It is my hope to cover these points with this blog because it finally needs to be explored as objectively, honestly, and as bluntly as it can be on whether or not we should have guns. It is time we strip down the fear and "torch branding" the media on both liberal and conservative side have perpetrated and instead hone in on the truth. After all, it is only the truth and the whole truth that will set us free. As lawyer Jake Brigance played by Matthew McConaughey in "A Time To Kill" stated: "It is incumbent upon us not to just talk about the truth, but to actually seek it, to find it, to live it." So I invite you to seek the truth with me.
Since it has long been rumored that America is supposed to be a Christian nation, and as such many use the Bible to either defend that notion, or use it against those who believe in said notion, then I think we should start with the Bible.
Does the Bible warrant gun control?
After studying numerous scriptures concerning guns I can honestly say I have not been able to find one scripture mentioning them. I am shocked because here I thought it surely must be in the Bible for the many times I have seen the Word of God to validate one point or another. Okay, I am jesting here with sarcasm. I know guns were not invented in the time the Biblical Scriptures were first written, but surely God being God and knowing how humans are (He did create us after all) would have advised His people concerning weapons?
It just so happens He did, and depending on where you stand on this issue may just influence your stand. However, with the Bible you really have to dig deeper than the superficial level of the scriptures. You have to understand the context of the time in which the scriptures were written, know some of the history behind certain scriptures (take Jesus' birth for example being foretold in the latter Old Testament books of prophecy), and those scriptures have to be able to stand in context within today's society. Veer away from that context and you are basically using scriptures for ill-gotten gain.
I want to examine the Bible in relation to gun control in three areas. They are:
1. The confusion between the role of the government and the role of those governed,
2. Trusting God,
3. Self-Defense vs Murder.
In these three areas there will be much discussed so I hope you have time to read this and study it, for I indeed took the time to study this material, write out a pre-draft (which rarely happens for these blogs), and then to post it here.
The Confusion:
In the last three years of my life, I have been confused concerning my faith. Lost in my "prodigal" journeys, I started asking questions about why I believed what I did and how that all fitted in with being a Christian and an American. Three years later on this day I still don't have all the answers. What I have come to realize since taking the journey back to God is that there exists a large amount of confusion among Christians here in America. There also exists confusion among the non-believers in America concerning scripture.
So it is no surprise that certain scriptures are used to either validate gun control or to validate our place in context with our government. I hope to clear that up. First we need to establish the roles of the government. The government serves as God's civil magistrate to His people. Read Romans 13:4 which states, "Government is God's servant [minister] to you for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it (the government) does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God's servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong (HCSB - Please note that unless otherwise notated, all scriptures will be taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible)."
The government's role is to protect those who do good, and carry out justice to those who commit evil. We who are called to serve God must obey the government for if we do not, then as Romans 13:2 states we are opposing God's command and bring God's judgment upon ourselves. Be patient for I will discuss when a Christian should disobey the government, but right now I am talking about the roles of the government and the roles of the governed.
There existed religious leaders in Jesus' time on Earth called Pharisees, and these Pharisees were steeped in their own traditions that went against God's teachings received through Moses. Since they were supposed to be teaching the Law of Moses, they taught it wrongly and thus confused many of their followers. So it was up to Jesus to provide clarification. This is very important because there are many today who are taking scriptures and twisting them to their own viewpoint, and Christians are starting to listen to them instead of studying the scriptures themselves.
In Matthew 5:38-39, Jesus was clearing up some confusion concerning the roles of the law enforcer and the role of those under the law. Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (see Exodus 21:24). But I tell you, don't resist (or don't set yourself against, or don't retaliate against) an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also."
Was Jesus telling his followers to not defend themselves? Absolutely not, and proof will be provided but first examine the above passage. Notice Jesus uses words like "you have heard that it was said". Jesus is addressing the confusion the Pharisees were teaching. The Pharisees were teaching that it was okay for everyone to retaliate, or more appropriately to take vengeance against evildoers. However, the laws established in Exodus such as "an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" was a capital punishment meant to be carried out by those appointed as law-keepers, or back then they would be known as magistrates or judges. Only God can carry out vengeance (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19), and He uses those in governing authority as His ministers/servants/avengers (refer back to Romans 13:4) toward those who do evil towards others.
Should the government dole out punishment to criminals? Most certainly and Jesus was clearing this up. The government can dole out punishment as long as it fits the crime as described in Exodus 21. In Matthew 5, Jesus was telling those who were not in the civil authority that they could not take vengeance. They could not retaliate against evildoers, but the government can. However, this still does not mean we cannot defend ourselves. We have to exercise extreme caution though and ensure we are on the right side if it ever comes down to that situation. We will cover that later.
People use the scripture in Matthew 5 as well as Matthew 26:52-54 to tell the right-winged Christian that they should not believe in guns. Examine Matthew 26:52-54, Then Jesus told him [Peter who had just sliced a Roman soldier's ear off with a sword], "Put your sword back in place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword. Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions of angels? How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?"
Many gun control advocates and Christian pacifists will use this scripture against gun advocates. Even I have flirted with this scripture in such regard, but tonight I decided to take another look at it. I noted a few things:
- Jesus was not rebuking Peter for owning a sword but rather for interfering with the will of God. Jesus knew His time was at hand to be handed over to the government, tried, wrongfully accused and punished, and to die for our sins. When Peter attacked the Roman guard, he was exercising his lack of understanding to all that Christ had already taught and his lack of faith. If Jesus was rebuking Peter for owning a sword, then why would Jesus previously tell his disciples "whoever doesn't have a sword should sell his robe (clothing folks; Jesus didn't play around) and buy one (Luke 22:36)?" Jesus would be a hypocrite for instructing Peter to buy a sword one minute only to turn around and chastise him for following Christ's commands. It's like a parent telling a kid not to cuss only to cuss right in front of the kid! Also note that Jesus told Peter to put his sword back in place but not to get rid of it entirely. If Jesus was an advocate for sword control, would not have Jesus told Peter to cast it aside and never pick it back up? Of course not! Because again Jesus would be a liar and a hypocrite as already mentioned.
- Note Christ's use of the words: "for all who take up the sword will perish by the sword." This is interesting to note because Jesus was saying either you will have faith in the sword and thus be punished by the sword, or you will have faith in God's plan for His Son and be saved from the sword, or one's sin. It also was a note to the disciples on when a sword should be used and should not be used. In Luke 22:36, clearly the sword is meant to defend themselves. Why? Because Jesus knew His disciples would be pursued due to their beliefs in Him (and they were; each and everyone except for Jonah who killed himself). However, in Matthew 26:52-54, the sword should not be used to thwart the will of God. Something else to note that Peter probably was thinking with the best of intentions in defending his teacher; however, even the best of intentions fall flat when in comparison to God's will. It would serve as one of the final teachings to Peter and the disciples present before His crucifixion.
Once again, the scriptures concerning Peter's sword is not Jesus advocating for pacifism or "gun control". It is Jesus telling Peter when not to use his sword, and to first and foremost have faith in God. Ah, but that leads us to the next area of interest:
Trusting God:
Should a person trust in God? Absolutely! There are many scriptures that tell God's people not to worry or be anxious (Matthew 6:25-34), God is our refuge (Psalm 46), and to even trust in The Lord with our heart (Proverbs 3:5). So the argument comes up that shouldn't Christians not trust in guns but instead in The Lord for protection? After all, many think that was what Jesus was talking about in His rebuking of Peter?
Again, we already covered what Jesus was really rebuking Peter about and it was not owning a sword. It was indeed not trusting in God's will. However, as already established in Luke 22:36, Jesus clearly told his disciples to buy a sword even at the expense of not having clothing. So is Jesus teaching not to trust in God? Absolutely not, for then Jesus would be a heretic!
Consider this:
Say you had no job, no ways to provide for your family, and you're a Christian. So in faith and trusting of The Lord, would you sit around all day doing nothing trusting God to provide? I hope not because according to the Word of God you would be in the wrong. Consider 1 Timothy 5:8, "Now if anyone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially for his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
That seems pretty harsh but the truth of it is that while trusting in God is a must, so too are works. Writer Larry Pratt puts is this way, "The doctrine of Scripture is that we prepare and work, but we trust the outcome to God."
We have to provide for our family, and that does not just mean ensuring the bills are paid or food is on the table though it is part of that. It also means we protect our family, our household. Read what Moses had to say in Exodus 22:2-3 as directed by The Lord, "If a thief is caught in the act of breaking in, and he is beaten to death, no one is guilty of bloodshed. But if this happens after sunrise, there is guilt of bloodshed. A thief must make full restitution. If he is unable, he is to be sold because of his theft."
God is clearly telling His people that if someone intrudes into your home then they have every right to defend their home without guilt. However, if that thief escapes and flees then the victim cannot chase after them and kill them. That is retaliation which Jesus tells us not to take in Matthew 5. Do you see how this is lining up here? We are to defend our household but we cannot pursue the criminal. Bottom line though is we better make sure we are in the right when claiming self-defense or else there will be guilt of bloodshed.
Now before anyone tries to refute the Old Testament, may I draw your attention to Malachi 3:6 (Old Testament book), "Because I, Yahweh [God], have not changed...," John 1:1-3 (New Testament book about Jesus), "In the beginning (harkening back to Genesis 1 - first book of the Bible) was the Word (translated from the Greek word Logos which means Jesus as the communication and revealer of God the Father), and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created," and also consider Hebrews 13:8 (New Testament book), "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." So Jesus was God, was with God in the beginning, and is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So don't you think that what Jesus was teaching in the Old Testament has some bearing in the New Testament and beyond? I think so.
Getting back to trusting in God, it is folly to be caught in a dangerous situation with a thief in your household and not do anything to defend your home with all the occupants inside. Is that doubting God to protect you? No! It is trusting God that justice will be served to both yourself and the thief you had to put down. It is trusting in God to know when to pull the trigger and when not to. It is trusting in God to trust in the civil authorities He has put in place (Romans 13) to execute justice if the wrongdoer is out of your "jurisdiction". Lack of trust, or faith comes from not providing for your family as indicated in 1 Timothy 5:8.
Also consider Proverbs 25:26 which states, "A righteous person who yields [surrenders, falters] to the wicked is like a muddied spring or a polluted well." This scripture can mean yielding to the wicked both spiritually and physically. Spiritually, we are not to yield to our sin, our wickedness and also the wickedness of others. When people tempt us to sin like they are doing, we are to stand against them. It also means we are to stand against a person when they are attempting to perform a wicked deed against us.
For everyone using these scriptures to promote pacifism let me ask you this: would you just stand there if I walked up and slapped your child across their face, or would you let me have it? Need I say more. We trust in God but we also protect ourselves and our homes when necessary.
Self-Defense versus Murder:
The Sixth Commandment, Exodus 20:13, "Do not murder." Pretty blunt but what is murder exactly?
As a noun, murder means: the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. As a verb, murder means: to kill (someone) unlawfully and with premeditation.
Is self-defense murder? No! Did the person committing self-defense set out that day to kill someone? Did they plan for the thief to break in their home, or some dirtbag to attempt rape on them so they could kill them? Maybe in a bad Lifetime movie but in real life? No.
Murder is the unlawful act of premeditated, or murder planned out. It is the taking of an innocent life. Someone breaking into your home, or attacking you on the street is not innocent. As a righteous person, you have every right to defend yourself. It could turn into murder if say you follow some kid wearing a hoodie in Florida looking for a fight. Otherwise, when you are defending yourself from an attacker or an intruder, and the only course of action you feel is appropriate at that time is to end their life, then that is self-defense.
We as God's people must know the difference. We must know the difference between self-defense as described in Exodus 22:2-3 and trying to take vengeance which only God can take as stated in Deuteronomy 32:35 and Romans 12:19.
I know this is a long read, but there is so much to cover so please bear with me as I wrap this up. How all of this pertains to President Obama and many gun control advocates pushing for tighter gun laws is this: regardless of one feels about the government we are still subject to it as stated in Romans 13. However, there may come a time and place for God's people to actually make a stand against the government. I would encourage everyone to read the Book of Daniel paying particular attention to the acts of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when forced to worship the golden statue, and also pay attention to when Daniel was told he could no longer pray to God. Make sure to note that even though they made their righteous stand, they were still punished by the ruling authority and they received it without resisting. Praise God they were delivered.
We can stand against the government but we had better sure it is for the right reasons as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did. Also note that all the disciples were put to the death or exiled (except for Judas because he committed suicide) for going against the government when they were preaching the Word of God and Jesus' death and resurrection. However, their attitudes were not to purposefully rebel against the government, but to purposefully serve Jesus. Huge difference!
Do I have misgivings about these gun control laws? Of course I do. One of them being how can the background checks truly clarify who is mentally able to own a gun and not? What will they be based on? What if a person sought marriage counseling? Does that disqualify them as having mental issues? If so, there goes the majority of the American population including the recently recognized and legalized gay married couples. Work-related stress? We are a capitalist society who must work, work, work so there goes that population. PTSD? I hope not because that accounts for 7-8% of our population (ptsd.va.gov) including many our veterans (like myself) who are probably more able to use firearms than our civilian counterparts.
The bottom line, there are way too many flaws for this to work. Yes, delay when a gun can be sold to Person A, but what is to stop Person A from going to Person B and buying it off the street? What is Person A's grandfather has a firearm that has been in the family's possession for X amount of years and decides now is the appointed hour to pass the heirloom over? How is the government going to regulate that?
Before you state that the grandfather should be punished, might I add that perhaps we shouldn't be punishing the righteous but instead the wrongdoer? Ezekiel 18:20b tells us, "The righteousness of the righteous person will be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked person will be on him."
That is the major problem with gun control. It dooms us all based on the actions of the few. Real life is not the military where all must go down with the ship. If we are truly individuals then we must be treated as such. Punish the evildoers. Stop giving them pleads of insanity that alleviates their punishment. Stop punishing those who use a firearm properly to provide for sustenance on their family's tables and provides protection for their household.
All this is for naught though because as Romans 13 tells me, and as I must admonish to my brothers and sisters in Christ that if these laws are passed, we are instructed by God to obey them. We are to submit unless we feel the government is restricting our ability to serve God (see the Book of Daniel) or to provide for our family (see 1 Timothy 5:8). We must exercise sound judgement if we are to make a stand (see Exodus 22:2-3). It is up to us to ensure we are following God's will concerning our government until such a time that may come when we are to stand. Just be sure because remember, the government's punishment will still stand just as it did with Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Daniel, Jesus, His Disciples and Apostles (minus Judas), and many others who have been punished for their faith.
We need to remember that the government serves as a mediator for civil justice, but an individual must practice self-governance. Only when self-governance has failed, or a person has committed a criminal act then the government must step in. A person must be given the right to defend themselves because as my study has revealed to me, it truly is a God-given right to do so. To deny that right, to restrict that right flies in the face of not only the Bible, but also of a civilized society. As Pratt states, "It is a serious mistake to equate a civilized society with one in which the decent people are doormats for the evil to trample on."
Does something need to be done about gun violence? Sure it does, and the best way to do it is to do what society in generations past have done: punish the criminal, not the righteous person. Do not punish the decent people. If God was against a person arming themselves, then God would have done away with rocks. It was a rock that Cain used to commit the first murder of his brother Abel. God punished Cain, not the rock. It is an example we need to follow.
Until next time...
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