Luke 19:27

[Jabronie]

This might have been brought up before, but how do we answer when an atheist says that Jesus told us to kill non-belivers?

Here it is from ASV: “But these mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”

 

[Keeler]

Hehe. Just tell them that they are not qualified to interpret the Bible… and that they take it out of context anyhow… you know… the usual stuff when a hard question comes up. Works all the time. Eventually they will get frustrated and go away.

 

[steveb1]

This might have been brought up before, but how do we answer when an atheist says that Jesus told us to kill non-belivers?

Here it is from ASV: “But these mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”

Where is that from? Luke? If so, it’s part of a parable, not an actual teaching of Jesus, and needs to be so interpreted.

If it’s from the Hebrew Bible, it needs to be interpreted according to those hermeneutics, with a helping hand from rabbinical and scholarly Jewish sources.

Also remind the atheists that Jesus said that even a desire to murder is as bad as murder. There’s no way they can dodge that one.

 

[seagal]

Jesus is telling a parable about himself coming to the world and sending out his disciples to preach to the Jews and Gentiles (the circumcized and uncircumcized). When he talks about the Lord coming back he is talking about his own second coming. “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them”, this refers to those who do not accept Jesus as Lord, and the final judgement against. them.

 

[Nita]

I agree with Seagal. Expanding on her outline:

Luke 19:27 does not stand alone. It is part of a parable that starts at verse 11. One has to read the whole parable (Lk. 19:11-28) to understand the message Jesus wants to transmit in the final verse (vs. 27).

1. The parable uses the example of two earthly classes- nobleman and servants. It shows the wealth and authority of the nobleman over the servants.
   That relationship is to be compared to the relationship between God/Jesus and men.
2. The parable includes the earthly situation of the nobleman entrusting his servant with earthly wealth.
   We are meant to see this as a worldly example of what takes place spiritually when God bestows graces and talent on each of us.
3. The parable concludes with the nobleman returning to judge the servant according to how he used the earthly wealth given to him. The ruler condemns him to earthly death for not even attempting to use it, to increase it; especially since he knew what his nobleman was like and would desire.
   Jesus will return to judge us on how we have put to use the graces bestowed on us. If one has “buried” them, not used them (equivalent to rejecting them), they will be sentenced to eternal death – hell (exclusion from eternal life with God in heaven).
   .

 

[Jabronie]

Thanks for the answers. Good info!

 

[ryanoneil]

Jesus didn’t tell us to kill unbelievers. He told us to be faithful. As mysterious as it is in the OT, God’s judgment often comes through a faithless invading army. So, the immediate context of the parable is Jesus ascending to the Father to receive his kingdom (Lk 19:12) and returning to judge those who reject his royal authority (Lk 19:27) in the form of the Roman army. So, the coming judgment is first a reference to the downfall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and not Christ’s second coming.

As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Lk 19:41-44)

"When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days are the time of punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Lk 21:20-24)

That event was itself a prophetic preview of his Second Coming in glory to judge all nations at the end of time, which was also part of the earlier parable.