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NASB | John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 18:36 Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not of this world [nor does it have its origin in this world]. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting [hard] to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this world." |
Subject: Is war biblical? |
Bible Note: Hi, Tamara... This is why people call it the just war theory. These are principles drawn from Scripture, but they do not consist in explicit commands. We know, for example, from Romans 13 that God grants authority to the state to take the lives of wrongdoers. However, we are not given precise parameters for how and when this is to be carried out. Over time, the Christian world has debated this question, adjusting their behavior accordingly. We've adjusted the means of administering death and the circumstances. Sometimes we've done that in an effort to better implement the principles of the Word. Sometimes we've done it contrary to the principles of the Word. One idea that has been kicked about by theologians for a long time, is the interpretation of Romans 13. We know from that passage that states are to punish evil deeds and reward good deeds. But what happens when a state punishes good deeds and rewards evil deeds? If the state operates under the auspices of the Lord in the former case, do they still operate by His authority in the latter? These questions are still open to debate, because the Scripture simply doesn't give us a clear answer. In Him, Doc |