reply to post by Lemon.Fresh
Considering Yeshua was a Torah teacher, everything He says should line up with Torah.
What did he teach on divorce, compared to the torah? What did he himself teach on violence, and what was the example of those closest to him who
heard his teachings most directly?
He regularly expounded on and reinterpreted typical understandings of the law and prophets (hence so many frequently being astounded at his teachings
"as one with authority" as well as others seeking to kill him on a semi-regular basis).
So how does pacifism line up with Torah?
Total pacifism is not scriptural.
You argue with his words and the legacy of his earliest believers for a few centuries on that, friend.
Furthermore, if you take that position. Yeshua broke his own teachings by attacking the enemies of the Torah, both verbally and physically.
As far as the cleansing of the temple, the texts are lacking to claim he actually committed violence against the moneychangers and lenders as compared
to merely chasing them out or driving them out with the assistance of the livestock. Additionally, these people were not necessarily evil or
aggressors, so we're dealing with somewhat different situations as well as something beyond a physical attack on the part of Christ. People can be
herded without being whipped or beaten directly.
Regardless, his teachings are abundant and clear, and were clearly interpreted as pacifistic by his earliest followers. We are to not resist evil
people physically, we are to love our enemies and do good to them (and bless them and pray for them), we are to be peacemakers and are warned against
living by the sword.
Christ even tells us that those who wish to save their lives (temporal lives, I assume) will lose them (eternal lives, as I take it), and those
whoever loses their life for Christ's sake will save theirs.
Yeshua taught justice. Not revenge, and certainly not pacifism.
I would like to see confirmation of this from his own words and the testimony of the early church through about the 4th century, in that case.
He was killed because He refused to be a pacifist and go along with the system.
I'm not sure how you can come to the first part of that conclusion, honestly, when he willingly went to his death without violence, ordered his
disciples not to fight, and even healed one of his captors, after teaching for years on non-violence and returning good for evil. He definitely
refused to go along with the system, though. He practiced active non-violent non-compliance in doing so.
This is just my personal view as I read his words, the rest of the new testament, and the testimony of the early church. I haven't yet been able to
come across any instruction in any of these for believers to take up arms and fight oppression, instead I find many accounts of christians willingly
going to their martyrdom singing hymns of praise and forgiving their abusers (all the while witnessing to them with their words and their willing
deaths). Stephen even cried out for the forgiveness of his attackers in Acts 7 as they were killing him, instead of trying to resist or defend
himself.
I can only speak for myself in this, but I feel is safest to trust the words and examples as he and they relayed them until Rome came into the
picture. He was also clear in his teachings that the way is narrow and generally a hard thing to follow, and not something of or generally understood
by the world.
Long story short - despite the fact that I would LOVE to find an "out" to my understanding of this (as it's completely contrary to my natural
inclinations, and I don't know if I would actually be able to follow it in some situations), I have not been able to - and this was not my
understanding before I started seriously looking into my faith...I was also a believer in "just war" and its related aspects. But the testimony of
Christ and the church that followed him directly have convinced me otherwise.
And this is yet another reason I am cognitive dissonance. At times, I truly don't like being a child of two worlds...
Grace and peace to you, I don't intend any argument. I just have to provide my thoughts as I can see no way around them with the available
information. Take care.