I have often thought about if I (as a Christian) would be willing to harm or even kill another human being in so-called 'self defense.' What about someone breaking into your home, would you be willing to kill? What about being on the mission field, what would you be willing to do?
I remember being in India and feeling very unsafe at a particular evangelistic service in a remote village (a place the cows didn't even go). I remember sitting there waiting to preach and watching a group of men that seemed to be hostile toward the message. The questions ran through my mind: Would I fight to the death? Would I submit and not fight? These are tough question.
So here are two links asking the questions:
1) John Piper- His answer, "Don't fight back"
2) James White- His answer, "Yes fight back"
So what do you think. Do you agree with Piper or White? What of their logic and exegesis?
Just another note: After the meeting that night in India I was told by the native pastor I was working with that we were surrounded by a known Islamic terrorist group that night. Praise God nothing happened, because I am not sure what I would have done. That was a huge wake-up call in my life.
I'll never tell who I agree with. But, if you want to know just make a surprise visit to my house in the middle of the night. :)
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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2 comments:
There seems to be a biblical warrant for both, on the one hand we are joyfully receiving the plundering of our property (as Hebrews says) and not repaying evil for evil (Romans); on the other hand Mr. White shows the bearing of the sword to be true as well. However like many things in the life can we really say that one must do this every time? We see, for example, Paul fleeing a city out of a basket because of persecution but going to another city where it was prophesied that he would be persecuted; the same can be said of Jesus, on many occasions he is seen slipping through the hands of persecution but then we have the bloody cross where he willing gave up his life and telling Peter to put away his sword (maybe the one he just bought?). Is this not more a matter of living by the Spirit? Different times in Paul and Jesus’ lives called for different things, and this happened because they knew God’s will because they were continuously communing with Him… I own a gun.
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