Bible Thoughts

February 10, 2002

When Jesus came into the world, his mission was not to gather a large army about him and conquer the world by means of war and strife. The Lord simply desired that men would accept his teachings, apply such to one's thinking and life, always desiring that conflict with others and with God not be present. The disciples of the first century understood the nature of the kingdom of God and the mission of those who followed the Prince of Peace.

Through the centuries that followed, men have, even in the name of Christ, battled other humans, taking lives and leaving destruction in their wake. Those who lifted up weapons and arms against their fellow beings, saying they were doing it for Christ, do not represent the Son of God, nor His divine word. What one may claim to do in the name of Christ does not mean that one is following Christ. The "crusades" were led by men who had no respect for the teachings of Christ, but acted out of their own lusts and passions. They were under the influence of Satan, not the Lord. It is mockery of the nature of a disciple to advocate that they were doing the will of God when they slaughtered human beings, stating they did it in the name of Christ! Christians are peacemakers, not warmongers. The book that Christians follow teaches peace among men, not strife.

There are religious books, however, that advocate violence against others when they do not accept their teachings. While the New Testament teaches the Lord will amply reward men for their deeds in the Day of Judgment, He has not left the use of physical force as a means to punish or force others to accept what is taught in the New Testament. A religion of peace, when applied to the hearts of men, brings peace, not harm to others.

Some would tell us that the teachings of the Qur'an, will bring peace to the world. Such is absolutely false. It only takes a few verses from this Islamic book to prove otherwise. Please note the following:

"And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits. And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers. But if they desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah, but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors. The Sacred month for the sacred month and all sacred things are(under the law of) retaliation; whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted upon you and be careful(of your duty) to Allah and that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)."(The Qur'an, Surah II, verses 190-194).

There are many other quotations in the Qur'an that convey the same evil principles.

The apostles and early disciples of Christ had only one sword: the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God(Ephesians 6:17). The Christians honor Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword..." The teachings of Christ operate on the "thoughts and intents of the heart." Christians advocate and bring peace to others through living and teaching the New Testament, not by physical force. "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased"(Luke 2:14).

Paul often found it necessary to instruct his brethren about the fruits they should be bearing. In Galations 5:22-23 he wrote, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long- suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” These are not merely abstract concepts or “just good reading." Paul is detailing with spiritual truths that the Christian must live by. When Paul instructs the Galations to “restore such an one in the spirit of meekness,” he is providing instruction in the use of spiritual fruit. It must always be remembered that spiritual fruits only receive nourishment from the soil of human relationships. Consider this: how can a man demonstrate peace or love if he has secluded himself from human contact? He cannot. So, if spiritual fruits involve human relationships then there is a certain way we must treat our brethren. Paul recognized this. He recognized that Christians are supposed to help each on their spiritual journey and they must help by building each other up and not by cutting each other down; hence, “restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

The meaning of Paul’s instruction seems obvious. Yet, when brethren do observe a man “overtaken in a fault” their efforts often seem limited to complaining about him to other brethren and not doing as Paul said. This is not to say that there are not many Christians who do as they should, but Paul’s instruction should not be followed by “many Christians” but all Christians. One truth of the Gospel is that you cannot follow it if you are not taught it. Teaching comes not just from the speaking of the Gospel but also by the living of the Gospel. When Christians see those of their number who are given to teaching, such as preachers, they often observe behavior contrary to that which a “spirit filled” person should have. How many times have preachers written in their papers and journals articles cutting down or declaring as “apostate” other preachers? While there is an undeniable need for men to stand up for the truth, even a rebuke must be done with the spirit of love and compassion. Is it no wonder then when brethren act in a way contrary to the teachings of Christ since even their teachers often do so?

One of the biggest problems is that “the faith” has become too impersonal. Though much is said of “the brethren” and our spiritual Father—all things denoting a family relationship—how much like a family are most congregations? In larger congregations it is not uncommon for many people to not even know the names of all the members. That is understandable if you only see people across a room three times a week but does that make it less shameful when a person doesn’t know the name of their brother or sister? Of course the real problem is that there is not a personal relationship or a friendship between brethren. “Knowing the name” is only a symptom of a larger problem. One shouldn’t feel guilty about not knowing someone’s name but one should feel guilty about not knowing the person, even if you do know their name. After all, it’s much easier to love someone if you know them, and it’s much easier to help them as Paul said if you love them first.-Scott Huston