Calling All Christians: Luke 22:36 is NOT license to fight the government. (VANITY)

Me | 03/19/2013 | Me

[ROTB]

Hello Brothers and Sisters –

There’s an insidious heresy going around the Body of Christ. It sounds something like this:

“[Because of the license given by the LORD Jesus to believers in Luke 22:36-38 to carry and use deadly weapons, I say, “Better the death of Masada than the death of Dachau when the government illegally violates the 2^nd amendment, and lawlessly comes to confiscate my gun(s)]”.

Before we begin, let’s remember that Scripture has no contradictions per John 10:35, and per 2 Timothy 2:15 there is a right and wrong way to interpret scripture. It is even possible per 2 Peter 3:16 to twist scripture to our own destruction.

Let’s look at Luke 22:36-38 more closely. I always put scripture in bold, and the words of the LORD Jesus are in bold red.

Then said he unto them, “But now, he that hath a purse, let him take [it], and likewise [his] scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.” And they said, Lord, behold, here [are] two swords. And he said unto them, “It is enough.”

Luke 22:36-38

We will now break down the above three verses laboriously so we understand exactly what is being said in each part:

“He that has no sword … let him buy one”		the disciples should acquire swords
that this that is written		so the Scripture I am about to quote
must yet be accomplished in me		must and will happen right now to me
And he		Isaiah 53:12 being quoted: he = Jesus
was reckoned among the transgressors		Isaiah 53:12 being quoted: was counted with sinners
And they said, “Lord, behold, here [are] two swords”		the disciples tell Jesus they have two swords
Jesus says, “It is enough”		Jesus confirms the disciples have enough swords to fulfill Isaiah 53:12

I have parsed Luke 22:36-38 in a way that is consistent with classic commentaries on Luke 22:36-38 by Matthew Henry and Jamieson Fausset & Brown, and you will find they don’t give any license at all to taking up arms against authorities.

Jesus wanted the disciples to buy swords, so scripture could be fulfilled when His disciples wielded swords and made themselves "transgressors" for Jesus to be "reckoned among the transgressors."

So, if you also want to be a “transgressor”, despite scripture telling us to be “perfect” in Matthew 5:48, Matthew 19:21, Luke 6:40, John 17:23, 1 Corinthians 2:6, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Philippians 3:15, 1 Thessalonians 3:10, 2 Timothy 3:17, Hebrews 13:21, don’t pray for yourself to grow and for others to be saved, drop your Bible, pick up your gun, and steel yourself to fight the government agents who may come for it.

Jesus said the word never contradicts itself in John 10:35. So when Jesus, who is the Word, and LORD, and the 2nd person of the Godhead, said in Matthew 26:52, “Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword,” it is in perfect harmony with the above interpretation of Luke 22:36-38.

Otherwise, you would have to think that the LORD God, who made every star, world, plant and animal in all their glorious majesty and order in 6 days, and is called Master, and LORD, the Rock, and The Good Shepherd, would so plainly contradict Himself.

So when scripture says very plainly in 1 Peter 2:13 that we should, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as to them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well”, no license is given to us to rebel against governing authorities. If you think you’re only supposed to submit to a nation’s laws if the laws are “good” and “not evil” in your eyes, please show me the Scriptures that justify this point of view. I could have missed them.

If despite all the above scripture, your attitude is still that of “God will forgive me for rebelling and fighting the government when they come for my guns” then ask yourself if God would also forgive witchcraft given 1 Samuel 15:23 says “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft”. If your response is that “The context of 1 Samuel 15:23 is rebellion against God, not against government.” Then I must point you to Romans 13:4 which that government “bears not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to [execute] wrath upon him that does evil”. Government is a minister of God. Therefore, if rebellion against God is sin per 1 Samuel 15:23, why is rebellion against a “minister of God” per Romans 13:4 NOT sin? If government forces kill you when you rebel with arms, it’s with God’s backing and approval. Titus 3:1 echoes Romans 13:4 and 1 Peter 2:13 in that we as Christians are to be subject to whatever government is placed by God over us. Jude 1:8 even associates those who “despise dominion” with a host of other unsavory and damnable sins.

Many a self-professed Christian “patriot” who would think nothing of pointing a gun at a government agent and squeezing the trigger, would quickly and decisively declare they would never partake in witchcraft, since it is so clearly a damnable sin committed by the arch-enemies of Jesus Christ.

Yet, the rebellion you still desire “is as” damnable witchcraft in God’s eyes.

Also, again, when you rebel with arms, you invite China/Russia/etc parking a few subs off our coasts or carriers, and nuking our ICBM fields and military bases during the confusion caused by CW2. China/Russia/etc would be fools not to take advantage of your rebellion, and they are not fools.

Furthermore, it is not necessary at all to fight tyrannical government with physical arms if we:

1. take up the New Covenant defensive and offensive spiritual weapons of God per Ephesians 6:12 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 against evil spirits that stir up our elected and appointed officials to do evil

2. we pray with faith since God can control and guide the hearts of President Obama, Congress, the Supreme Court, government bureaucrats, governors, mayors, state legislators, city councils, the Police, and our Armed Forces per Proverbs 21:1, and we are commanded to pray for them per 1 Timothy 2:1-3. We pray that many witnesses of the Gospel be sent to them per Matthew 9:37, they be convicted of sin like in Acts 2:37, and that God grants them repentance per 2 Timothy 2:25

Only then will our politicians lead us with ever increasing prudence, and Godly wisdom. I'm talking about prayer for President Obama, Congress, and others in government.

I have carefully interpreted Luke 22:36-38, and found two classic Christian commentaries that agree with my interpretation.

We're Christians, so if our feelings contradict Scripture, they are error.

After I stood face to face with a Mormon and tore down Joseph Smith and/or the reliability of the Book of Mormon, he put his hands on his chest, looked at me very earnestly, and told me that the Holy Spirit tells him the Book of Mormon is of God. In truth, that was a lying deceiving spirit in that Mormon. Mormonism was founded on the premise that the Church founded in the 1^st century with the LORD'S promise in Matthew 16:18 that it would never fall, actually did fall, making Jesus who is the truth, into a liar.

Therefore, to avoid error we need to give scriptural reasons for why we believe what we believe, and do what we do.

To give a scriptural reply of substance you might:

1. Parse Luke 22:36-38 in an intelligible way where the disciples are NOT transgressors

2. Find a reputable commentary that agrees with your position

3. Given John 10:35 says scripture has no contradictions, please explain how your interpretation of Luke 22:36-38 does not conflict with:

   1. Matthew 26:52 which says, “Then said Jesus unto him, ‘Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.’ ”

2. Matthew 5:44 which says, “Love your enemies.”

3. Titus 3:1-2 which says, “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, [but] gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.”

4. 1 Peter 2:13-14 which says, “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.”

5. Romans 13:1-2 which says, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”

Too many times have I posted calls to prayer for the conviction, salvation to saving faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance of our politicians, the Democrats, the Communists, the Muslims, and other assorted 5^th column type people in the USA, and the response here on FreeRepublic.com has typically been, “[I’m not going to pray for them, this country is going down the tubes, Jesus said in Luke 22:36 I’m allowed to shoot people, so when the government sends soldiers or police for my guns, there’ll be hell to pay.]”

I pray the Holy Spirit convict us, so we return to the true faith of Jesus Christ, that our nation be saved. Luke 22:36 was never meant as license for Christians to take up arms.

[ROTB]

Luke 22:36 is NOT license to take up arms against the government.

[US Navy Vet]

GO AWAY COWARD!

[ROTB]

Ping!

1) http://holyrestoration.weebly.com/index.html now has the Microsoft Word original of what I posted, so you can add/modify it at will, and post elsewhere.
2) So does http://holyrestoration.weebly.com/faq.html.

[ROTB]

Here’s the new thread.

[ROTB]

Should anyone wish to read more about the Holy Restoration of Christian Living that we need here in the USA, please refer to the following thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2997910/posts

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

it may not be license but it, likewise, is not denied anyone to defend against a gosless ruler within Christian liberty.

The free people of God are not simple, passive sheep available for wanton slaughter by the godless. Otherwise, we would all be Babylonians today.

(BTW, that is the foundation of the fathers of the Republic...)

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

oooops, “gosless” should be “godless”.

[Viennacon]

God’s teachings advocate self-defense, and the Israelites defended themselves many, many times. Besides, my government has actively declared war on my faith. If I have to defend it with the ‘sword’, I will. No, that doesn’t mean I’m going to attack Bill Maher for the things he says (as tempting as it is). I am talking about the violation of my God-given right to my religion, outlined by the Founders.

[Godzilla]

Should anyone wish to read more about the Holy Restoration of Christian Living that we need here in the USA, please refer to the following thread:

There would be no 'USA' for "Restoation of Christian Living" if it wasn't for Christians who drew upon the bible who stood up and rebelled with force against England.

[RoosterRedux]

Without the taking up of arms against the Government, America (a country founded on God) would not exist.

[Slump Tester]

So our founding fathers were wrong?

I don't think so!

[DuncanWaring]

Still claiming that adequate prayer and fasting will protect us from psychopaths exercising their God-given free will?

[DLfromthedesert]

Who gave General Washington license, and where would we be if our founders had not taken up arms against an unjust government?

Furthermore, once the agents start coming for our guns, that already is the end of the USA without any help from China and/or Russia.

[Thane_Banquo]

The American tradition, as seen in both the Revolution and the behavior of the Cnfederacy in the Civil War, is to have in place some government authority, established by process of law, that declares independence from another government. This government authority then directs the conflict that follows. This is not the situation considered either in Romans 13 or by the Apostle Peter. Both are specifically discussing acts of lawlessness and criminality.

[edcoil]

Not a religious issue.

It is a tax and corruption issue. The Declaration of Independence tells us when the government burden and corruption is so great it must be replaced and those that can, should.

Luke and the bible has nothing to do with it.

[DuncanWaring]

Would the Iraqis have been wrong, 15 years ago, to take up arms against Saddam Hussein?

[Pollster1]

Luke 22:36 is neither license nor prohibition on taking up arms against the government. I would go instead to Mark 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.

Then ask yourselves: "What things are God's?" Since that is everything, our 'loyalty' to government is limited only to paying the taxes demanded and supporting the current government to the extent that it is doing God's work and following God's word. It is obvious how well that description fits the government currently in power in our country.

[ArrogantBustard]

In 1776, King George III was the governing authority over the North American Colonies.

Draw such conclusions as you wish.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Then disarm yourself and rely on the government to protect you and pray that they don’t enslave you.

[tumblindice]

Ephesians 6:11
And don’t forget your level IV body armor!