Call it coincidence, happenstance, prophetic, or whatever term you prefer to ascribe to what I am about to share with you. At approximately the same time that the horrendous slaying of twenty-six people took place in Texas on Sunday, November 5, 2017, I was addressing the gathering of not only my congregants, but also a few pastors and others from Georgia, New York, and beyond. I felt impressed to interrupt what I was saying and interject this statement: “I really don’t understand why I am lead to say this, but we must stop being lax about protecting ourselves when we gather to worship. Pastors, here at our church, we have people ‘packing’ (armed with guns) who are authorized to carry a concealed weapon. They are strategically placed in certain areas with instructions to use deadly force if anyone enters or invades our church with a drawn weapon. We have chosen only men with the skill, courage, and resolve to use deadly force to disarm, incapacitate, and terminate their lives if necessary in order to protect the innocent.” Not long after we gave the benediction and were released, a few people came up to me in amazement with the sad news of what had happened. This material that you are reading is my attempt to address the question of whether or not Christians should bear arms. There are believers on both sides of this issue – those who say “no,” we should not and those who say “yes,” we should. Since I firmly believe in the right of a Christian as an American citizen and from a biblical perspective to bear arms, I will briefly give you a few of the reasons why those who oppose the idea espouse.
First, they cite a passage in the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:13 that says, “Thou shalt not kill…” To debunk the belief that this Old Testament passage forbids killing human beings for any reason; we need to look no further than to the actual and contextual meaning of this word as it was used in that passage. The word literally means “to premeditate murder or pierce with evil and malicious intent.” Then there are those who seek to build an argument against killing for any reason on these passages: “And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. 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.” (Mathew 26:51-52); “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword…” (Revelation 13:10).
Again, this view cannot hold water and quickly proves to be a distortion or misinterpretation of Biblical truth. This is certainly the case when we consult other passages, like Genesis 9:6, Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed…”, which once again proves the issue was murder.
Finally, some attempt to prove that Christians should never harm or kill another person for any reason by citing the following response that John the Baptist gave to some soldiers: “Do violence to no man…” (Luke 3:14). What John was literally saying to those soldiers who, for the most part, made it a practice to bully or beat people in order to squeeze money out of them was simply this, “Do not intimidate or shake down people for money.”
Now that we have considered some of the major reasons why many Christians are opposed to followers of Christ bearing arms, especially if it means using deadly force for self-protection, I will consider some of the most compelling reasons why I believe that it is both our Biblical and Constitutional right to bear arms. Perhaps the most compelling argument that supports the right and wisdom of Christians to bear arms can be found in the following Scriptures: “And he said unto them, when I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said, nothing. 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 22:35-38); “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7-8.) Nothing can validate my point like the instructions of our Lord to His disciples to take up swords. There is absolutely no theological argument that anyone can set forth to invalidate those inspired words of our Lord.
In the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, we are clearly told that to every purpose there is a season, even a time to make war. If there is a time to make war, there is certainly a time to take up arms and use deadly force in defense of people in your family, church, and other groups of affection, when their lives are threatened by terrorists, deranged people, or anyone who is out to harm or kill you.
I am not pushing the right of Christians or any law abiding citizen to bear arms in order to be aggressive and violent. My argument and aim is based upon both our Biblical and First Amendment rights. I am in opposition to anyone other than those who are authorized, like the military and law enforcement, owning automatic and military grade weapons.
Nevertheless, as a Christian and American citizen, I believe that I have the right to own a gun and use it to hunt game, as well as, to protect my family from those who would aggressively attempt to inflict bodily harm upon us. Defending one’s family or the innocent from terrorists, deranged people, or anyone who is out to kill them is not living by the sword. It is a duty and responsibility. Just imagine, if you can, that if someone at the church in Texas had been strategically set and inconspicuously carrying a weapon and who had the courage and skill to bring down a would-be killer, how many lives could have been saved. There was a time in our nation and culture when there was not a need to take such drastic and extreme precautions in order to preserve our peace and protect our lives from terrorists, deranged people, and those who would kill us. Regrettably, those days are long gone and perhaps will never return until Jesus’ Second Advent. In the meantime, as Christians and American citizens with the right to bear arms, we must watch as well as pray. It is our duty and responsibility to be discreet and prepared in our homes and places of worship to protect our loved ones from those who would intrude and invade our space with malicious and murderous motives.
Whether we like it or not, the times that we are living in are dictating us to take some immediate and extreme precautionary measures. We have but two options in regard to this issue.
We can choose to live in apathy and pray and hope that what happened in Texas at the First Baptist Church and in Charleston at Mother Emmanuel A.M.E. Church will never happen to us.
Contrarily, we can pray and be prepared for what we hope will never happen. It is better to have and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
These prudent words from an English sage of the late seventeen hundreds are appropriate to end my column with today:
“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” —Edmund Burke