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The Bible and War

The Bible and War. THE JUST WAR THEORY. The Bible and War Introduction. Christians have struggled over the morality of war since the beginning of the church. Looking at Scripture for guidance, we can find support for several different ethical approaches to war.

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The Bible and War

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  1. The Bible and War THE JUST WAR THEORY

  2. The Bible and WarIntroduction • Christians have struggled over the morality of war since the beginning of the church. • Looking at Scripture for guidance, we can find support for several different ethical approaches to war.

  3. The Bible and WarThe Old Testament • In the struggle of God’s chosen people, the Hebrews, for the promised land, the rightness of war as a means to fulfill the promise seems to be presumed. • They had to conquer a land already occupied by others and establish in that land a new nation. • They often felt that their faithfulness to God was reflected in their success or failure. • When the people were faithful, God rewarded them with victory over their enemies • When the people were unfaithful, God allowed their enemies to win in order to punish the people.

  4. The Bible and WarThe Old Testament • War was seen as a tool of God (“mighty in battle”) working in human history. • Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah spoke of God’s punishing the Hebrews for their unfaithfulness by letting foreign powers oppress them. • Obadiah gloated over the destruction of Edom, calling it God’s vengeance against a nation who had warred against God’s chosen people. • Nahum rejoiced over the destruction of Nineveh (capital of the Assyrian empire) after their long oppression of the Hebrews.

  5. The Bible and WarThe Old Testament • Yet one also finds in the Prophets profound and poetic passages emphasizing: • God’s love for all people. • The hope and expectation of a time of universal peace.

  6. The Bible and WarThe Old Testament • He shall judge between the nations,    and shall decide disputes for many peoples;and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,    and their spears into pruning hooks;nation shall not lift up sword against nation,    neither shall they learn war anymore.”(identical passage in Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3, ESV)

  7. The Bible and WarThe Old Testament • Isaiah 11:6-9 ESV, “The Peaceable Kingdom:” • The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;    and a little child shall lead them.7 The cow and the bear shall graze;    their young shall lie down together;    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.9  They shall not hurt or destroy    in all my holy mountain;for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord    as the waters cover the sea..

  8. The Bible and War The Gospels • The New Testament says very little directly about war. • Many of Jesus’ teachings about love of others have been cited as being incompatible with war, and some passages clearly teach non-violence. • Mark 12:29-31 • Matthew 5:43-45 • Matthew 5:9 • Matthew 5:38-42 • Matthew 26:52

  9. The Bible and WarThe Gospels • Jesus encouraged empathy in action in Matthew 7:12 • Consider also • Jesus’ non-violent self sacrifice on the cross, and • His love for the tax collectors and sinners and others despised by society, then ask “Can a follower and imitator of Jesus morally participate in war?”

  10. The Bible and WarThe Gospels • However, there are passages that suggest that Jesus was not completely non-violent. • Matthew 21:12-13 • John 2:14-15 • Matthew 10:34 • Luke 22:36-37 • Jesus also seem to accept the reality of war without being judgmental, and He uncritically used military figures of speech • Matthew 8:5-10 • Luke 14:31

  11. The Bible and WarThe Letters of Paul Paul tried to summarize Jesus’ teachings about how to live with others • Romans 12:17-21 • 1 Thessalonians 5:15 Yet he too used military figures of speech uncritically • Philippians 2:25 • 2 Timothy 2:3-4 • Ephesians 6:10-18

  12. Ezekiel 18:4 Exodus 17:14 Job 1:21 1 Samuel 2:9 The Bible and War As man’s creator and judge,God Can Take Life

  13. Earliest indication: Genesis 9:5-6 Question: Is the killing of murderers Prescribed by God, or merely Described by God? The Law of Moses clarifies this: Exodus 21:12 Numbers 35:16 The Bible and War Has God Delegated Such Authority?

  14. Romans 13:1-4 1 Peter 2:13-14 Daniel 2:21 Jeremiah 25:9 The Bible and War god’s authority is Delegated to Human Governments

  15. The authority to put to death goes with government authority, whether established directly by God (OT Israel) or providentially by God (Gentile governments). This authority is not absolute, and it may be misused by governments. Believers are right to resist government when it commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands (Exodus 1:17 & Daniel 3:18) God’s authority Delegated to Human Governments

  16. Acts 4:19-20 Acts 5:29 The Bible and War Resisting Government

  17. DEFENSIVE WARFARE There is no biblical reason to distinguish between invaders killing innocent people and rebels or thieves doing the same. David & Gideon fought invaders at God's express command. Therefore this authority certainly extends to defensive warfare. Is a government delegated authority to use deadly forcE only to discipline its own citizens?

  18. OFFENSIVE WARFARE Not as much information here in Bible: Deuteronomy 20 pictures warfare both inside and beyond Canaan, including siege warfare against enemies, certainly offensive. 2 Samuel 10 pictures external warfare to redress an insult to ambassadors. Deuteronomy 17 discourages king from multiplying horses, a major feature of military might. Is a government’s delegated authority to use deadly forcE only to discipline its own citizens?

  19. Amos 1-2 pictures God's response to various Gentile nations' activities in waging war 1:3 – 'threshing' Gilead (atrocities) 1:6 – taking captive & selling whole communities 1:9 – selling communities & disregarding treaty 1:11 – pursuing brother w/ sword, stifling compassion 1:13 – ripping open pregnant women to extend one's territory 2:1 – burning enemies' bones to lime (desecrating bodies) For these sins listed in Amos 1-2, God will bring destruction on the perpetrators. it is no more right for a government to steal, murder or oppress than it is for individuals to do so. Extend to Offensive Warfare?

  20. The Just War Theory

  21. The Just War TheoryOrigins • For the first three centuries of the Church, there was a strong pacifist movement in Christianity. • Many early Christians felt Jesus’ teachings prohibited participation in war, and refused to serve in the Roman army. • After Emperor Constantine made Christianity the state religion, and the empire faced invasions from barbarian tribes in the north, Christian theologians struggled over what might constitute a “just” war.

  22. The Just War TheoryOrigins • A “Just War Theory” was developed, beginning with St. Ambrose of Milan (340 to 397) then St. Augustine (354-430), and finally refined by St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274). • The theory had two parts: • The Decision to Commence War (jus ad bellum) • The Appropriate Conduct of War (jus in bello)

  23. ETHICAL FRAMEWORK Just cause Last resort Formal declaration Just intention Principle of proportionality Principle of discrimination Principle of limited objectives

  24. The Just War TheoryRequirements for Commencement of War 1. There must be some just cause for the war. 2. There must be just intent. • The war must be intended for the advancement of good or the avoidance of evil. 3. The war must represent a last resort. • Every possibility for a peaceful settlement must first be exhausted. 4. There must be good prospects for success in achieving the good intent. 5. It must be conducted by a legitimate governing authority, not a faction within a nation.

  25. The Just War TheoryRequirements for the Conduct of War 1. The innocent must not be directly attacked, but only the army of the enemy. • Wanton destruction and atrocities against civilians are prohibited. 2. The means must be proportional to the ends. • The harm caused by the war must not exceed the good it hopes to achieve. • Huge destructive forces should not be deployed against a small enemy. • Unnecessary destruction, looting, and massacres are prohibited.

  26. Christian Attitudes to Participation in War

  27. Attitudes Toward ParticipationThree Attitudes • “It is a responsibility of citizenship” • “Participation in any war is immoral” (pacifism) • “Some wars are necessary as the lesser of two evils, and require agonized participation”

  28. Attitudes Toward Participation“A Responsibility of Citizenship” Resistance to the state is justified only if the state claims ultimate authority and assumes the place of God. • Romans 13:1-2

  29. Attitudes Toward Participation“Pacifism” Commitment to Jesus prohibits participation in war, because • God intends people to live in peace, and we must therefore live in peace with others in grateful obedience to the God of love. • Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor, and war can never be an expression of love.

  30. PROBLEMS WITH PACIFISM • Confuses the morality of individuals with the morality of the government • Abandons the world to evil forces • Misunderstands human nature

  31. Attitudes Toward ParticipationAgonized Participation • War is horrible, but is sometimes the lesser of two evils. • Christians must not give unconditional support to any government, but must • Prayerfully and carefully evaluate each situation, and • Support their government in those wars that are necessary.

  32. Attitudes Toward ParticipationAgonized Participation • War can be necessary for the prevention of a greater evil that would result from permitting morally perverse power to gain political dominance. • The agonized participant insists that war must be conducted with contrition and kept free of vindictive hatred for the enemy.

  33. Issues Raised by Modern Warfare

  34. Modern WarfareThe Consummation of Human History • The traditional Christian view of the end time is that the consummation of human history will be God’s climactic act, to be anticipated in hope. • But in the last century, with the development of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, it has become feasible for the consummation of human history to be our own act, which will not inaugurate the new heaven and new earth, but simply exterminate human life in the creation. • How should this reality change our views on the morality of war, of what is a “just” war?

  35. Modern WarfarePolitical Approaches to Nuclear Weapons There have been two political approaches to the use of nuclear weapons in the West. 1. “Mutual Assured Destruction” • We had to keep our nuclear arsenal equal to the Soviet Union’s, so that any nuclear attack would evoke such a massive retaliatory strike that no nuclear attack could be rationally contemplated. 2. Limited Tactical Use of Nuclear Weapons • Since a surprise conventional Soviet attack against West Germany could overwhelm the conventional forces of that nation, NATO maintained intermediate range nuclear weapons throughout Europe that were to be used to counter such a Soviet conventional attack.

  36. Modern WarfareMorality of Using Nuclear Weapons • Christians have been divided over the questions: • Is it moral to keep nuclear weapons as a deterrent to opponents? • Is it ever right to use them in a first strike? • Is it ever right to use them in a counterattack?

  37. Modern WarfarePeacekeeping Efforts • The immense destructive power of modern nuclear, chemical and biological weapons make Christian efforts for peacekeeping an even deeper responsibility: • Peacekeeping must be more than deciding whether or not to go to war when a conflict has boiled over. • Peacekeeping must include nurturing all those things that make for peace in world and prevent conflicts from growing.

  38. Modern Warfare Civilian casualties • Beginning of 20th century, less than 1/6 of war casualties were civilian. • In World War II, 1/2 of war deaths were civilians. • At the end of 20th century, 3/4 of war deaths are civilians. • From 1990-95, 70 governments, 93 wars, 5.5 million people dead, mostly civilians. • --Timothy J. Demy, Christian Perspective On War

  39. God has given governments the responsibility to protect the righteous from the wicked, and this may sometimes involve warfare. To advocate that our government practice pacifism either internally or externally would be to hand over millions of people to oppression and death. For unsaved people, such death would be the ultimate disaster. Some form of Just War Theory must be followed. There will not be permanent peace on Earth until the Prince of Peace (Jesus Christ) returns. Revelation 19:11-21 Revelation 21:4 A Summary

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