A sword is not necessary to be numbered among the transgressors - in fact is *wasn't* even brought up at Christ's trial.
You are making the argument that "since it is the evidence, it must be required." The Scripture doesn't say that.
I want to draw your attention to this in particular:
A sword is not found in the prophecy quoted by Christ, nor supported by the immediate context, nor found in the accusations against Christ.
It doesn't create suspicion that you're a transgressor if you carry money, sandals, backpacks, whatever. It does create suspicion if your men have arms.
No suspicion is necessary. Christ wasn't being arrested for suspicion of arms. Nor were soldiers walking buy who spotted some men with swords. They were already coming to arrest Christ.
This idea of suspicion is one your argument brings to the text. It isn't there found there in Greek, nor the Hebrew translation of the prophecy, nor otherwise. Suspicion of bearing arms is irrelevant to the event and to the history of the trial and to the prophecy.
You'll notice that nowhere in the NT do the Apostles ever use a sword, or any other weapon, for defense, although the Christian Community is frequently at risk for arrest and imprisonment and/or stoning.
This is an interesting idea that doesn't bear on this passage, since Christ instructs them to buy swords.
(I'm laughing to myself that you are requiring something to have happened during the NT and example of the Apostles. 😃)
... and ultimately, you are making an argument from silence. We simply do not know. The Holy Spirit chose not to record it if it happened.
(and here, if I was a Roman, I'd say, "But God could have! Not everything is recorded in Scripture!)
Rome certainly found the sword later in history...
Best.
The *turning the other cheek* passage is about letting insults go, not about not defending oneself.
Well, it’s sure true that there’s a lot that we don’t absolutely know. There are seeming paradoxes or discrepancies among the four Gospel accounts, and it’s not like every detail even needs to be ironed out. It started out with “Blasphemy, He says He’s God” and ended up with, “He’s fomenting opposition to Caesar.” The false witnesses couldn’t even get their own stories straight, as the Gospel says.
After all, they had no evidence of wrong-doing. It was a kangaroo court and a travesty of justice. Malice and lies.
I am particularly struck by the way Jesus said, “Nobody takies my life from Me. I lay down my life.”
Thank you, Jesus my Savior.
I own a sword!
It’s not a very good sword, mind you. Not very sharp.
And the next sword I plan to get will probably have pieces flying off at high velocity.
I guess I’m just a bad consumer of stabby implements.
Also, placemarker for the article.