Dave Andrews

In the fifth phase of his nonviolent jihad for love and justice Jesus demonstrated active, radical, sacrificial nonviolence that would free people from the cycles of violence and counter violence. He said: ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd … and I lay down my life for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:8–18). Jesus turned to his friends and said: ‘Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13). Under his guidance the Jesus movement became an active, radical, sacrificial peace movement.

And for three centuries, Christianity was more or less a pacifist movement. The Apostles taught Christians the pacifist principle: ‘Love does no harm to its neighbour’ (Rom. 13:10). Paul said to: ‘Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge. On the contrary: ‘If your enem(ies).are hungry, feed (them).; if (they). are thirsty, give (them). something to drink.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:14–21).

It seems the testimony of the early church was typically ‘against violence of any sort’. ‘Hippolytus, the most important third century theologian in the Christian Church in Rome, wrote in The Apostolic Tradition, about 218 C.E., “A civic magistrate who wears the purple and governs by the sword shall give it up.  If a military constable is commanded to kill in the course of his duty, he must not take this upon himself ”.’ [i] While Athenagoras, a second century Greek philosopher, converted to Christianity, wrote in A Plea Regarding Christians, “[We] are not even allowed to hit back when struck and are expected to use only kind words when reviled! 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”.’[ii]

[i] ‘Answers to objections to Christian Pacifism’ http://www.plowcreek.org/answers.htm

[ii] ‘Answers to objections to Christian Pacifism’ http://www.plowcreek.org/answers.htm

Dave Andrews p127-8 The Jihad Of Jesus http://bit.ly/1CedNDX