March 10, 2010

• Biblical Just War Theory

  This is a long post, so get a cup-a-joe and settle in.

  I recently replied to a posting that questioned the ability of Christians to serve in the military and the entire concept of “Just War Theory.”  One person responded to my reply saying that there is no biblical teaching on Just War.  I took that as a challenge to write one.  I wrote this posting in a heated frame of mind, so I intentionally delayed posting it for almost two weeks, and re-read and edited it heavily for content.

  Just as an aside, I encourage everyone to get the free software “InstaVerse.”  It comes free with the KJV, and other Bible versions for nominal prices.  With that software, you can put your cursor over a verse reference, and immediately see it in context; that allows you to verify citations in articles like this without ever leaving the article.

   

  Biblical Just War Theory:

  I grant that there is no systematic treatment of Just War Theory in the Bible.  But neither is there a Systematic Theology in the Bible, and so writers continue to make small fortunes writing books of Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology, Old Testament Theology and New Testament Theology.  Neither is there even a systematic Plan of Salvation laid out in the Bible, and the Roman Road verses are not consecutive or even chronological.  But that does not mean that a plan of salvation cannot be derived logically from the Scriptures, or that Scripture is not useful in leading someone to salvation.  Even the Sinner’s Prayer is not found in any form in the Bible, except “God, be merciful to me, the sinner” (Luke 18:13), but it remains a useful tool in evangelism.

  There were other issues besides Just War Theory that never came up in the biblical doctrines, and most of those issues are modern conceptions such as ‘Should a Christian smoke (use tobacco)?’ and ‘Should a Christian use modern conveniences such as electricity?’

  Then there are issues that are biblical, but still worthy to address: ‘Should Christians tithe, considering that we live under grace and not under Law?’  I think we should tithe, considering the examples in Acts and Paul’s Epistles where churches took up offerings (1 Cor 16:1-2).  I have had church members tell me that pastors should not be seminary educated (I disagree), and that pastors should not receive a salary from their churches (I disagree (2 Cor 11:8), though I myself am a bi-vocational pastor).  The Bible does not address those because they were not issues facing the church in those days.  We Baptists have made this worse for ourselves by prohibiting alcohol as ungodly by expanding on Proverbs 20:1, when Jesus turned water into wine, and the command is not to get drunk, not “do not drink,” (Eph 5:18).  Personally, I do not drink, but that is another topic for another day/ Xanga posting.

  One issue that I wish our Founding Fathers had resolved in the American Constitution is slavery. In 19^th century America, both the North and the South cited biblical passages to justify their positions on slavery.  I have heard some teachers today claim that slavery was left alone because the American citizenry were not ready for that radical of a change in America.  I disagree, because England had abolished slavery before our Revolutionary War, and America would have been a better nation with a firmer foundation if our Founding Fathers had had the moral courage of William Wilberforce to do away with that ungodly institution.  Slavery as an institution, however, was not frontally attacked in the Bible, and it remained an evil institution for 1,800 (or so) years after Christ. Indeed there are places in the world today where slavery is still practiced; apparently that includes the USA with “white slavery.”

  Those are some examples of Biblical Theology that we do not find directly addressed in Scripture, but which I am convinced have biblical solutions.  Just as the Bible does not attack tobacco use, or slavery, and does not address tithing in the NT, neither does it address the question of warfare.  Warfare is an issue we cannot escape, however, and so Christians must deal with it biblically.  We are left to apply biblical principles to the subject so that we address the issue in a way that pleases God.  Indeed, in the Saints Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11, men who were “mighty in war” were praised as Godly examples of the saints.

  Just War:

  Concerning our discussion more directly, one possible answer to “just war theory” is pacifism, but that path must be followed to its logical conclusions, even in the extreme.  But most pacifists I know still experience “road rage” and enforce warranties and guarantees, and refuse to be cheated at the cash register.  Pacifists refuse to be carjacked, or mugged in the streets, or even under a basketball hoop.  A true pacifist must never defend themselves, physically or legally.  The raped woman who is a pacifist must never prosecute her attacker, the murderer is never to be pursued, caught and tried, much less executed.  The sexual predator must not be persecuted by a pacifist by denying them access to places where children congregate.  Someone has said “If your enemy is made of flesh and blood, you are to love them, not to fight them.”  But this violates every principle of Justice, and it also violates the principles of the Law set out in the Old Testament.  The thief was commanded to make restitution, and rapists and murders were to be put to death, not as a deterrent, but as a matter of Justice.  Jesus did not come to do away with the Law, but to fulfill it (Matt 5:17).

  Just this past week (March 2010) we read reports of at least 500, possibly more, Christians in Africa that were slaughtered by machete by Muslims.  And this is not new, just a couple of years ago it happened, with over 5,000 Christians killed in cold blood.  Is self defense by those Christians prohibited?  Would anyone refuse them the right to defend their lives? 

  Pacifism never deterred Hitler; Stalin was allied with Hitler until he turned on the Russians.  Only at Potsdam did Stalin join the Allies; and then it was a deal made with the devil (so to speak).  Stalin would have exacted his revenge on Germany after WW II, but he was afraid of the American nuclear arsenal.

  I grant and accept that the Bible nowhere directly sets out the rules of war or just war theory as such.  However, as Christians who are in the world but not of the world we must deal with the world in a Scriptural manner.  Although there is no “plan for just war” in the Bible, we do read in Deuteronomy 20 the principles given to Israel for warfare.  Israel warred against it’s enemies (jus ad bellum, verus potentia), but it was never a scorched earth policy, jus in bellum.  Some of the nations God commanded that none be left alive, not even the animals; this was because of the sin and idolatry of those nations, lest Israel learn their idolatry.

  Part of a just war position is citizenship.  If you sleep under the umbrella of safety that I provided with my 24 years of military service, you're welcome.  Other men and women have sacrificed more than I, some with the blood and personal treasure, and sacred honor.  If you excoriate me for serving in the military and learning the art of war, providing you with safety and protection while you are exercising your First Amendment rights as a citizen, you are a hypocrite. 

  Considering citizenship, there are at least two passages in Acts that bear directly on citizenship, citizenship which comes with benefits and obligations:

  "But Paul said, "I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."" - (Acts 21:39)

  "The commander answered, "I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I was actually born a citizen."" - (Acts 22:28)

  In chapters 21/22/23 of Acts Paul used his Roman citizenship for his personal defense and to exercise his rights.  In fact, in Acts 23 Paul defended himself from physical abuse and cited the Law of Moses as his defense.  In Acts 16 Paul used his citizenship to force the city fathers to come in person to remove him from their prison, they having beaten him unlawfully according to Roman law.  So Paul used both religious law and civil law to defend himself.

  Furthermore, Jesus said "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." (Matt 22:21; Mark 12:14; Luke 20:25), thus we have obligations to both the state and to God.  We are citizens of two countries, one an earthly country and the other the Heavenly country.  Furthermore we read in Romans 13:7 "Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor."  One of the customs of citizenship, especially American citizenship, is the Pledge of Allegiance.  Military service is no longer obligatory, but one of the legal requirements of male American citizens over the age of 18 is registry for the draft, for military service, if a war required that much manpower.  And, some families and even some states have customs of military service.

  If Christians are pacifists, then they have no need of weapons and the Second Amendment to the Constitution is unscriptural, yet Jesus said this:

  ³⁶ "And He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, 'AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH TRANSGRESSORS'; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment." ³⁸ They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough." – (Luke 22:36-38).  Having said that, I do not own a personal weapon.

  One of the most famous Bible passages on peace is found in the entrance to the United Nations, and it reads: "And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war." - (Micah 4:3)  But, before you jump up and down with glee, also read "⁹ Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up!"  ¹⁰ "Beat your plowshares into swords  And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, "I am a mighty man."" (Joel 3:9-10).  And again, "A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace." - (Ecc 3:8)

  If you can logically accept the need for police and the courts, you only have to apply those same principles to the world stage to justify the need for a national defense.  We live in evil days, (Eph 5:16), and the governing authorities (Rom 13) have their authority (yes even governments we disagree with) from God.  Each governing authority (government) is sovereign within their borders, but when the God given sovereignty is abused by one against another, then the dispute must be settled at the national level; individuals in subjection to their Verus Potentia must obey the governing authority.

  In building a doctrine of just war we must be careful to never assume “My country, right or wrong.”  That is itself wrong and very dangerous.  As blessed as America has been by God, that does not mean that God’s blessing continues unabated in all things.  Nations are just as capable of sinning and sins as individuals are.

  Then the reality of evil, both natural and moral: we are not imagining the evil that pervades our planet.  But it will not always be so: "And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them." - (Isa 11:6) - (Isa 65:25)  Jesus taught the Disciples to pray “Deliver us from evil,” Matt 6:13.  An appeal to God for deliverance from evil is not submission to that evil.

  Because we are to “hate evil,” and “resist the devil” we cannot simply make that out to be ‘spiritual warfare’ in prayer and fasting, or other spiritual disciplines.  Do you remember the movie “The Sound of Music”?  I think my favorite part of that movie was when the Nazis had chased the Von Trapp family out of the convent, and two nuns were talking to their Mother Superior and said “I have a confession to make,” “I too have a confession, Mother Superior.”  At that moment the engines of the Nazi cars were trying to start and making lots of noise “Rurr, rurr.”  Mother Superior said “What is this sin?”, and the nuns held up the caps and rotors from the Nazis engines.  Sometimes we must do more than pray, but put feet to our prayers, spiritual warfare in action.  If all we do for the people of Haiti and Chile is pray from them in their earthquake disasters, and we do not send doctors and nurses, rescue and recovery teams, and if we do not help their police, and courts, and government, if we do not send money, we have sinned seriously.

  All of the admonitions to “turn the other cheek” (Matt 5:39) are given to individuals, and not to governments.  The classic NT text dealing with government is Romans 13:1-7, where we read: ¹ "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." ² "Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves." ^{3 “}For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;" 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." ⁵ "Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake." ⁶ "For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing." ⁷ "Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor."

  If there is to be warfare, and there will be (Matt 24:6; Mark 13:7), and if proper authorities (Verus Potentia) execute war, they must do so Jus ad Bellum, and Jus in Bellum, lest they exceed their Scriptural mandate to execute justice.

  Thank you for your reading time, I know it is precious.

  • 4:44 pm
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