Early Christians On Violence
Dear friends,
A couple days ago I was in a Messianic Jewish bookstore in the Old City of Jerusalem and saw a book by a guy named Eberhard Arnold, a German Christian who founded the Bruderhof community after WWI, which one of my friends at the College is from. I found some of his writings online, and thought I'd share a few quotes.
These are taken, I believe, from his collection on Early Christians: In Their Own Words, a collection of early Christian writings and their perspective on various issues. What struck me particularly, among other things, was the almost unanimous voice of various early Christian theologians--Origen, Justin, Tertullian, and others--against violence of any kind, and indeed against Christian involvement in the state. This was, according to them, one of the main reasons the Roman government felt so threatened by them. In fact, in quote it says that anyone who joined the army would be excommunicated, and anyone already in the army who refused to promise not to engage in any violence, would be rejected as a candidate for baptism. Pretty strong stances.
Anyway, I'm not sure what I think, but whatever your take on their positions, I think it's a very interesting and challenging historical fact that this is what they believed in the 2nd century AD.
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We, more than all other men, are your helpers and allies for peace.
Justin, First Apology 12
“If everyone were to act the same as you [Christians], the national government would soon be left utterly deserted and without any help, and affairs on earth would soon pass into the hands of the most savage and wretched barbarians.”
Celsus next exhorts us to help the Emperor and be his fellow soldiers. To this we reply, “You cannot demand military service of Christians any more than you can of priests.” We do not go forth as soldiers with the Emperor even if he demands this, but we do fight for him by forming our own army, an army of faith through our prayers to God.
Origen, Against Celsus, Celsus against the Christians, VIII. 68, 73
We ourselves were well conversant with war, murder, and everything evil, but all of us throughout the whole wide earth have traded in our weapons of war. We have exchanged our swords for plowshares, our spears for farm tools. Now we cultivate the fear of God, justice, kindness to men, faith, and the expectation of the future given to us by the Father himself through the crucified one…
Justin, Dialogue with Trypho 110.3, 4
I do not wish to be a ruler. I do not strive for wealth. I refuse offices connected with military command. Fornication I detest. No insatiable hunger for gold drives me to go to sea. I do not fight for a victor’s laurels. I am free from the mad thirst for fame. I despise death. I stand above every illness. No grief consumes my soul.
Tatian, Address to the Greeks 11.2
We must then offer no resistance. He never wanted us to imitate the wicked. Rather, he challenged us to lead everyone away from shamefulness and pleasure in evil by patience and kindness. We can in fact show that many who were once among you have been transformed in this way. They gave up their violent and domineering ways. Either they were conquered by the sight of their neighbors’ patient life, or they were convinced by noticing the extraordinary kindness and patience of some defrauded traveling companions, or they were overcome by encountering and testing this attitude in people with whom they had business dealings. Anyone who is not found living in accordance with his teachings should not be regarded as a Christian even if he confesses to Christ’s teaching with his lips. For he said that only those shall be saved who do not just talk, but who also do the corresponding works.
Justin, First Apology 16
We who formerly hated and murdered one another and did not even share our hearth with those of a different tribe because of their customs, now, after Christ’s appearance, live together and share the same table. Now we pray for our enemies and try to win those who hate us unjustly so that they too may live in accordance with Christ’s wonderful teachings, that they too may enter into the expectation, that they too may receive the same good things that we will receive from God, the ruler of the universe.
Justin, First Apology 14
They speak gently to those who oppress them, and in this way they make them their friends. It has become their passion to do good to their enemies.
Aristides, Apology 15,16; ca. A.D. 137
A military constable [who wants to be baptized] must be forbidden to kill. If he is commanded to kill in the course of his duty, he must not take this upon himself, neither may he swear [to Caesar or to pagan gods]; if he is not willing to follow these instructions, he must be rejected. A proconsul or a civic magistrate who wears the purple and governs by the sword, shall give it up or be rejected.
Anyone taking part in baptismal instruction, or anyone already baptized who wants to become a soldier shall be sent away, for he has despised God.
Hippolytus, Church Order in The Apostolic Tradition 16; ca. A.D. 218
We form a permanent society and come together for communal gatherings as if forming an army around God and besieging him with our prayers. This is the kind of force in which God rejoices. We pray also for the Emperor and for all those who hold responsible offices and positions of authority.
Tertullian, Apology 39, 40, A.D. 198
To be just alone is not enough because to be just means to repay like for like, but we have been commanded to go far beyond this, to be kind and patient.
How could anyone in his right mind accuse us of murder when we hold to such principles...We cannot bear to see a man or woman put to death, even justly! How then can anyone accuse us of murder...? How can we possibly kill anyone when we cannot even look on lest we are polluted with the guilt of murder and sacrilege! How can we possibly kill anyone, we who call those women murderers who take drugs to induce an abortion, we who say they will have to give an account before God one day!
Athenagoras, A Plea Regarding Christians 32–35
We have been taught not to hit back at people who harass us, not to go to court against those who expel us and rob us. Rather are we enjoined to offer the other side of the face for more blows when they ignominiously smite us on the one side.
Athenagoras, A Plea Regarding Christians I.2
A couple days ago I was in a Messianic Jewish bookstore in the Old City of Jerusalem and saw a book by a guy named Eberhard Arnold, a German Christian who founded the Bruderhof community after WWI, which one of my friends at the College is from. I found some of his writings online, and thought I'd share a few quotes.
These are taken, I believe, from his collection on Early Christians: In Their Own Words, a collection of early Christian writings and their perspective on various issues. What struck me particularly, among other things, was the almost unanimous voice of various early Christian theologians--Origen, Justin, Tertullian, and others--against violence of any kind, and indeed against Christian involvement in the state. This was, according to them, one of the main reasons the Roman government felt so threatened by them. In fact, in quote it says that anyone who joined the army would be excommunicated, and anyone already in the army who refused to promise not to engage in any violence, would be rejected as a candidate for baptism. Pretty strong stances.
Anyway, I'm not sure what I think, but whatever your take on their positions, I think it's a very interesting and challenging historical fact that this is what they believed in the 2nd century AD.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
We, more than all other men, are your helpers and allies for peace.
Justin, First Apology 12
“If everyone were to act the same as you [Christians], the national government would soon be left utterly deserted and without any help, and affairs on earth would soon pass into the hands of the most savage and wretched barbarians.”
Celsus next exhorts us to help the Emperor and be his fellow soldiers. To this we reply, “You cannot demand military service of Christians any more than you can of priests.” We do not go forth as soldiers with the Emperor even if he demands this, but we do fight for him by forming our own army, an army of faith through our prayers to God.
Origen, Against Celsus, Celsus against the Christians, VIII. 68, 73
We ourselves were well conversant with war, murder, and everything evil, but all of us throughout the whole wide earth have traded in our weapons of war. We have exchanged our swords for plowshares, our spears for farm tools. Now we cultivate the fear of God, justice, kindness to men, faith, and the expectation of the future given to us by the Father himself through the crucified one…
Justin, Dialogue with Trypho 110.3, 4
I do not wish to be a ruler. I do not strive for wealth. I refuse offices connected with military command. Fornication I detest. No insatiable hunger for gold drives me to go to sea. I do not fight for a victor’s laurels. I am free from the mad thirst for fame. I despise death. I stand above every illness. No grief consumes my soul.
Tatian, Address to the Greeks 11.2
We must then offer no resistance. He never wanted us to imitate the wicked. Rather, he challenged us to lead everyone away from shamefulness and pleasure in evil by patience and kindness. We can in fact show that many who were once among you have been transformed in this way. They gave up their violent and domineering ways. Either they were conquered by the sight of their neighbors’ patient life, or they were convinced by noticing the extraordinary kindness and patience of some defrauded traveling companions, or they were overcome by encountering and testing this attitude in people with whom they had business dealings. Anyone who is not found living in accordance with his teachings should not be regarded as a Christian even if he confesses to Christ’s teaching with his lips. For he said that only those shall be saved who do not just talk, but who also do the corresponding works.
Justin, First Apology 16
We who formerly hated and murdered one another and did not even share our hearth with those of a different tribe because of their customs, now, after Christ’s appearance, live together and share the same table. Now we pray for our enemies and try to win those who hate us unjustly so that they too may live in accordance with Christ’s wonderful teachings, that they too may enter into the expectation, that they too may receive the same good things that we will receive from God, the ruler of the universe.
Justin, First Apology 14
They speak gently to those who oppress them, and in this way they make them their friends. It has become their passion to do good to their enemies.
Aristides, Apology 15,16; ca. A.D. 137
A military constable [who wants to be baptized] must be forbidden to kill. If he is commanded to kill in the course of his duty, he must not take this upon himself, neither may he swear [to Caesar or to pagan gods]; if he is not willing to follow these instructions, he must be rejected. A proconsul or a civic magistrate who wears the purple and governs by the sword, shall give it up or be rejected.
Anyone taking part in baptismal instruction, or anyone already baptized who wants to become a soldier shall be sent away, for he has despised God.
Hippolytus, Church Order in The Apostolic Tradition 16; ca. A.D. 218
We form a permanent society and come together for communal gatherings as if forming an army around God and besieging him with our prayers. This is the kind of force in which God rejoices. We pray also for the Emperor and for all those who hold responsible offices and positions of authority.
Tertullian, Apology 39, 40, A.D. 198
To be just alone is not enough because to be just means to repay like for like, but we have been commanded to go far beyond this, to be kind and patient.
How could anyone in his right mind accuse us of murder when we hold to such principles...We cannot bear to see a man or woman put to death, even justly! How then can anyone accuse us of murder...? How can we possibly kill anyone when we cannot even look on lest we are polluted with the guilt of murder and sacrilege! How can we possibly kill anyone, we who call those women murderers who take drugs to induce an abortion, we who say they will have to give an account before God one day!
Athenagoras, A Plea Regarding Christians 32–35
We have been taught not to hit back at people who harass us, not to go to court against those who expel us and rob us. Rather are we enjoined to offer the other side of the face for more blows when they ignominiously smite us on the one side.
Athenagoras, A Plea Regarding Christians I.2
posted by Seth | 6:36 AM
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