“Early Church Ethics”
‘When Christians don’t “get with the times,” they change empires‘
(I still have published copies of Chuck Colson’sBreakpoint Commentaries.)
That is a GREAT TITLE. Ever hear of Athanasius?
From the Breakpoint Article:
“…writings from that time that clarify how Christians should live.”
“God used the obedience of early Christians to change the world.”
CLARITY From Early Christians:
Justin Martyr
First Apology, circa The Year of our Lord 154
We who hated and destroyed one another…since coming to Christ…pray for our enemies, and endeavor to persuade those who hate us unjustly to live according to the good precepts of Christ…[we] now refrain from making war upon our enemies, but also, that we may not lie or deceive our examiners, willingly die confessing Christ.”
Dialogue with Trypho. ca. A.D. 163
Listen, my friends, to the Scripture which induces me to act thus. Jesus commanded to love even enemies, as was predicted in Isaiah in many passages…He taught us to pray for our enemies also saying, “Love your enemies, be kind and merciful, as your Heavenly Father is.”
[We] Christians…through the whole earth changed our warlike weapons—our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into implements of tillage, – we cultivate piety, righteousness, philanthropy, faith, hope, which we have from the Father Himself through Him who was crucified.
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“But how will a Christian engage in war—indeed, how will a Christian even engage in military service during peacetime—without the sword, which the Lord has taken away? For although soldiers had approached John to receive instructions and a centurion believed, this does not change the fact that afterward, the Lord, by disarming Peter, disarmed every soldier.”
“Under no circumstances should a true Christian draw the sword.”
—Tertullian, A.D. 155-230
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“Any catechumen or believer who wishes to become a soldier must be dismissed from the church because they have despised God.”-–Hippolytus, A.D. 170-236
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“…wars scattered everywhere with the bloody horror of camps. The world is wet with mutual blood(shed): and homicide is a crime when individuals commit it, (but) it is called a virtue, when it is carried on publicly. Not the reason of innocence, but the magnitude of savagery, demands impunity for crimes.”
–Cyprian, A.D. 200-258
https://snowfar4.wixsite.com/christianpacifism/about
Charles Spurgeon: On War and Christians
My Question at the Spurgeon Library Conference
Christian Pacifism: Fruit of the Narrow Way. $3 on Amazon. From Marine to Biblical pacifist