Jesus Christ was not a pacifist
Jim Stachowiak (Host of American Resistance Radio)
Of course, Christ’s emphasis on love is sometimes perceived to imply that he was a pacifist who condemned all violence and war. But this is a misunderstanding.
A close look at the Bible will show that Jesus Christ was not a pacifist and will demonstrate that he approved of the justified use of deadly force.
Jesus Christ was not a pacifist and it is sometimes necessary to respond to evil with force. But why and when is force right and when is it wrong? Through the Bible there are several key principles to answer this question.
The right to life. All through the Bible it is assumed that individuals have the right to life. For instance, Exodus 20:13 says, “You shall not murder.” The reasons we cannot murder is because God says so. But the reason he says so is because he has given us the right to live. This right to life implies the right to self-defense. If we should not be murdered, then we are justified in preventing someone from killing us. This is shown throughout the Bible.
Jesus Christ both permitted and commanded his followers to be armed.
“He said to them, ‘But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one’” (Luke 22:36). Now that the apostles had learned the lesson of trusting in God (Luke 10:4), they were to be prepared to defend themselves as they traveled through dangerous areas to take the gospel to the whole world.
Jesus Christ used just force.
“Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of money changers and the benches of those selling doves” (Matthew 21:12).
“So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables” (John 2:15).
“When Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” He used his divine power against aggressors (John 18:6).
Jesus Christ would have been justified in defending himself.
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