Faith First Media

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.

 22 He never sinned,

      nor ever deceived anyone.

 23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted,

      nor threaten revenge when he suffered.

   He left his case in the hands of God,

      who always judges fairly.

 24 He personally carried our sins

      in his body on the cross

   so that we can be dead to sin

      and live for what is right.

   By his wounds

      you are healed.

--1 Peter 2:21-24

This section of Peter’s first epistle was addressed to slaves who were being unjustly oppressed. Rather than encouraging them to fight back, Peter instructs them to follow the nonviolent example of Jesus Christ. That is the mark of a true Christian – resisting violence even if it means accepting suffering. Peter was not a hypocrite. When he was arrested and beaten by the Sanhedrin, Peter and his companions started “rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus” (Acts 5:41). This is exactly what Jesus commanded us to do when we suffer persecution – “Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way” (Matthew 5:12).

The Apostles clearly understood Christ’s teachings concerning nonviolence. They took these teachings literally and seriously. Paul’s instructions to the Christians hiding from Roman oppression in the Roman capital are almost identical to Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount:

 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

   “I will take revenge;

      I will pay them back,”

      says the LORD.

 20 Instead,

   “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.

      If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

   In doing this, you will heap

      burning coals of shame on their heads.”

 21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

--Romans 12:14-21

Paul’s words are very clear. We are to never pay back evil with more evil. We are to never take revenge. Such language leaves no room for exceptions. The Christian is called to a higher moral calling that trusts in God’s holy, perfect justice that will be established at the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God on Earth, rather than now seeking man’s twisted view of “justice” (which is often merely revenge – a repaying of evil with evil, resulting only in more evil).

This wasn’t just Paul’s teaching. In his first epistle, Peter also mirrors the words of the Sermon on the Mount:

 8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it. 10 For the Scriptures say,

   “If you want to enjoy life

      and see many happy days,

   keep your tongue from speaking evil

      and your lips from telling lies.

 11 Turn away from evil and do good.

      Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

 12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,

      and his ears are open to their prayers.

   But the Lord turns his face

      against those who do evil.”

 13 Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

--1 Peter 3:8-15

The disciple of Jesus must be compassionate, gentle, kind, and unwilling to ever repay evil with evil. This does not mean, however, that Christians must be so submissive that they are continually taken advantage of. We are called to make a defense regarding our Christian hope, but we must so with gentleness and respect rather than with violence.

History is filled with countless examples of “Christian” monarchs who attempted to use the threat of execution to force every citizen in their nation to convert to Christianity. Every one of these attempts failed epically. It is impossible for the Christian message to spread through violence. If violence is used to force others to accept Jesus as Lord, they will do so only outwardly in order to escape persecution. But while man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. Salvation comes not by conforming to some church-mandated rituals, but by accepting Jesus as Lord in the heart, through faith. The Christian hope cannot spread through compulsion. It must spread, rather, through conviction.

As Christians, we believe that the gospel message is powerful enough to convict even the hardest of hearts. When we show love to those who persecute us, it is a powerful thing. Such an illogical reaction to persecution greatly affects the persecutor both emotionally and psychologically. Even the most evil of individuals find it difficult to persecute those who make no effort to fight back. When a persecutor is shown love and compassion instead of the expected resistance, it greatly affects him. It shows him a living example of the kind of unconditional love that God revealed to us when He sacrificed His Only born Son as a holy offering for the atonement of a world that had rejected God. The message of God’s love for us is incredibly powerful – convicting the hearts of sinners and leading them towards repentance. There is no need to add force when preaching this message – the message is powerful enough on its own. In fact, force only weakens the message, for the message is designed to work through the convicting of human hearts, not through the force of compulsion.

We see a common theme in the virtues of the Beatitudes – love, gentleness, and forgiveness. This does not mean, however, that Christians are called to be passive. Both Jesus and the Apostles preached a call to action – to actively show compassion towards those who persecute us, to actively preach the Gospel message, and to actively pursue peace in everything we do.