We are looking at how Jesus teaches us to love our enemies and return good for evil. And we are also considering various objections to this teaching. And today we look at the fact that -

There are soldiers and rulers who came to faith in Jesus

There are more examples than what are listed here, but these are the clearest:

  • The Centurion in Capernaum (Matthew 8:5-13). He was a Roman soldier and officer. He had great faith. Greater than Jesus had found in all Israel. He evoked from Jesus a reference to Gentiles being present in the kingdom of God.
  • Cornelius the Centurion (Acts 10-11). He came to faith in Jesus, was filled with the Spirit and became a part of the church. He became the test case of Gentile inclusion in the church.
  • The Proconsul Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:6-12). He was the governor of a Roman province. Luke tells us that he believed the gospel.

These all had the power of the sword to kill people in war or through the criminal justice system. Now, they had this before coming to faith. We are not told what happened to them after their conversion – a change, or not. But they probably continued on at least for a time.

The question, then, is – Is this evidence that followers of Jesus can kill their enemies? That somehow Jesus’ teaching on loving enemies doesn’t mean what it seems to mean? To answer this I want us to look at 1 Corinthians 7. This may seem like a strange place to go, but I believe it lays out –

Three principles

- for how this kind of a situation was dealt with in the apostolic church. That is, how soldiers and rulers could continue on as such while being good Christians.

In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul is dealing with various stations in life: single/married; mixed marriage/or not (that is when two unbelievers are married and one converts); Jew/Gentile; and slave/free. The question is – “Should a person move from one station of life to another?” For instance, from being single to married.

We will look at Paul’s three principles, illustrated from what he says about these four situations:

1. With the coming of the kingdom your social station in life isn’t decisive – only obedience to God is. This is the first principle. The coming of the kingdom relativizes all these categories.

  • Whether you are single or married isn’t decisive. Paul says, “From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none . . .. For the present form of this world is passing away.” – vs. 29-31. The coming of the kingdom changes our perspective on things. And, of course, you can obey God whether you are single or married. Paul prefers singleness, but marriage is, obviously, not sin, as he says in v. 28.
  • Whether you are in a mixed marriage or not isn’t decisive. You are not disobeying God by remaining in such a marriage. In fact, the unbeliever is made holy – v. 14. Paul is countering the idea that you need to get out of the relationship to be faithful to God.
  • Whether you are a Jew or Gentile isn’t decisive. “For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.” – v. 19.
  • Whether you are a slave or free isn’t decisive. “Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it.” – v. 21. Paul also says, “For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.” – v. 22. Both categories are relativized.

2. As a general rule – remain in your station of life, that is, the one you had when you became a Christian.

  • Single/Married: “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am.” – v. 8. (v. 27, 40).
  • Mixed marriage: If the unbelieving spouse consents to remain married, let it be so. Don’t initiate a divorce – vs. 12-13. Perhaps good will come of it. They may convert – v. 16.
  • Jew/Gentile: “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision.” – vs. 17-18.
  • Slave/Free: You can remain a slave. You don’t have to change by running away or rebelling. Paul says, “So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.” – v. 24.

3. Any changes should be based on what best allows you to obey God. Any changes in your station of life after conversion are governed by a concern to obey God more fully.

  • Single/Married: If you have the gift, choose to be single because you will have undivided devotion to God – v. 7; vs. 28-35. But if there is an issue of sexual purity, choose to marry out of a desire to obey God – vs. 2-5; v. 9; v. 36. But only marry a believer – v. 39. To marry an unbeliever would make it harder for you to obey God. You would be unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14).
  • Mixed marriage: If your spouse leaves, you are free – v. 15. You are now able to obey God more freely, that is, without the constraints of pleasing an unbeliever.
  • Jew/Gentile: There is no application here by Paul because he did not consider this ever necessary to obey God more fully. Both Jews and Gentiles can fully please God being Jews and Gentiles in Christ.
  • Slave/Free: “But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.” – v. 21. This will provide more freedom to serve God. But never choose to become a slave, if you are free. “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” – v 23. This would make it harder to obey your true master, Jesus.

Applying this to soldiers and rulers

If these principles are applied to soldiers or rulers who convert, which I think they were, it looks like this:

1. With the coming of the kingdom your social station in life isn’t decisive – only obedience to God is. To be a soldier or a ruler is not the issue. This is not the important question. These are just two more positions in a world order that is passing away.

What is important is that you obey God, including loving your enemies and returning good for evil. And it was possible to do this, at least in some circumstances, as a soldier or a ruler. When there wasn’t a war soldiers were keepers of the peace and administrators of the Empire. Sometimes even during war you were not stationed where you had to fight.

2. As a general rule – remain in your station of life. This explains the presence of Christian soldiers and rulers in the New Testament. They were soldiers and rulers before they converted and simply remained there.

It is like someone who converts and is now in a mixed marriage of believer and unbeliever. Remain faithful in the context where you find yourself. Some good may come of it.

3. Any changes should be based on what best allows you to obey God. If you find you cannot obey God by loving your enemies, resign, or if you can’t, suffer the consequences of obeying God rather than human authorities, as Peter talks about in Acts 5:29.

But if you are not already a soldier or ruler, don’t seek to be one, since it is harder to obey God in these stations of life. Just as you wouldn’t seek to be a slave or marry an unbeliever.

I believe these biblical principles were applied to soldiers and rulers, and that this explains the fact that there are believing soldiers and rulers in the New Testament. They remained in the station of life where they were when they converted. And no doubt, some ended up having to change due to their faithfulness to Jesus. But perhaps some did not.

That this is what was going on in the New Testament era is greatly supported by the fact that this is what the early church practiced. So lets end by looking at -

The testimony of the early church

As we have seen in the handout – The Early Christians, Loving Enemies and Warfare – for the first two centuries and more the early church did not approve of its members killing people in war. But yet there were soldiers during this time. (So this is just like the New Testament. There is a teaching on loving enemies and also the presence of soldiers and rulers.)

Hippolytus, who wrote The Apostolic Tradition (220 AD) shows that Paul’s principles were applied to soldiers and rulers in the early church as a way of dealing with this situation.

Concerning who could become members of the church he writes, “A soldier who is in authority must be told not to execute men; if he should be ordered to do it, he shall not do it. He must be told not to take the military oath. If he will not agree let him be rejected.” (2:17). If you are already a soldier when you convert, you can remain one as long as you don’t kill people or take the military oath. In other words, you can stay where you are, but you must obey God where you are.

But no one who is already a Christian can join the military. “If a catechumen (someone seeking baptism) or a baptized Christian wishes to become a soldier, let him be cast out. For he has despised God” (2:19). They would be placed under church discipline for this. It is like seeking to become a slave or marry an unbeliever after you are a Christian. Don’t choose to put yourself in a place that is harder to obey God.

However, Hippolytus is more strict (apparently than Paul) with regard to rulers. He says, “A military governor or a magistrate of a city who wears the purple, either let him desist or let him be rejected.” (2:18). Apparently by this time it was considered to be impossible to be a ruler and obey God as Jesus teaches.

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So when we look at the biblical principles of 1 Corinthians 7 and the testimony of the early church – yes, you can remain a soldier or a ruler if this is where you were when you converted. But you have to obey God as one, including loving your enemies. Otherwise you should change. And don’t seek to be in any station of life that makes it harder for you to obey God.

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