor 10:1-6), or Paul’s appeal to military protection on several occasions (Acts 16, 22, 23, 25). If being a soldier was immoral, and the use of force always wrong, the numerous metaphors and appeals would have been inappropriate.
We live in a fallen world in which evil men desire to do bad things. As Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” This is why God has given governments the power of the sword to punish evil (Rom 13). War is a terrible thing, but unchallenged evil terrorizing the world is worse.
In the meantime, we have hope in Christ who promises that after the final battle of good and evil, there will be no more wars, no more pain, and no more death (Is. 2:4; Rev 21:4). That’s the day we long for.
As we conclude this series, we need to ask if the just war theory is compatible with the New Testament. Does the New Testament call for Christian pacifism? If so, it would be strictly forbidden for a Christian to serve as a soldier or governmental official possessing the power of the sword. However, the New Testament writers many times place soldiers and government officials in a positive light. John the Baptist told the soldiers gathered around him not to engage in extortion and to be content with their wages (Luke 3:14). John was not known for being timid; if being a soldier was immoral or an illegitimate profession he would have told them. In Matthew 8, Jesus praised a Roman centurion for having greater faith than anyone in Israel (8:5ff). In Acts 10, Peter was directed to the house of Cornelius, an active-duty centurion described as a devout man who feared God. Cornelius and his household became the first gentile converts to Christianity, and yet Peter did not command Cornelius to leave the military. There were also Christian men who served in the Roman government and possessed the power of the sword. Sergius Paulus was a proconsul (Acts 13:7, 12), Erastus (Rom. 16:23) was a city treasurer, and Zenas (Titus 3:13) was a lawyer. In all of these events, there is never a hint that being a soldier or serving in the government is incompatible with the Christian faith
Other examples that do not support pacifism include Jesus instructing his disciples to buy a sword for self-protection (Luke 22:36), his approval of a king who used the sword against wicked men (Matt. 21:33-41), and his suggestion that if his kingdom were an earthly kingdom the use of the sword would have been proper (John 18:36). One should not miss the metaphors of soldiers, warfare, and armor in the Christian life (Eph 6:10-20; 2 Tim 2:3-4; 2 Cor 10:1-6), or Paul’s appeal to military protection on several occasions (Acts 16, 22, 23, 25). If being a soldier was immoral, and the use of force always wrong, the numerous metaphors and appeals would have been inappropriate.
We live in a fallen world in which evil men desire to do bad things. As Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” This is why God has given governments the power of the sword to punish evil (Rom 13). War is a terrible thing, but unchallenged evil terrorizing the world is worse.
In the meantime, we have hope in Christ who promises that after the final battle of good and evil, there will be no more wars, no more pain, and no more death (Is. 2:4; Rev 21:4). That’s the day we long for.
Labels: just war theory
posted on Friday, July 11, 2008 |
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