Quote:
Originally Posted by Jito463
I was born and raised in the church. In all the churches I've attended through the decades, we've never felt the need to lock our doors when we're there, either. That said, preparedness doesn't mean we don't trust in God. We know that God can provide us the food and water we need to survive, yet we still prepare by stockpiling in case of an emergency. If a car cuts us off, we know that God can protect us from a crash, yet we still slam on our brakes.
Carrying a firearm is no different, merely utilizing a different tool. Jesus even told his disciples to sell their cloaks and buy swords. Firearms are simply the modern day swords. We even know that Peter carried a sword, because he used it to cut an ear off when they came to take Jesus. There was no mention of Jesus telling him not to carry a sword, He only rebuked him because He knew that what was taking place must happen. If you believe that the Scriptures teaches us not to carry a weapon, then please feel free to prove me wrong. Until then, I'll continue being prepared.
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The go to scripture everyone employees to to prove Jesus and His followers were ready bust some heads. Is
Luke 22:36–37, yet in
Matthew 26:52 when a disciple uses the sword to go upside a temple guard's head. Jesus quickly not only rebukes disciple, but lays out a doctrine that if you count on the sword as protection you in turn will be killed by the very same tool. But in
Luke 22:36-37 Jesus is speaking in reference to a prophecy in
Isaiah 53:12 concerning "transgressors" ἀνόμων. What does transgressors have to do with selling your cloak and bag to buy weapons? How does selling the items which were provided by God,
Matthew 10:10,
Luke 22:35 to be sold to buy swords?
Isaiah 53 is marking the end of the Jesus' ministry with His disciples. Jesus was telling them that not only His persecution was at hand, but there tribulations were soon to follow. Jesus being numbered among the lawless were those who depended on their own strength alone to liberate Israel. The Zealots had no problem with using violence against the Roman occupation. Yet, if we are to believe that Jesus was arming His group, then what He says in
Luke 22:38, makes zero sense. Here are two swords! To only have Jesus follow it up with "that is enough!" Was Jesus telling 12 men that two swords were sufficient? Or is it that Jesus was not happy with their interpretation of His instructions? As the disciples were constantly getting Jesus' meanings wrong
John 4:32,
Luke 18:34.
Yet, we understand "that is enough!" When we see what Matthew had to say about the sword play.
Matthew 26:52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword." We can see how Jesus felt about His men carrying and using swords. John records Jesus telling Peter to place his sword back into its sheath. Simply because what Peter was doing was obstructing what God had placed in motion. If we had just this scripture as a stand alone, then we would see no prohibition of weapons for self defense. Yet, the verse in Matthew backs up the "that is enough!" with "he who depends on the sword, will die by the sword" So, locking your doors of your church, while kneeling in the pews shaking like puppies passing peach pits. All while clutching your weapons. Isn't what Jesus had in mind. In
Jeremiah 5:14 it says the word was like fire and the people wood.
Jeremiah 23:29 God's word is a flamethrower designed to make men repent.
Hosea 6:5 I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces— to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light. I'll go with that. Book, chapter, and verse is our defense, not Smith and Wesson. John the Baptist didn't resist evil.
Matthew 5:39 tells us to not resist the evil person, that if we are struck on the right side of the jaw, offer up the left.
But in a time where you have so much on your plate that you have to post an arm guard at the assembly of Christ's people? Or lock and bolt the door of your tabernacle? Then its time to go to assemble at a house church, where the issues of being attacked are reduced. I have seen full blown insane altercations out at my street Bible studies. In all the close situations, I have never had to pull a weapon. All the street preachers around Broward County have pretty strong things to say. I have seen people get in their face, and they stood their ground. So when the media started scaring the Holy Ghost out of the Pentecostals to have them speak in tongues behind locked doors. To have MeeMaw hold a shotgun on the visitors. We who have been out in the street for years thought that was odd. We don't have locked doors, and there is way too many gang members and homeless to gun down. Bullets cost money. No, Jesus has our back, and if I die while preaching the Gospel then so be it. Others died before me with out gun in hand.
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