Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
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. |
Subject: To turn, or not to turn? |
Bible Note: Dear flinkywood, I still think you have to be cautious to distinguish between killing committed with malice aforethought by the individual (Mark 7:21) and killing as rightfully performed under the auspices of the magistrate (Romans 13:4). Christian ethics ultimately looks to God Himself, through the Scriptures, as the ultimate standard by which we seek moral guidance. Nevertheless, we have a precedent of using teleological considerations (i.e., justifying the means by the end) in determining a correct course of action. For example, as Christians, we might use violence as a means of stopping a rapist from harming a woman. The big difference, though, is that we call an ambulance as soon as the sinful objective of the rapist has been prevented. You mentioned "what Jesus would do." Keep in mind that he administered violence in cleansing the temple. Further we have the rather curious admonition in Luke 22:36 to buy a sword. Anyway... interesting discussion... but not a simple or trivial topic! In Him, Doc |