Dale Ridge church of Christ

               This past Monday (10/13/08), my family and I made a trip to Richmond, VA in order to support the rally for Sarah Palin.  The rally was to begin at 2 pm, but we were running a little late.  The traffic was really bad when we go there (a good thing, because most of it was for the rally—about 25,000 to 30,000 showed up).  Thankfully, the rally got underway a little late, and we were able to make it.

                After the rally, we learned there were some political activists who had gone through the crowd with a video camera with the intention to mock and find contradictions among the attendees.  One area in which they sought to find an inconsistency was in the matter of the value of human life.  When a McCain-Palin supporter stated their reason for support was because of a Pro-Life position, the activist would come back with, “How can you say you are Pro-Life and support someone who has been responsible for killing thousands in the war in Iraq?”

                Well, is this an inconsistency?  Is it a contradiction to say you are Pro-Life and at the same time are  supportive of a war?  While the writer of this article will answer in the affirmative to these questions, I do not necessarily stand in agreement with everything that has gone on in this war, nor do I support all war.  Certainly, there is a major difference between an offensive war and a defensive war where a nation seeks to protect.  Also, there is a real difference between good and evil, and it must be recognized that there are those who are evil and seek to do evil works in this world.

                What is of utmost importance in this or in any ethical question, though, is not what the mere rationalities man say (Proverbs 14:12; Jeremiah 10:23), but what the oracles of God’s living Word say (1 Peter 4:11; Ephesians 6:17).   The Bible should be the first and last arbiter in such and in all matters.

                Romans 13 is one of the key chapters of the Bible in matters concerning the civil government.  Romans 13 begins with the statement of God’s rule and control over the governmental systems of man and of our need to submit to those governmental systems (Romans 13:1-2; see also Ecclesiastes 8:2-3).   God has ordained the general institution of government.  In Romans 13, Paul lays out God’s intentions and purposes for government.  

Paul first notes:  “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. . .” (Rom. 13:3a).   Paul here is saying that on the one hand, God’s intentions are not for governments to harm those that do good.  Unfortunately, governments sometimes abuse their power, and those in government are themselves evil and do become a “terror” to good works.  On the other hand, it is important to note that Paul does state that God does intend that civil government is for the purpose of being a “terror . . . to the evil” (Rom. 13:3). 

Second, Paul notes that the government is His sword bearer (Romans 13:4).  The word “sword’ here is a makaira and refers to the Roman long sword.  Paul says that the government does not bear this sword in vain.  In other words, God intends for the sword to be used for the purpose for which it was designed.  Barnes, correctly comments, “The ‘sword’ is an instrument of punishment, as well as an emblem of war.”

Some have looked to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and have concluded that all war (along with matters such as capital punishment) is in and of itself evil (Matthew 5:21-26; Matthew 5:38-39).  Jesus’ words are in agreement with what Paul taught just prior to his message in Romans 13 (Romans 12:17-21).  This leads us to the third point—the government is God’s minister in this matter.  Notice the last part of Romans 13:4:  “. . . for he [that is, the government] is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”

So, is there a contradiction being Pro-Life and Pro-war?  If that war is a defensive war and against real evil, then no here is no contradiction.  Earthly government was designed by God to be a terror, a sword, and a revenger.  The ultimate principle in all matters though is that we ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).

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Filed under: Doctrine, Michael Carter on October 18th, 2008