response to my last blog and reference of Matthew 11:12, one reader, and dear
friend, wrote:
that you say Christ advocates? I’m always wary of people who base core parts of
their theology around one verse, especially something as serious as this.
verse with Matt 5:39-41:
contrary, whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.
If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat as well.
And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go two with him.”
Christ: What did he ever do that was violent? For that matter what did any of
his apostles do that was in the least violent? Saul, who became Paul the most
evangelical apostle, killed Christians before he was stopped on the road. But
after his conversion didn’t do anything violent in the traditional sense. But
of course if you mean acting with fervent passion or emotion or “emotional
intensity,” sure.
any additional responses, concerns, thoughts, questions, whatever.
First of all, the idea is that Christians ought to have a
“spirit of violence”, which, as I recently explained, is a mentality of
impatience for the enemy and a readiness to fight back. In other words, an
understanding that we are fighting a
spiritual battle, not a physical one. So yes, acting with fervent passion or
emotion or “emotional intensity” captures this concept well. I’ll say it again,
this term “spirit of violence” is not referring to physical violence, but
spiritual violence. The Bible describes Christians as “soldiers” (2 Tim 2:3-4) in
a spiritual battle and says we need to be fully equipped for it.
5:39-41 much simpler. In chapter 5 Jesus is talking about the evildoer, not the
evil itself. Have no patience for the evil one, have lots of patience for the
committer of evil – it’s their soul we want to save.
the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are
not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to
demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive everything though
to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of
disobedience, once your obedience is complete.”
fight, power, demolish, stronghold, set up against, take captive,
make obedient, and punish describe violence. And I think we
as a church, especially the church in America, could well afford to be
more violent – more active in the battle.
hypocrites or a brood of vipers (Mat 15:7, Mat 23:13, Luke 13:15, Luke 3:7);
when Paul rebukes the high priest Ananias and calls him a “whitewashed wall”
(Acts 23:3); when Jesus overturns the tables in the temple courts and drives
them out with a whip (John 2:14-16); when Jesus says “If I drive out demons by
Beelzebub…by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you” (Luke
11:19-20); or further when Jesus predicts his overpowering of Satan, “tak[ing]
away the armor in which [he] trusted” (Luke 11:21-22). Our Lord didn’t do these
things with a spirit of timidity (2 Tim 1:7), but with one of great power and
with a “stern voice” (Mark 1:25).
Another intriguing question is how one
negotiates his understanding of Matthew 5:39-41 and Jesus’ incredibly peaceful
way/demeanor with the way he is returning to us, described in Revelation
19:11-21. Anyone?
