What is the Biblical View of Gun Control?

[rvb]

On the same night, Jesus 1st told the disciples that they should buy swords, and then later told Peter that to draw the sword is to perish by the sword. Non-believers will say this conflicts, but rather I think it's an indication of what our temperament should be with regards to violence and recognizing that there are times when violence is appropriate and times when it is not.

Jesus not only told them to get swords (2 was enough, they weren't to become a standing army and influence/convert through show of force), but to now also start traveling with money, sandals, etc.

Combined with the Exodus 22 reference above, I think biblical self defense becomes a reasonable conclusion, but we aren't to convert others to Christ through force, and a temperament that leads you to cutting off the ear of an authority figure with a whole lot of other authority figures standing around will probably end bad for you. It's not the weapon, it's the temperament that should be regulated.

-rvb

 

[Kart29]

The writers of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger Catachism consider the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill", to include the obligation to defend ourselves and others.
Below the Larger Catachism is quoted including relevant footnotes with scripture references.

Q. 134. Which is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.[720]

Q. 135. What are the duties required in the sixth commandment?
A. The duties required in the sixth commandment are all careful studies, and lawful endeavors, to preserve the life of ourselves[721] and others[722] by resisting all thoughts and purposes,[723] subduing all passions,[724] and avoiding all occasions,[725] temptations,[726] and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any;[727] by just defence thereof against violence,[728] patient bearing of the hand of God,[729] quietness of mind,[730] cheerfulness of spirit;[731] a sober use of meat,[732] drink,[733] physic,[734] sleep,[735] labour,[736] and recreations;[737] by charitable thoughts,[738] love,[739] compassion,[740] meekness, gentleness, kindness;[741] peaceable,[742] mild and courteous speeches and behaviour;[743] forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil;[744] comforting and succouring the distressed and protecting and defending the innocent.[745]

Q. 136. What are the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the sixth commandment are, all taking away the life of ourselves,[746] or of others,[747] except in case of public justice,[748] lawful war,[749] or necessary defence;[750] the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful and necessary means of preservation of life;[751] sinful anger,[752] hatred,[753] envy,[754] desire of revenge;[755] all excessive passions,[756] distracting cares;[757] immoderate use of meat, drink,[758] labor,[759] and recreations;[760] provoking words,[761] oppression,[762] quarreling,[763] striking, wounding,[764] and whatsoever else tends to the destruction of the life of any.[765]


[728] Psalm 82:4. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. Proverbs 24:11-12. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? 1 Samuel 14:45. And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

[745] 1 Thessalonians 5:14. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. Job 31:19-20. If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep. Matthew 25:35-36. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Proverbs 31:8-9. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

 

[JettaKnight]

That our overlords do not want us peons armed.

Where does our strength lie? Who does God use as his vessel in most situation: the weak or the strong?

The American public is more armed than ever, yet we're entering a post-Christian era. Counter that with the rise of Christianity in China where private gun ownership is a unicorn.


Christianity is not about domination, liberty, or even safety. I am by no means a pacifist, but in reality, the battle isn't fought with guns. (Eph 6:10-20) And actually, guns can be an idol as much as anything else. Do we think we're tough because we have a gun, or because we have Christ?

What if Christ ask you to be a missionary in China? Will you refuse because you can bring your precious 1911? How different is that from the two that failed to follow in Mt. 8:18-22?


You all know I carry my sidearm to church, and the pastor knows, too; I will protect my flock - so long as it's legal. I will also get as much range time as a can because you can't bring your own ammo to heaven.

 

[Restroyer]

Very Slippery Slope. But lots of good points and views by all on this topic. For me personally I don't try and morph scripture into what I want it to say and I also think that God uses the Bible to speak to each of us individually. We all know what is right from wrong and I think the Holy Spirit directs all of us who allow Him to. For me, that means I will carry and protect my family, friends, co-workers, and strangers for that matter. I feel God gave me a skill and I have done my best to hone that skill as best I can. I just pray that I never have to use that skill.

 

[rhino]

If Jesus had owned an AK, would he still be alive today?

I don't know. I just don't know.

 

[STFU]

If Jesus had owned an AK, would he still be alive today?

I don't know. I just don't know.

Probably would have chosen an Israeli made weapon?
Maybe a Galil and a Jericho or a Masada for a side-arm?
;-)

 

[JettaKnight]

Very Slippery Slope. But lots of good points and views by all on this topic. For me personally I don't try and morph scripture into what I want it to say and I also think that God uses the Bible to speak to each of us individually. We all know what is right from wrong and I think the Holy Spirit directs all of us who allow Him to. For me, that means I will carry and protect my family, friends, co-workers, and strangers for that matter. I feel God gave me a skill and I have done my best to hone that skill as best I can. I just pray that I never have to use that skill.

True.

The same argument for taking drugs, blood transfusions, etc. to protect and sustain our lives can be applied to firearms.

If you can get it, use it.

 

[INPatriot]

Well, I'm Jewish, not Christian. The Talmud certainly lays out the protection of the right of self defense, referencing Exodus 22:3(.223), in saying that you have every right to defend yourself against someone that intends to harm you. No real mincing words in "If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him

This, Sir, was not lost on me.

 

[Goodcat]

Great article and post, thank you. Great read and bible study!

 

[Goodcat]

If Jesus had owned an AK, would he still be alive today?

I don't know. I just don't know.

Assuming you aren’t religious? Of course He would not. He knew his fate... He entered knowingly. Now if His disciples carried P320s, the garden of gethsemane may have produced some unwanted action. Just saying.

 

[thunderchicken]

Great discussion. I beleive in the passage that says if you don't have a sword sell your cloak and buy one. I also like Nehemiah 4:9 we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
God called us to turn the other cheek. But, I am also a firm believer that God calls us to be good shepherds and to protect the flock. Sometimes that means reigning in a lost sheep and sometimes it means to keep watch and be ready to fight off the wolves.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

On the "turn the other cheek" comments, here's a brief video from Dr. Michael Brown with his take on it.

[video]https://askdrbrown.org/library/what-does-turn-other-cheek-mean[/video]

 

[rvb]

If Jesus had owned an AK, would he still be alive today?

I don't know. I just don't know.

Assuming you aren’t religious? Of course He would not. He knew his fate... He entered knowingly. Now if His disciples carried P320s, the garden of gethsemane may have produced some unwanted action. Just saying.

He IS alive today!

 

[JettaKnight]

He IS alive today!

He's alive, indeed!

 

[Hohn]

I beg to differ.

I would take the passage in 1 Sam 13 as evidence that "gun control" occurred. This is NOT evidence that gun control is good or it is bad. Rather, it is evidence of God's judgment upon the rebellious Hebrews who had demanded a King.

So CCE1302 is correct in pointing out that there is no view of gun control promoted by the Bible. Documenting merely that the Hebrews were disarmed by their conquerers-- as a consequence of their rebellion against God-- is NOT the same thing as a policy prescription from Scripture.


"There was no smith throughout the land" could be interpreted to mean the all bought Rugers, right? #revolverhumor

 

[Hohn]

One final thought on this interesting discussion:

A Christian's view of liberty should be informed by his faith.

Liberty is not self-evidently virtuous. The mere ability to do what you wish is only useful to a Christian when that liberty glorifies Christ. In other words, the determination that liberty is a virtue or a vice depenads on what we do with it.

Moreover, a Bible-believing evangelical Christian has voluntarily surrendered his liberty to Scriptural authority. We are NOT at liberty to do anything and everything we feel like doing, even things that a libertarian would say have no harm to another.

Somewhat ironically, it is that personal internal restraint that allows for a society to have a government with very little external restraints. For example, a law against murder serves as much to represent our social moral code that murder is wrong as it does to provide a means to punish transgressors. For MOST people who believe murder is wrong, the legality of it has no effect on their belief-- some other moral code determines that it is wrong, and this just happens to align with the legality.

If you have a society entirely of people that truly believe that murder is wrong, then you'd not need a law against it. It would be unwritten and unnecessary. The INTERNAL code makes the external code moot.


When you have a society that view liberty as self-evidently good--- divorced from what it is used for-- then you end up with no collective agreement about your societal values. The internal code is now so different from one to another that it cannot be counted on. Which makes external controls and restrictions on liberty necessary to prevent anarchy.


Which means that when we pursue liberty for its own sake, we end up with less of it because we will end up trying to subsitute an inferior and ineffective EXTERNAL moral code based on legality for the superior internal moral code based on something more substantial than the law. (Cue Aquinas...).

Perhaps then instead of focusing on "muh rights" for 2A and the idea that we should be able to do whatever we want, we should instead focus on "my responsibilities" to secure my family, secure my property, and restrain my government to secure the rights of others threatened by an out of control government.

 

[rhino]

Assuming you aren’t religious? Of course He would not. He knew his fate... He entered knowingly. Now if His disciples carried P320s, the garden of gethsemane may have produced some unwanted action. Just saying.

Why would you assume that?

 

[rhino]

He IS alive today!

Okay, you got the trick part of the question. And I hope you got the joke part too!

 

[JettaKnight]

Why would you assume that?

I think his purple text detector is on the fritz.

 

[Randy Harris]

On the same night, Jesus 1st told the disciples that they should buy swords, and then later told Peter that to draw the sword is to perish by the sword. Non-believers will say this conflicts, but rather I think it's an indication of what our temperament should be with regards to violence and recognizing that there are times when violence is appropriate and times when it is not.

Jesus not only told them to get swords (2 was enough, they weren't to become a standing army and influence/convert through show of force), but to now also start traveling with money, sandals, etc.

Combined with the Exodus 22 reference above, I think biblical self defense becomes a reasonable conclusion, but we aren't to convert others to Christ through force, and a temperament that leads you to cutting off the ear of an authority figure with a whole lot of other authority figures standing around will probably end bad for you. It's not the weapon, it's the temperament that should be regulated.

-rvb

The die by the sword likely referred to RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT and that if Peter stood and fought the Temple Guards he and maybe more of the disciples would have been killed. It was likely NOT a "for all time forward admonition against lethal force".