Something I watched today

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Have you been in combat, outside the FOB? I'm just wondering.

Yes, but what made you ask that?

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Have you been in combat, outside the FOB? I'm just wondering.

As for judging the guys whose duties never involved them leaving the Forward Operating Base, at least they were there. They did jobs that someone had to do. Death on a FOB was not uncommon, especially if your FOB was prone to continued military attack.

I hope you were not trying to denigrate the honorable military service of any combat Veteran with your wondering.

Feel free to respond to the content of my posts.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by shazeep

ya, good luck with that.
Live by the sword and you will die by the sword

you seem to be neglecting the lesson of Peter cutting off an ear; i can't think of a better time to use a sword than in defense of Christ, so please name it if you will.

Just because one owns a sword and is highly trained and skilled in using their sword doesn't mean they are living by the sword.

Yes, there are times when war is evil.

Yes, there are times when pacifism is virtuous.

However, there is a time for war.

There is a time to kill.

There is a time where pacifism is cowardly.

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Esaias

I disagree with the quotation, but then I do not believe absolute pacifism is Biblical.

What I quoted was not about pacifism. Loving your enemies is biblical.

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Jesus said the kingdom of God would be given to a NATION bearing its fruits. So, Jesus seemed to believe in the "myth of a Christian nation".

Is that an earthly nation? Or a spiritual nation where Christ is King and his followers are citizens?


1 Peter 2:8-10
They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined for this.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for His possession,
so that you may proclaim the praises
of the One who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.

Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

God uses willing warriors to protect the lives and rights of pacifists.

God has never been a pacifist and I will never be a pacifist.

War and bloodshed are necessary evils, some say. However, when it is truly necessary, the act of war itself is not evil.

War can be honorable. War can be good.

Pacifism can be cowardly.

I was not denigrating anyone. I have just never known a combat vet who said "war can be good". Necessary, yes. For a greater good or for a good cause, yes. But not war itself being "good".

So I was wondering if you had any hands on experience in trying to kill people and having them try to kill you and your buddies. I have a lot of combat vets in my family. Although I never served (wouldn't take me due to 1 too many dependents) I am the son of a Nam combat vet and grew up around Nam vets. Uncles and cousins served in Vietnam, Korea, and Pacific Theater WW2. All but one were grunts "on the line" with confirmed kills, CIBs or CARs, and physical scars to prove it. Every single one of them would tell you straight up war is bad beyond your wildest imagination, and never something to look forward to by anyone who hadn't already been in it.

I'm going to leave it at that.

I thank you for your service, though.

And yes, the tip of the spear requires even cooks and mechanics to function, everyone plays a vital role.

Kind of like in the church...

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

Is that an earthly nation? Or a spiritual nation where Christ is King and his followers are citizens?


1 Peter 2:8-10
They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined for this.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for His possession,
so that you may proclaim the praises
of the One who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.

Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.

He said the kingdom would be given to a nation, etc.

Nations are nations, the kingdom is the kingdom. And nations can be given the kingdom, and nations can have it taken away from them, too.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

Please lay aside everything you think about Greg Boyd especially the negative things and listen with an open mind.

A message by Greg Boyd on War and Peace.


http://whchurch.org/blog/11686/war-and-peace


"...when we fight against other human beings, we are being played by the powers"
"...the primary way we fight the principalities and powers is by refusing to make another human being our enemy...to refuse to ever not love another human being...that is itself warfare against the principalities and powers."Boyd

I disagree with all four statements here attributed to Boyd.

1. God commanded people to fight against other people. His servants were not "being played by the powers".

2. Refusing to make another human being our enemy is not the primary way we fight the powers and principalities. The primary way is through the proclamation of the gospel of God's kingdom.

3. Obedience to the command to love our neighbor is not the primary way we fight the powers either, although it certainly is a requirement in serving God and all mankind are obliged to love their neighbor.

4. Loving one's neighbor and refusing to fight other people are not themselves " warfare against the powers" etc. If that's the case then Christ, the gospel, and the Word are irrelevant to Christian warfare.

Christian warfare against the powers is ideological and spiritual. It involves heralding the gospel of the kingdom of God, teaching the nations to obey Christ and all his commandments.

[Carl]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Jesus said the kingdom of God would be given to a NATION bearing its fruits. So, Jesus seemed to believe in the "myth of a Christian nation".

This is speaking of the Gentiles, rather than a specific ethnic group or groups of people living under the same governmental system in the same geographical location.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Carl

This is speaking of the Gentiles, rather than a specific ethnic group or groups of people living under the same governmental system in the same geographical location.

Close! But he didn't say the kingdom would be given "to the gentiles", he said it would be given to A NATION bearing the fruits thereof. It had belonged to the nation of Judea, but would be given to another nation, which it was. In fact, it was given to many nations, in fulfillment of OT prophecy.

The principle being, a nation can have the kingdom of God given to it... or taken away from it.