War and the Church
I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Ge 12:3)
In the last couple of weeks there has been no shortage of pastors and theologians using passage like this to conjure up support for violence against other nations. They believe that Jesus takes sides in their wars, that Jesus wants their enemies to die, and desires victory for their side over another. If we are going to talk about the Christian response to war, we must first establish an accurate view of earthly nations in the Bible. For the early Christians, that meant understanding that there are only two nations in the Bible, Israel and Babylon.
Israel = All who are citizens of the Kingdom of God.
Babylon = All other nations under all other kings.
God’s people are ruled by God, not humans. Gods people do not have a military and they do not recognize the borders of nations. Rather, Gods people are everywhere, in every nation, and they have one king who, according to the early church, was King Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ.
In light of this, every nation that follows and earthly king and has a military force to prop up its control is referred to as Babylon.
Rome is Babylon.
America is Babylon.
Both Russia and Ukraine are Babylon.
Both Palestine and the nation state of modern Israel are also Babylon.
The reason I feel this is important to emphasize is that many Christians have foolishly mixed the nation state of Israel (which was established in 1948) with the Biblical concept of the people of God, and then have usurped scripture in order to argue that all Christians must support the state of Israel (which, again, is another Babylon). This ought not be. It makes Jesus small, punitive, and violent. This lack of distinction between Israel and Babylon has led Christians to take part in war, genocide, and was even used to justify a Christian Insurrection at the Capitol building in January, 2021.
It is vital that, if Christians want to have a consistent and Christlike ethic of war, we need to have a right view of the nations.
The Spirit of Babylon
Babylon, as a recurring biblical motif, represents a nation contrary to Israel, she is ever present and always active. Babylon works through violence. It uses fear as a weapon to coerce and threaten and subdue their people into submission. Babylon divides and oppresses. So when your pastor, your favorite Christian theologian or blogger, encourages you to support the violence of one embodiment of Babylon over another, especially using the writings of the Apostles to do so, they too possessed by the Spirit of Babylon. This misuse of religion to divide and coerce, in essence, embodies the Spirit of Babylon, where hatred, division, and tribalism prevail.
The Forgotten Path to Peace
Historically, the Church has played a pivotal role in advocating for peace and unity in the world. But in recent generations, it has become entangled with worldly powers, resulting in divisions based on political affiliations, ideologies, and niché theologies. It is imperative to remember that the Church transcends political boundaries. Jesus said that “we cannot serve two masters, we will love one and hate the other” (Matthew 6:24). There are Christian communities in the states of both Israel and Palestine who have borne witness to these, and other conflicts, for two-thousand years. These conflicts are not battles between God's people and “the heathens;” this is not a “holy war.”
Instead, what we are witnessing is two nations who have allowed themselves to become so deeply discipled by Babylon that they can no longer see the image of God in each other. Rather, they have nurtured hate, violence, and tribalism while steering away from love and hospitality.
There is a passage in Luke 19 where Jesus laments that the people of God have forgotten how peace enters into the world, how humans find peace in their hearts, in their communities, and how they nurture it amongst the nations as a blessing to the world.
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes… because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Lk 19:41, 44b)
The Israel that Jesus sees and weeps over is a people who think that God will use the ways of the world to make things right. They have bought into Babylon’s lies:
That wars can somehow bring peace.
That violence can bring about human flourishing.
That exercising power over people, trying to coerce and control them, using threats of violence and fear to prop up your laws will somehow bring about obedience.
That if you want peace, you need superior fire power.
Of course, those are the lies that Jesus and his apostles have rebuked over and over:
If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword (Matt 26:52).
If your enemy is hungry, feed them; if your enemy is thirsty, give them something to drink (Romans 12:20).
Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43-45).
Turn the other cheek. Be long-suffering and patient (Matt 5:38-40).
That which you sew, you shall also reap (Gal 6:7).
In this you can see the choice we are offered as Gods people. It is a choice between the sword and the cross. The sword escalates violence. No one, when attacked, responds with equal or lesser force, it is always increased force. This is how small conflicts grow over generations to produce war atrocities like we are seeing now.
In contrast, the cross represents the rejection of retributive violence. On the cross, the sins of others are absorbed, and Gods forgiveness is proclaimed over those committing violence. “Forgive them, they know not what they are doing!” (Luke 23:34). On the cross, sin, violence, hatred, and division are absorbed, reframed, and replaced with forgiveness and compassion. They are buried with Christ, never to live again. This is the hope of the Gospel for the world. The cross, the path of dying to ourselves, is the path that leads to life and human flourishing, though not without sacrifice.
Embracing the Kingdom of God
Christian theology holds that the Kingdom of God arrived with the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. It marks the end of the old age, where violence and war were tools of the enemy, and the beginning of a new era. For the first generation of Christians, this meant rejecting military service or carrying a weapon for the empire of any kind. Outside of the biblical account of Cornelius (Acts 10:1-8) and the jailor baptized by Paul (Acts 16:33), there is not a single record of a Christian serving in the military before 170 CE.
“A military man in authority must not execute men. If he is ordered, he must not carry it out. …The catechumen or faithful who wants to become a soldier is to be rejected, for he has despised God.”[Hippolytus, The Apostolic Tradition, ch16)
“we do not fight under the emperor… although he require it.” (Origen,Contra Celsum, VIII, 73.)
The Kingdom of God advocates for peacemaking, reconciliation, and selfless love. It encourages Christians to resist the ways of the old age and embrace the new age. Violence and war, once considered the norm, are no longer acceptable for Gods people in this new era. The teachings of the New Testament challenge the notion that violence can bring about peace. We must do things that lead to peace. We must be willing to allow ourselves to be broken and poured out, like Christ, for the sins of the world. And above all we must remember that not a single person needs to be shot, bombed, tortured, or killed in order for Gods will to be done. NOT ONE.
The path to peace lies at the foot of the cross, not at the tip of a sword. As with all things, let us ask what is Christlike in this situation.
Discussion questions
How does the distinction between Israel and Babylon as outlined affect your understanding of Christian perspectives on war and international conflicts?
Many Christians have conflated the modern state of Israel with the biblical concept of the people of God. What are the implications of this conflation for Christian ethics, and how can this be addressed?
The sermon highlights the Spirit of Babylon, which is characterized by violence, fear, division, and coercion. How can Christians discern whether they are being influenced by this spirit in their attitudes towards war and conflict?
Tommy has suggested that the Church has become entangled with worldly powers, leading to divisions based on political affiliations and ideologies. How can the Church regain its role as a peacemaker and promoter of unity in the world?
What steps can a community take to resist Babylon from growing in it’s midst?