Just War v. Pacifism

(Originally written April 25, 2006 in 3 Subject)

Contemporary Issues of Philosophy

The morality of War

As a Christian do you feel war is right?

1. Violence
2. Obeying the government (Titus 3:1, Romans 13:3-5)

Rae:

War in the Old Testament

-Securing Israel's boundaries (2 Samuel 5:17-25)
-National Defense (1 Kings 20)
-Offensive Attacks (Joshua 6-12)
-Total Annihilation (Deuteronomy 25:17-19, 1 Samuel 15:1-3)

Does God's sanctioning of Israel's military action justify modern warfare?

-God chose Canaan for His people
-Canaan was very vulnerable to attack
-This vulnerability led to a necessary reliance on God
-Disobedience often resulted in war

The Spirit of Pacifism

-The Sermon on the Mount
-Forbidding resistance to evil
-Loving your enemies
-Jesus blesses the peacemakers
-Submitting to persecutors
-Submitting to the government, even that of Rome

However, there is no Biblical record of soldiers who had converted leaving the military for Pacifistic views

Major views:

Pacifism - Direct participation in war is completely wrong, indirect participation is sometimes wrong

Just war theory - participation in war is morally acceptable under certain criteria

Major Biblical support for Pacifism

-Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:38-48)
-Paul's teachings on non-violence (Romans 12:19-21)
-Peter's doctrine of non-resistance (1 Peter 2:18-24)

Nonviolence vs. non-participation
-Pacifists fall into various levels of pacifism
-All fighting though is considered wrong in every level of pacifism
-Participation in work supporting conflict is and is not acceptable depending on the level of pacifism

Criticism of Pacifism
-If a murderer is in your home with you and your family do you let your family be murdered? Do you fight back and try to subdue the attacker? Do you try to save your family?
-What is the definition of violence?
-Duty to the state argument (Romans 13:1-7, the state 'wields the sword' to keep order and peace). Does our duty to the state outweigh our personal disposition towards violence?

Just War Theory

7 Traditional Criteria:
1) War must be prompted by a just cause
2) War must have a just intention
3) War must be engaged as a last resort
4) The war in question must be initiated by a formal declaration by properly constituted authorities
5) The war in question must be characterized by limited objections (not total annihilation or wholesale destruction)
6) The war must be conducted with appropriate means (force must be proportional to the threat)
7) The war must respect noncombatant immunity

Robert Fullinwider article:

-We should focus more on innocence when assessing validity of violence (terrorism).
-There is a division between combatants and non-combatants, those this distinction is a difficult one to determine in some circumstances.
-We must rethink our definition of terrorism.
-International law brings some order to international affairs.
-Private judgment of a state undermines international law.
-One must be able to justify their actions in a manner that is satisfactory.

Christology and Christological Heresies

(Originally Written March 15, 2006 in 3 Subject)

New Testament Christology

Functional Titles of Jesus

1) Past work (Jesus of History)
-Prophet: 'anointed' office #1
-Servant of God (Isaiah 53)

2) Future work (Return of Christ)
-King: 'anointed' office #2
-Son of Man: will judge the Nations (Daniel 7:13-14)

3) Present work (The ascended Christ)
-Priest: 'anointed' office #3 (Hebrews)
-Lord over all: (Philippians 2:9-11)

4) Pre-Existence of Christ
-Word (logos) of God (John 1:1-3, 14)
-Creator = Redeemer
-God, "I AM" is mentioned 7 times in John and in Titus 2:13

Christological Controversies (100-325 A.D.)

Gnosticism - Cerinthus & the Docetists

Cerinthus - divides Jesus from Christ. The Christ Spirit arrives when Jesus the man is baptized and leaves at the moment of Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus the man dies but the Christ spirit does not. In between Jesus the man is possessed of the Christ Spirit and does the ministry of Christ Jesus.

Docetism - Jesus only seems (dokeo) human. There was not an actual incarnation

Adoptionism - Jesus is not God, but was adopted by God

Catholic Epistles, Pastoral Epistles, The Epistles of John

(Originally written January 24, 2006 in Book 20)

The first three Catholic Epistles:
1 Peter
2 Peter
Jude

1 Peter: Salvation & Suffering

What it means to live for God in a world without God.

"For Western Christians at the close of the 20th Century this brief tract written within a culture not yet Christian becomes a relevant textbook on Christian living in a culture no longer Christian".

1 Peter

I. Problem of Authorship
-What difference does it make whether the Apostle Peter wrote this letter or someone else wrote it and ascribed it to Peter?
-Peter is a highly esteemed apostle
-Peter was an eye witness
-Peter's words in 1 Peter & Acts

II. Who was I Peter written to?
-Gentiles

III. Setting of Peter's Readers
-ridicule for their beliefs
-honor and shame
-walking in Jesus' steps

2. II Peter

-Parallels Jude
-II Peter 1:20-21 Source of Scripture
- A response to rationalistic and hedonistic denials of God
-Paul's letter as Scripture

3. Jude: Danger! False Teachers!

-Parallels 2 Peter
-Jude was probably written after II Peter

Pastoral Epistles

Called Pastoral because they were written to young pastors

Contents: Introduction to Timothy and Titus about:
1) Errors of false teachers
2) Conduct and teaching as pastors/teachers
3) Church order and behavior in worship
4) Pastor's relationship to other groups in the Church
5) Qualifications for Church leaders

Authorship: critical scholarship considered non-Pauline
-a pseudonymous writer in the second century
-used Paul's authority
-to combat a rising Gnostic influence
-or could think of them as pious forgeries

Paul's authorship attacked on four grounds
1) Historical arguments
-don't fit into chronology in Acts (written after Paul was released in the end of Acts)
2) Stylistic arguments
-Author uses different style and words than Paul's (Paul was older, could have given secretaries more freedom)
3) Ecclesiastical arguments
-Church structure and church order is too developed for first century church (ignores fact that church in Acts is already highly developed)
4) Theological arguments:
-Heresy is a developed Gnosticism of the second century so it is therefore, post-Paul (Gnostic heresy existed very early on)

1st Timothy Highlights

1:18-20 Timothy's character and Paul's admonition

1 Corinthians 11:29-30
- New covenant stipulation
- Will Hymenaeus and Philters be in heaven?
2 Timothy is written 5 years after and it seems unlikely.

2:11-15
- Role of women in the church is one of the hottest topics in evangelicalism today

Authorship of Hebrews
-Philip?
-Apollos?
-Priscilla?
-Barnabas?

Hebrews was the oldest complete early Christian sermon that has been preserved.

Written to professing Jewish Christians in danger of apostasy (going back to Judaism)

The Epistles of John

Intro to I John

Test of fellowship
-Am I a carnal or a spirit directed believer?
-Assumes all John's readers are believers

Tests of Life View

-Am I spiritually alive or spiritually dead?
-Assumes some readers are not Christian

Highlights of Acts, James, Calvinism vs. Arminianism & Galatians

(Originally written on January 17, 2006 in Book 20)

Highlights in the Book of Acts

Acts 2 - Birth of the Church

Church = New Testament People of God
Israel = Old Testament People of God

Acts 6 - Prototypes of Deacons/Elders

The 12 - Prototypes of elders/bishops

Functions of the Elders/Bishops
1) Teaching the word
2) Prayer

The Seven = The prototypes of deacons/deaconesses

Acts 8 - Persecuted church scatters
Acts 9 - Paul's conversion
Acts 10 - Gospel to the Gentiles
Acts 12 - James is Martyred
Acts 14 - 1st Missionary Journey
Acts 15 - The Jerusalem Council
-Must Gentile Christians keep the Law in order to be saved as the Judaizers insist?
Acts 15:39-18:22 - 2nd Missionary Journey
Acts 18:23-21:27 - 3rd Missionary Journey
Acts 21:27-23:32 - Imprisoned in Jerusalem
Acts 23:33-26:32 - Imprisoned in Caesera
Acts 27-28 - Voyage to Rome
Acts 28:16-30 - Roman imprisonment

The Book of James:

Author: James, brother of Jesus (oldest)
- Did not believe in Jesus
- Jesus appeared to him post resurrection
- Very religious Jew
Galatians 2:12/Acts 21:17-26

Recipients:
-Jewish believers who scattered after Stephen's death
-Only epistle strictly written to a Jewish audience

Date:
- Earliest Christian document
- Josephus records James' martyrdom in AD 62
- Makes no reference to Judaizing controversy (AD 49)
- Approximately written AD 46-47

Focus of James: The practical outworking of Christianity in a righteous lifestyle

Emphases
1) Patience in the face of suffering
2) How the rich treat the poor
3) Judgment and judging

James & Paul on role of works in salvation:
- Both James & Paul affirm good deeds and are against bad deeds
- Both use the Greek word "erga" (works) but use it differently

James 2:14-26 has a particular kind of works in view
- Good deeds like acts of charity, generosity, impartiality, control of tongue, etc
- His opponents were claiming orthodoxy without action

Paul opposes "works" as in works of the Law
- Stops people from attempting to obtain salvation through the Law, which is impossible

Calvinism vs. Arminianism

Total Depravity vs. Free will/human ability
Unconditional Election vs. Conditional election
Limited Atonement vs. Unlimited Atonement
Irresistible Grace vs. Resistible grace
Perseverance of the Saints vs. Can fall from grace

Calvinism justifies Unconditional Depravity by Romans 3:10, Jeremiah 17:9, Ephesians 4:18 and Ecclesiastes 7:20. We are unable to save ourselves and will never choose Christ on our own.

Arminianism justifies free will/human ability by John 1:9 and Titus 2:11

Calvinism justifies unconditional election by Romans 8:29-30, Romans 9:11-18, Acts 13:48. Foreknew = Forechosen. God chooses man, man does not choose God.

Arminianism justifies conditional election via Romans 8:29. Foreknew = Foresaw. God foresaw who would choose Him.

Calvinism justifies limited atonement with John 10:10, John 10:15, John 17:2, John 17:6, John 17:9. Christ only died for the elect.

Arminianism justifies unlimited atonement with 1 John 2:2, 1 Timothy 4:10, 2 Peter 2:1 and 2 Corinthians 5:19. Christ died for all men.

Calvinism justifies irresistible grace with Romans 9:19-21. Nobody can resist God's will.

Arminianism justifies resistible grace with 1 John 2:2, 1 Timothy 4:10, 2 Peter 2:1, 2 Corinthians 5:19. God can be resisted.

Calvinism justifies Perseverance of the saints with Philippians 2:12-13, John 10:27-30, Romans 8:38-39. Salvation is secure.

Arminianism justifies can fall from grace with Hebrews 6:4-6, Hebrews 10:26-31, 1 Corinthians 9:27, Romans 8:38-39, Romans 11:22. Salvation can be lost.

Introduction to Galatians

Dualism: Body doesn't matter, do whatever. Soul is what counts.

Two Extremes of dualism:
Antinomianism - over indulgence
Asceticism - no pleasure at all, minimalism

If Paul was concerned about distortions of the gospel, we should too.

Problem behind letter to Galatians.

Jewish Christian teachers infiltrated the Galatian churches with a message that endangered the Gospel message. They were Judaizers.

Judaizers sought to complete Paul's gospel in two ways.
1) by requiring circumcision
2) by enforcing Jewish food laws