On Man & Violence War Defense & Killing - Biblically - a Sober look at Heavy Topic

[@goodshepherdtraining8544]

Although I don’t fully agree I respect that you posted that one thing I would say is that the holy Bible does not start with Mathew

[@yeahnah3erter]

I don't think the "sell your cloak and buy a sword" thing is a good argument because there is an aspect of this which was to fulfil prophecy, as we see in the verses to follow "For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.” In other words, that Christ was *seen* to be in rebellion was important as a stepping stone to his ultimate purpose and the fulfilment of prophecy - by which others might recognise him fully as the promised Messiah. I think however the better argument is Christ's interactions with soldiers, including the Centurion in Luke 7:6-9. "He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Christ does not condemn the centurion but applauds his faith - no condemnation is offered, nor is there a call to depart from soldiering, such as we see with the Samaritan woman at the well. Luke 3:14 is also very illustrative, where John the Baptist offers no condemnation of the profession of soldiery in and of itself, but rather tells soldiers to be content with their wages, to act honestly, and not to practice extortion. One cannot be content with the wages of a soldier's profession if one is not allows to be a soldier! A further example might also be found in the Bible's general affirmation of obedience to good governance in Romans 13 - the ruler is said to wield a sword against evil, and is given authority from God to do so. The consistent pattern we see is that violence is permitted not for personal grievance or personal gain, but for general social good (law enforcement), for a specific purpose marked out by God (e.g. Ancient Israel's conquests), or for the maintenance of nations (soldiery), or for the defence of others.