What The Early Christians Believed About War

Interested in learning more about what early Christians believed? Visit thehistoricfaith.com where you will find online courses and community that will strengthen your love-faith relationship with Jesus Christ and His kingdom.
The Historic Faith is a project from Sattler College in partnership with Scroll Publishing.
Study Companion: www.amazon.com/What-Early-Chr...
Of all the evils that plague mankind, war is perhaps the greatest. In the past century alone, war claimed over 70 million lives. But Jesus taught His followers to love their enemies. He said, "All who take the sword will perish by the sword." Paul wrote, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh." Does this mean that Christians cannot go to war against their enemies? How literally did the early Christians take Jesus' teachings?

[@holzmann-]

could not have said it any better!

[@admiralmurat2777]

Spiritual wickedness in high places is about human evil rulers and governments. We don't fight these evil institutions with carnal warfare but with being a living example of Jesus growing the church convicting all people.

[@genegerard1987]

Scroll publishing can you give me the name or a link to your 10 volume set you were recalling to please.

[@leighgarrett285]

gene gerald You can find all of David's books & CDs (prices are excellent) on the site he use to own www.scrollpublishing.com

[@gezin82]

Quotes/Interesting 47:33 Lactantius

[@davidw.t.brattston4324]

In its Christian edition, the Sibyl places people who make wars into the same category as those who dishonor their mothers, plot against their brothers, and betray their friends. The Acts of John 36 consigns warmongers to hell, along with tyrants, murderers, and robbers. Dating from Syria in the first third of the third century, the church manual Didascalia likewise condemned government officials who were “defiled with wars” in the same passage as idol-makers, murderers, oppressors of the poor, false accusers, idolaters and extortionists.[i] As for the divinely-sanctioned warfare in the Old Testament, Origen drew a distinction between the Jewish constitution received from Moses, and the Christian constitution received from Christ. Their political sovereignty having gone in the Christian era and without a land or government of their own, Jews have no right to war on their enemies. Christianity was instituted to end war and bloodshed by God’s people, and Christians therefore abstain from them. For Christians to fight in any war, wrote Origen, would fundamentally overturn their very constitution itself. In two Biblical commentaries Origen wrote that Christians do not, or ought not to, do anything “factious and warlike”. He also preached: “If, therefore, you wish to be made worthy to pursue the inheritance from Jesus and if you wish to claim a portion from him, you must first end all wars and abide in peace”.[ii] [i] Didascalia Apostolorum 18 trans. R. Hugh Connolly (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1929) 158. [ii] Homilies on Joshua 19.1 trans. Bruce-White, © 2002 Catholic University of America Press, 168.