Is the use of Violence in Self Defense Scriptural?
We live in a society which seems to be increasingly violent and materialistic. This problem stems from a lack of Godliness which has developed due to the lack of religious training in the modern family. Breakdown of the family structure caused by lack of religious training leads to even less religious training, which in turn leads to even less Godliness, resulting in more violence. Where violence used to be primarily limited to acquaintances, it is now predominately involving total strangers. The civil government has admitted that it cannot protect innocent law abiding citizens from criminal attack, and cannot be held liable for failing to do so. It is the responsibility of the individual citizen to protect themselves and their family and property. While many Christians hold the opinion that self defense is approved by God, very few have actually given much thought to, or study of, the scriptures on the subject.
Luke 22:36 is a verse of scripture which is commonly misused to justify possession and carrying of firearms or other weapons for self defense by anyone. This verse is taken out of context when used for this purpose. The context in which this verse is set shows that the real reason a weapon was needed was to fulfill prophecy (Is 53:12); that Jesus would be considered an outlaw, because of the use of a weapon by one of his disciples. The surrounding verses in the book of Luke, plus the parallel passages, help us understand the context. The possession and use of a weapon against the Jewish rulers was not the total fulfillment of the prophecy, but it was a necessary part of the fulfillment. The rest of the prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus was hung on the cross between two thieves. Crucifixion was reserved for the worst of criminals, and was not the prescribed form of capital punishment given in the Law.
Luke 22:36-38 He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: `And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment." The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords." "That is enough," he replied.
Matt 26:45-47 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
Matt 26:50-56 Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Luke 22:48-53 but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour-- when darkness reigns."
Jesus knew that his disciples would try to defend him with the weapons they carried. Jesus allowed this to happen, so that prophecy would be fulfilled. Jesus did not rebuke his disciple for defending him, but stopped the violence from going any farther than necessary to fulfill prophecy. The prophecy was partly fulfilled because the Jewish leaders considered any resistance to their will to be transgression of the Law. The disciples believed they were defending Jesus and themselves from a mob of armed aggressors who were acting outside the bounds of the law.
The account of the betrayal and arrest of Jesus cannot be used solely as a direct authorization for Christians to take up weapons in self defense, but it also cannot be used to disallow it. Apparently Simon Peter and one other apostle were carrying weapons before Jesus required it of them. It can be inferred that self defense is acceptable, since Peter was not rebuked for using his sword to defend Jesus. The statement Jesus made concerning 12,000 angels being placed at his disposal also implies that he had the right to defend himself from the unlawful acts of the Jewish leadership, but refused to do so in order to fulfill God’s plan of salvation for all mankind.
John 18:36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
There is at least one account of violence being used for self defense in the old testament, where that violence had the approval of the civil authorities.
Esth 8:11 The king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children; and to plunder the property of their enemies.
The LAW of Moses provided for the homeowner to defend his property with physical force, allowing the taking of life, with the restriction that it could not be done during daylight. Presumably, this is because the homeowner would be able to recognize the thief in daylight, see whether a weapon was being carried by the thief, and escape. Civil authority could then apprehend the thief and recover the stolen goods. During darkness the thief was hidden from recognition, and it would not be possible to determine if the thief was armed with a weapon. The homeowner was not explicitly given the right to use a weapon against the thief. The homeowner also stood to gain more by not killing the thief, since the thief was required to pay multiple restitution if he escaped and was caught later.
Exod 22:2-3 "If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed. " A thief must certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he must be sold to pay for his theft.
Prov 6:30-31 Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
The principle of self defense is recognized in the new testament as found in Matt 24:43.
Matt 24:43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
The concept of responsibility for the welfare of family members is expressed in 1 Tim 5:8 and in Acts 7:23-25. The word translated provide means to pre-plan, and the context establishes the physical welfare of the family as the purpose of the pre-planning.
1 Tim 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Acts 7:23-25 "When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.
Moses is referred to in the new testament as a man of faith, who kept God’s command, not as a murderer or unjustified killer of men. This is another example from which we may infer that self defense and defense of the helpless and innocent is allowed. It may be argued that it is preferable to prevent the innocent life from being killed, by killing the attacker, than to let the murder occur and then execute the murderer, thus losing two lives. To prevent the murder without any loss of life is preferable.
The old testament contains many passages which describe evil acts that God hates, and for which the proper punishment is death. Anyone committing these acts was NOT INNOCENT! The LAW prohibited the shedding of INNOCENT blood! The avenger of blood was required to take the life of murderers. Many sins were to be punished by congregational stoning, where all the people took part in the execution of the guilty.
Prov 6:16-19 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
Job 24:13-17 "There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths. When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up and kills the poor and needy; in the night he steals forth like a thief. The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, `No eye will see me,' and he keeps his face concealed. In the dark, men break into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they want nothing to do with the light. For all of them, deep darkness is their morning; they make friends with the terrors of darkness.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; ...
Luke 10:30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
Ezek 18:10-13 "Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things (though the father has done none of them): "He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor's wife. He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head.
Exod 21:16 "Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death.
Num 35:16-21 "`If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
Deut 17:5-7 take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death. On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you.
Deut 19:15
One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Num 35:29-31 "'These are to be legal requirements for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live. "'Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. "'Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. He must surely be put to death.
Exod 23:7 Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.
Rom 13:3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
Since two or more witnesses were required to convict someone of crime, the victim who was attacked while no one else was nearby and defended himself, killing the attacker, could not be punished by law due to lack of witnesses. If the victim of an attack used a weapon to defend against an unarmed attacker, and the attacker died, the intended victim could be convicted of murder if there were witnesses. The LAW made a distinction between guilt and innocence based on the intent of the person, and on the use of a weapon to strike the fatal blow. A thief, robber, kidnapper, or rapist, using a weapon to attack the victim, could be assumed to have intent to kill, and if the attacker was killed in self defense, there was no shedding of innocent blood.
Under the law, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life, was the required punishment for deliberate acts of violence in violation of the LAW. Those judged guilty were to be punished, and the victims were to receive restitution from the attacker. The victims were not responsible for performing the punishment, the civil authorities were. The LAW was designed to encourage good behavior and to discourage evil behavior, by severe punishment for wrongdoing, and multiplied restitution for victims. The Law emphasized the physical aspects in men’s relationships with other men and with God.
