Just War Doctrine in Scripture

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SwordofLight

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After giving someone on another forum the link to the “Just war” tract on this site, he sent me this:

From Luke 22:

"36 He said to them, “But now, let him who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag. And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one.
37 For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was reckoned with transgressors’; for what is written about me has its fulfilment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”
39 And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him.
40 And when he came to the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed,
42 “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”
43 44 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow,
46 and he said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him;
48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?”
49 And when those who were about him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”
50 And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

So here we have Jesus not only denouncing the use of swords but healing the man who his followers misguidely harmed with a sword. The swords were brought to show those at the temple that he was living a doctrine of pacifism not because he had no force with which to fight, but because pacifism was the proper doctrine for a civilized society.

If the man wasn’t a pacifist he’d of used his abnormal powers to cause all sorts of violence. He used them rather to heal & feed the hungry… hmmmm."

I am not too sure how to respond to him

Any help?
 
So here we have Jesus not only denouncing the use of swords but healing the man who his followers misguidely harmed with a sword.
Scripture, however, says there’s a time for peace and a time for war. This was a time for peace. In this instance, the sword was not the appropriate response. To conclude from this passage that the sword is never the appropriate response is absurd. God order the killing of all the Amalekites, every man, woman, and child. Appearantly, in that instance, the sword was the appropriate repsonse of God’s people.

Jesus did not denounce soldiering, did he? When centurians asked John the Baptist what they should do, what was his response? Wasn’t it a centurian who Jesus said had the “greatest faith” of all Israel? Jesus healed his servant due to his great faith, without the requirement that he should stop being a soldier. Wasn’t it a centurian who was the first gentile convert to Christianity named in Scripture? There seems to have been many opportunities to denounce soldiering in Scripture, yet instead, these centurians were never told, “quit your jobs, as it is inherently evil to be a soldier, then you can become a Christian.”
 
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8: "There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. … a time of war, and a time of peace."

Rev 19:11 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. … His name is called The Word of God."
 
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