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NASB | Romans 13:4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 13:4 For he is God's servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, [you should] be afraid; for he does not carry the [executioner's] sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an avenger who brings punishment on the wrongdoer. |
Bible Question:
As a member of the Armed Forces currently serving in Iraq, how can I, as a Christian, faithfully live out Jesus's command to love my enemies, turn the other cheek, etc., in the wake of the recent downed helicopters and other attacks? Can I in good conscience bear arms as a Christian, when Jesus on the one hand says "he who lives by the sword will die by the sword," but on the other hand the lives of my fellow soldiers and of innocent civilians may someday depend on my willingness to fight? --Cheryl |
Bible Answer: Going to war is not wrong in itself and a Christian can go to war under the right circumstances. Cheryl: 'Should a Christian go to war? 'This question has caused a lot of division in the body of Christ. Should a Christian go to war where he might kill other people when the Bible says to "turn the other cheek" (Luke 6:28)? Is it right to do war against others or does the Bible forbid it? 'War is a state of declared, open, and armed conflict between two or more nations. It is sometimes undertaken in self defense as when the U.S. entered WWII as a result of Japan attacking Pearl Harbor. Other times, however, nations unjustly go to war to take spoils from other countries. Murder, on the other hand, is an unlawful taking of life and is always wrong. When nations go to war, it is declared lawful by the countries going to war -- sometimes for moral reasons and other times for immoral reasons. Therefore, an immoral war could be considered a form of murder where a moral war could be in self defense. But not all war is wrong. 'It is difficult to determine when war would be a righteous endeavor given that leaders of nations are not Christian and could easily have ungodly reasons for going to war. Nevertheless, war is an unfortunate reality in this world and it causes great destruction, misery, and loss of life. It should be avoided if possible and undertaken only as a last resort. 'The Bible teaches that we have the right to self defense Exodus 22:2: "If the thief is caught while breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guiltiness on his account." 'The Bible also tells us to protect the innocent, Deut. 19:10, "So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and blood guiltiness be on you."... 'If we were to apply these principles to war, I would conclude that war is justifiable when it is in self defense and/or when it is to protect the innocent. Therefore, a Christian could rightfully engage in war given those conditions.' (For more on war go to: (http://www.carm.org/questions/war.htm) Grace to you, Radioman2 |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Rom 13:4 | Author | ||
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LuckyCharm | ||
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Pastor Glenn | ||
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ilikeu | ||
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Radioman2 | ||
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flickinger | ||
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DocTrinsograce | ||
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flinkywood | ||
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humility |