Faith First Media

Take No Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked

By Matthew Elton

© 2011 Matthew Elton

matt@faithfirstmedia.com

Yesterday, a man was eternally separated from God.   It was a day of rejoicing for many who has waited ten years to see him killed.  Osama Bin Laden was a man of unspeakable evil whose terrorist actions I strongly condemn.  He fully deserved to die.&...

Tribulation

by Matthew Elton

© 2010 Matthew Elton

Paul commended the believers at Thessolonica for their great faith and great love, which continued to grow even in the midst of persecution. This is commendable because faith and love often decrease in the midst of tribulation when people have the wrong attitude about tribulation.

We are bound to t...

 This is chapter fifteen of the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2010 Matthew Elton.

Click here to read the previous chapter: The Downfall of Nonviolent Theology Under Constantine

Pacifism: Following Christ’s Example

by Matthew Elton

copyright 2010 Matthew Elton

matt@faithfirstmedia.com



“You just need to look at what the gospel asks, and what war does. The gospel asks that we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the...

This is chapter sixteen of the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton.

Click here to read the previous chapter: The Oxymoron of "Just War".

The Example of the Anabaptists

Conquering Evil by Doing Good

by Matthew Elton

copyright 2009 Matthew Elton

Unless otherwise stated, scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

I wrote this ...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

A Theology of Peace

by Matthew Elton

copyright 2009 Matthew Elton

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale ...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

Continued from: A Theology of Peace: Introduction

The Kingdom of God

Moses once wrote in Exodus 21:23-25, “the p...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

The Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount is widely regarded by theologians as the greatest moral teaching in all of Scripture. But its message is so powerful and so radical that many people try to ignore it becau...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

Turning the Other Cheek

“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say, do not resist an evil person! If s...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

Giving the Coat Also

If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.

--Matthew 5:40

A coat was an extremely valuable item in first century Judea...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

Going the Extra Mile

If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.

--Matthew 5:41

In first century Judea, the poor were oppressed under a ...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

The Example of Christ

As demonstrated in the previous sections, when we view Christ’s words in their historical context, we see their true beauty like never before. Jesus teaches us that repaying evil with evil on...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

The Example of the Apostles

 21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

 ...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

The Resurrection of Jesus

The resurrection of Christ from the dead was a political event. He had been executed as a political criminal – charged with claiming to be “the King of the Jews.” Pilate had ...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

The Holy Spirit

Just before ascending into heaven, Jesus instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come to them. The disciples replied, “Lord, has the time come when you will free Israel a...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

The New Covenant

In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often...

The following is an excerpt from the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton, copyright 2009 Matthew Elton.

The Kingdom Lifestyle

We must remember, however, that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was prophesied in the context of prophesies regarding the final judgement of the world and the fulfillment of the King...

This is chapter thirteen of the book A Theology of Peace by Matthew Elton.

Click here to read the previous chapter: The Kingdom Lifestyle

The Example of Early Christians

The concept of living the ...