These are not the words of a pacifist.” Could you please explain this passage in light of your strong stance against Christian participation in war?

A: Luke 22:35-38 reads in context:

“And He said to them, ‘When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?’ So they said, ‘Nothing.’ [God took care of them.] Then He said to them, ‘But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: “And He was numbered with the transgressors.” For the things concerning Me have an end.’ So they said: ‘Lord, look, here are two swords.’ And He said to them: ‘It is enough.'”

This passage cannot be used to justify participation of a Christian in war. In fact, the passage teaches the exact opposite. Firstly, “two swords” would be hardly enough to defend themselves against the coming Roman persecution. Secondly, Christ Himself makes clear why they were to buy swords — so that prophecy regarding Him could be fulfilled. What specific prophetic saying had to be fulfilled? “And He was numbered with the transgressors.” What transgression did the disciples — who had swords — become guilty of?

Note, first, that sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). We read, in Matthew 24:51, that Peter took the sword and struck the servant, in order to “defend” Christ. When he did that, he became guilty of the transgression of the spirit of the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:13; 1 John 3:15; Matthew 5:21-22; Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-36). Notice Matthew 26:51-52: “And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword in his place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.'”

Christ does not advocate that His disciples take up weapons to defend themselves, or others, in war. Note His clear statement, “ALL who take the sword will PERISH by the sword.” When Peter took the sword to harm or kill another human being, he became a transgressor of the law. The other disciples had undoubtedly similar feelings as Peter, supporting his conduct in their minds. They were all with Christ, so Christ was “numbered with the transgressors.”

We must also realize that at that time, neither Peter nor any of Christ’s disciples were converted. Their attitude and conduct changed, however, after their conversion (compare, for example, 1 Peter 2:21-23). We also read in James 4:1-3 that the origin of wars comes from “our desires for pleasure that war” in our members. Verse 4 continues, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” James tells us here that we become “enemies” of God, if we were friends with and join the war machine of this world.

Returning to Matthew 26, Christ goes on to explain that His protection does not come from men, but from God. Verse 53, “‘Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” He continues, however, “‘How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?'” (Verse 54). The point is, God would have protected Him, but it was not God’s time for His intervention. Jesus made a similar comment in John 18:36, “‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants [twelve legions of angels whom the Father would have sent Him for protection] would fight, so that I would not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Christ was not talking here about His eleven disciples who had two swords — they could have hardly prevented Jesus’ arrest by “a great multitude with swords and clubs.” (Matthew 26:47).

Christ’s disciples are not to participate in war. Our Master tells us, “Put your sword in his place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” We, who believe in Christ and His Word, are not to perish, though, but to have everlasting life (John 3:15).

We read a similar warning and admonition in Revelation 13:10. The context is a coming persecution of the saints by the beast power (Verse 7). Christ introduces His warning in this way, “If anyone has an ear, let him hear.” (Verse 9). Then, He says, “He who leads into captivity [including through the means of war], shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword.” Christ warns HIS END-TIME CHURCH NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN WAR. He continues, “Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”

Christ’s true disciples will have the patience to endure even war, without resorting to violence and responding in kind. They will have the faith that GOD can and will protect them, even in the face of adversity, and that they must never transgress His law.

Luke 22:36-38 does not teach us that we must arm ourselves to protect ourselves in war. Rather, if we do that, we are “transgressors” in the eyes of God.

There are different Biblical principles involved. We believe that the following will best express our religious convictions against participating in jury duty:

A true Christian is a stranger, alien and exile (1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13) while here on earth; an ambassador for Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20); and a representative of God’s Kingdom. As such, and in being a light to the world by proper conduct (Matthew 5:14-16), a true Christian does not take part in this world’s governmental or political affairs, as presently, it is not God who rules this earth, but Satan the devil (Revelation 2:13; Luke 4:5-6). Christians are challenged to come out of the governmental and political systems of this world. Christ, knowing that God’s Kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), refused to judge a civil matter when He was asked to do so (Luke 12:14). Paul, likewise, condemned judging those “who are outside” the church (1 Corinthians 5:12).

Further, man’s judgments are concerned with the letter of the law. In contrast, God looks on one’s heart, and is concerned with the spirit and intent of the law. Man’s laws usually do not take into account repentance, forgiveness of sins, and other spiritual factors, as God does (Acts 2:38). Jesus, in looking at the heart of the accused, refused to condemn a woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Jesus taught that true Christians must be willing to forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15).

Another principle against participation in jury duty is, that true Christians are to learn to judge according to the law of God as seasoned by judgment, mercy and faith (Matthew 23:23). They are also to render “righteous” judgment (John 7:24). Selectively presented evidence, where facts may be suppressed for technical, legal reasons as permitted in the courts, may not necessarily lead to Godly justice, mercy and truth, and to the rendering of a righteous judgment.

In following the biblical injunctions, one could not convict a person, in any event, unless the accusation is supported by the testimony of at least two witnesses (John 8:16; Deuteronomy 17:6-7). Since the witnesses would have to “cast the first stones,” circumstantial evidence would not be sufficient, under God’s law, for the requirement of two witnesses.

Since we may be required, as a juror, to apply man’s laws in conflict with the law of God, we could not take the oath as a juror, as we would, in principle, agree to obeying man rather than God (Acts 5:29; Acts 4:19).

Therefore, jury duty will invariably create a conflict of conscience in a Christian between the requirements of God and the requirements of jury service. A Christian who violates his conscience would be guilty of committing sin (Romans 14:23; 1 John 3:4).

In your new booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”, you are referring, on page 11, to the “law of jealousy,” as quoted in Numbers 5:29-30, as a “ritualistic procedure” to determine whether a wife had committed adultery or not. What is that “spirit of jealousy”? Is this law still to be applied and practiced today? If not, how are we in the Church to determine whether a wife is guilty of adultery or not?

In Numbers 5:11-31, God gave Old Testament Israel a supernatural means of determining whether a wife had committed adultery or not, although she had not been caught, and no witness was present (Numbers 5:13). When “the spirit of jealousy” came upon the husband, so that he suspected a transgression of his wife, the husband could bring his wife to the priest, and he had to bring at the same time the “grain offering of jealousy.” (Numbers 5:15).

It is possible that the “spirit of jealousy” describes the fact that the husband became jealous in his spirit or mind. It is also possible, that the “spirit of jealousy” was at times actually a spirit being causing the husband to become jealous. We need to note that the “spirit of jealousy” would at times come upon the husband even when his suspicions were false. Since God would not give a husband a spirit of jealousy if his suspicions were baseless, it is possible that in such a case, the husband upon whom the “spirit of jealousy” came, might have actually been influenced by an evil spirit.

The priest gave the woman “holy” or “bitter” water to drink, after she had denied, under oath, any transgression. God then saw to it, that her belly would swell, if she was in deed guilty.

This ritual law and its different “components” are no longer binding for us today, as the application of the law was inseparably connected with the bringing of an oath and of sacrifices. Christians today are not to swear (Matthew 5: 33-37; James 5:12), and sacrifices are no longer required.

Today, God has given His ministers the ability, through the workings of the Holy Spirit within them, to discern sinful conduct and the existence or lack of repentance (John 20:22-23). At times, as is recorded in Acts 5:1-11, God might still supernaturally intervene in spectacular ways to make known circumstances and the truth to the Church. Barring those unusual occurrences, no accusation against anyone, including the accusation of adulterous conduct, is to be received by the ministry, unless at least two witnesses can support the accusation (Deut. 17:6-7; John 8:16-17). Although a guilty person might seemingly get away with sin for a while, we must always remember that, unless sins are repented of and forgiven, we will have to give account of them to God in due time (1 Peter 4:17; Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

In addition, God requires of His ministers to be merciful, as Christ was, when judging a given situation (John 8:10-11). They are to look at the heart, as much as God allows and inspires them to, in order to determine whether the person is repentant and deserving of forgiveness.

Matthew 24:34 is not dealing with the same set of events as in chapter 16:28. Note the context of Matthew 24 and 25. In verse 3 of the 24th chapter, the disciples of Christ asked him the following: ” ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age.’ ” Christ then goes on to answer them by pointing out events that literally span the entire church age, but He deals primarily with those events that signal His imminent return to the earth.

In verse 34, Christ says, ” ‘Assuredly I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.’ ” From the broader context, we understand that in this verse Christ is speaking about that generation that is alive when the dramatic intervention of God in human affairs actually occurs.

In Matthew 16:28, Christ is here quoted as follows: “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Does this verse imply that some of the disciples would live over two thousand years? No, not at all. The explanation can be found quite clearly by reading on into chapter 17 of Matthew.

In verses 1 through 13, we find the account of Peter, James and John being with Christ when He was transfigured before them. In this vision both Moses and Elijah appear as if glorified with Christ–verse 9 shows that Christ identified what had happened as a vision. You can get even more details of this event in the parallel accounts found in Mark 9:1-13 and Luke 9:27-36.

To show how easily some of these things are misunderstood, look at the statement that Christ made about John in the book of John, chapter 21 and verse 22: “Jesus said to him (Peter), ‘If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow me.’ ” Verse 23 shows that some of the brethren later believed that John would not die, but it is further explained that Christ was merely using figurative speech to make His point with Peter. In fact, John did die–being, by historical tradition, the last of the original Apostles to do so.

The account in Matthew 24 deals with prophetic events and the generation of mankind alive when Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God. Matthew 16 is dealing with the promise by Jesus Christ that some among His disciples would–in vision–see the Kingdom of God. To read more about the generation of the time of Christ’s return, please refer to CEG’s update number 60 (dated September 13, 2002) and note the Editorial entitled, “We Are Closer Than We May Think!” Also, please consult pages 14 and 15 of our booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” for further details on the vision described in Matthew 16.