Should Christians own weapons?

[howard]

What I read also from the Lord's mouth

Matthew 5:43-45 (KJV)
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. [44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; [45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Love thine enemies

 

[howard]

If you are smitten The Lord said

Matthew 5:39-41 (KJV)
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. [40] And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. [41] And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

If the thief take your tv offer him the stereo
If the thief want your coat give him the hat also

 

[howard]

Why are Christians dying or being assaulted if they are under Jesus protection?

The hedges are suppose to be encamped around them. This is what the word says.

 

[howard]

Do a servant of Jesus need a weapon or should his faith and trust be in The Lord?

Jesus said vengeance belongs to him and he will repay!

Where does your free ill come in and override what is written?
We are told to believe in every word of Jesus

Luke 4:4 (KJV)
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

why not pick up the sword of the spirt which is the word of God!

 

[howard]

Howard,
You continually ignore the question of our brothers enduring genocide in many lands around the world.
You mention the armor of God, literal is it?

You ignore the fact that we are allowed to defend ourselves, and there is no prohibition in the NT against Christians possessing, or using weapons.

As a matter of fact Christians are allowed to be in the military, and protect their country, another thing you ignore.

We have asked repeatedly for any evidence of a prohibition, you have ignore the request.

Cause, let's face it, ya got nothin'.

This is merely a soapbox for you to rail against what you have already admitted to is a pet theology of yours.

You wish not to defend yourself, or your family so be it. But don't stand there, and give us the "Thus sayeth the LORD" schtick...cause it don't pass the smell test at all.

God protects my family this is why I don't need a weapon. I trust in God with all my mind and body?

Matthew 22:36-38 (KJV)
Master, which is the great commandment in the law? [37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment.

When did The Lord tell the U.S.A army to go into another land? When did Jesus tell them to go in his name.

Maybe The Lord brought genocide into the Land for a reason. Can evil come into the land without The Lord's permission!

 

[dannibear]

"I firmly believe that the weak should be protected. God is our Protector and Provider. In the Bible, He says that He hates evil and injustice. When we pray for protection, we are praying according to God’s character and will and we see many prayers in Scripture along those lines. When a father or mother seeks to protect their family and their livelihood and they own a gun as a means of self-defense to do so, I believe that they are within the scope of Biblical morality. I do not believe that the gun should be used to assert your rights or to gain power over others. That would be an unjust act. But, if someone is breaking into your home and is attacking your children or placing their lives in danger, to sit idly by and do nothing when you could do something to save them does not seem to reflect the heart of God. God works through people and we are given charge over the weak and helpless. We are to turn the other cheek, but it is to our cheek and not the cheeks of our children who God has entrusted to us for care. Also, if someone attacks you to rob and kill you, I am not certain that the Biblical mandate is that you just lay down and let them. Life is precious and is given by God and this includes your own life. Turning the other cheek involves a slap on the face as a sign of disrespect and insult, which is different from someone trying to kill you."

 

[howard]

Jesus is my king and protector and I will not reject king Jesus

1 Samuel 8:4-10 (KJV)
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, [5] And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. [6] But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord . [7] And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. [8] According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. [9] Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. [10] And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.

 

[howard]

1 Samuel 8:11-18 (KJV)
And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. [12] And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. [13] And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. [14] And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them , and give them to his servants. [15] And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. [16] And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. [17] He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. [18] And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.

a king nor military was needed because Jesus was king and commandment in chief

Exodus 15:3 (KJV)
The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.

 

[howard]

"I firmly believe that the weak should be protected. God is our Protector and Provider. In the Bible, He says that He hates evil and injustice. When we pray for protection, we are praying according to God’s character and will and we see many prayers in Scripture along those lines. When a father or mother seeks to protect their family and their livelihood and they own a gun as a means of self-defense to do so, I believe that they are within the scope of Biblical morality. I do not believe that the gun should be used to assert your rights or to gain power over others. That would be an unjust act. But, if someone is breaking into your home and is attacking your children or placing their lives in danger, to sit idly by and do nothing when you could do something to save them does not seem to reflect the heart of God. God works through people and we are given charge over the weak and helpless. We are to turn the other cheek, but it is to our cheek and not the cheeks of our children who God has entrusted to us for care. Also, if someone attacks you to rob and kill you, I am not certain that the Biblical mandate is that you just lay down and let them. Life is precious and is given by God and this includes your own life. Turning the other cheek involves a slap on the face as a sign of disrespect and insult, which is different from someone trying to kill you."

Call the police and if the family are servants of God then they thief would not be breaking into the house and if The Lord sent the thief to the house what is a gun gonna do?

 

[B-A-C]

It sounds like your issue here isn't so much owning weapons, as it is 'not trusting God'' to take care of us.

First or all, protecting my family isn't the same thing as taking revenge. If you break into my house and I shoot you, I'm not taking revenge out on you, I didn't even know you 1 minute ago.

Second, you seem to think that just because we are Christians, we will never face any physical harm.
Heb 11:35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
Heb 11:36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
Heb 11:38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
Heb 11:39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

Was Stephen stoned? Were Paul and Silas imprisoned? Was Paul whipped and beaten? Was James (one of the sons of thunder) killed by the sword?
Did Gideon have a sword? Did David have a sword? Now, when these men of God won a battle, did they say "I did it all on my own" or did they say "God caused my victory".
Duet 2:33; Deut 3:3; 2 Chron 28:5; 1 Sam 17:37; 1 Sam 17:46; etc...

Acts 12:2; Acts 12:6; 2 Cor 11:23-27; Acts 7:59

Did these things happen because they were following God, or because they weren't?

 

[howard]

Who is the god of the nations? What good is a weapon if this god runs your nations
Satan told Jesus that he controls all the nations they were given to him

Luke 4:5-6 (KJV)
And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. [6] And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

who is satan

Revelation 9:11 (KJV)
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

 

[howard]

It sounds like your issue here isn't so much owning weapons, as it is 'not trusting God'' to take care of us.

First or all, protecting my family isn't the same thing as taking revenge. If you break into my house and I shoot you, I'm not taking revenge out on you, I didn't even know you 1 minute ago.

Second, you seem to think that just because we are Christians, we will never face any physical harm.
Heb 11:35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
Heb 11:36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
Heb 11:38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
Heb 11:39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

Was Stephen stoned? Were Paul and Silas imprisoned? Was Paul whipped and beaten? Was James (one of the sons of thunder) killed by the sword?
Did Gideon have a sword? Did David have a sword? Now, when these men of God won a battle, did they say "I did it all on my own" or did they say "God caused my victory".
Duet 2:33; Deut 3:3; 2 Chron 28:5; 1 Sam 17:37; 1 Sam 17:46; etc...

Acts 12:2; Acts 12:6; 2 Cor 11:23-27; Acts 7:59

Did these things happen because they were following God, or because they weren't?

If you want to own a gun I don't have a problem with it! The verses you use are believers getting killed and not believers taking revenge or protecting themselves.

Acts 9:15-16 (KJV)
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: [16] For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.


He did not say protect yourself!

 

[dannibear]

and if The Lord sent the thief to the house what is a gun gonna do?

It seems now after 8 pages of you saying why people should not protect their family and children, that you are now just grasping at straws.
If the Lord sent the thief? And then the thief rapes and kills me in front of my little sister she is expected to somehow believe that the Lord sent that thief?
Absolutely not sir.

 

[revbrad]

If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. Ex 22:2

 

[howard]

It seems now after 8 pages of you saying why people should not protect their family and children, that you are now just grasping at straws.
If the Lord sent the thief? And then the thief rapes and kills me in front of my little sister she is expected to somehow believe that the Lord sent that thief?
Absolutely not sir.

I think the problem you have is not reading what I posted so I will post again

Amos 3:6 (KJV)
Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it ?

Who is bringing the evil!

Rape is evil

Lets read something else for your edification

Isaiah 45:6-7
That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord , and there is none else.

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things .

are you with your children or love ones all day if not who is protecting them other than God!

Who protects his servants?

God!!!

 

[howard]

If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. Ex 22:2

Lets read a little more to see if it says blow the mans head off or take revenge

Exodus 22:2-4 (KJV)
If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. [3] If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. [4] If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ***, or sheep; he shall restore double.

Nope!! It says restore

 

[howard]

Keep in mind should a Christians own or need a gun? I'm not concerned with non-Christians or Christians who only are one on special occasions I'm talking to those who are true servants of God. You know if you are or not!

The Lord said

Luke 12:4-5 (KJV)
And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. [5] But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

fear man or God?

 

[amadeus2]

Perhaps to better express your point, Howard, you might use the example of Paul:

"And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done." Acts 21:12-14

They had corrected prophesied to Paul that he would be sorely abused if he continued on to Jerusalem. Paul did not deny that their prophecy was correct. He recognized that, nevertheless, he must do that which God had purposed it in his heart to do.

If it is the suffering of physical pain and even death that lie before us to accomplish God's will for us, should we fight against it? Should we give God a hand by adding something for our own defense that He did not tell us to add?

Paul knew that he could to choose to turn and walk the other way, but he also knew what God wanted him to do. He was unafraid of the physical consequences because he trusted God. Stephen also trusted God right up to the point where the stones snuffed out his natural life, but Oh what he gained forever more!

We may know that we can kill a physical man with a gun, but if we also know that it is not God's will for us to keep a gun, should we do it any way just to be sure things work out OK? Is God's plan flawed? Is God unable to accomplish whatever it is He sets out to accomplish without us stepping in with the plans of men to help God?

 

[howard]

Perhaps to better express your point, Howard, you might use the example of Paul:

"And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done." Acts 21:12-14

They had corrected prophesied to Paul that he would be sorely abused if he continued on to Jerusalem. Paul did not deny that their prophecy was correct. He recognized that, nevertheless, he must do that which God had purposed it in his heart to do.

If it is the suffering of physical pain and even death that lie before us to accomplish God's will for us, should we fight against it? Should we give God a hand by adding something for our own defense that He did not tell us to add?

Paul knew that he could to choose to turn and walk the other way, but he also knew what God wanted him to do. He was unafraid of the physical consequences because he trusted God. Stephen also trusted God right up to the point where the stones snuffed out his natural life, but Oh what he gained forever more!

We may know that we can kill a physical man with a gun, but if we also know that it is not God's will for us to keep a gun, should we do it any way just to be sure things work out OK? Is God's plan flawed? Is God unable to accomplish whatever it is He sets out to accomplish without us stepping in with the plans of men to help God?

Paul a Christian did not carry a weapon as we know of, Paul did not use a weapon as we know of. Paul was persecuted for the name of Jesus Paul walked like Jesus, should we follow the example? Jesus and Paul did not carry a weapon.

Again the question is should a Christians own a weapon?

I understand what you are saying

 

[howard]

Hebrews 12:2-4 (KJV)
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. [4] Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

The day is coming when this will be fulfilled by God's last day servants