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“Faith is the refusal to panic.” - Martyn Lloyd-Jones

It’s not photoshop.

The origin of the Just War theory doesn’t come down to us from Jesus, nor from the Apostles. It comes to us from the Church after the Roman Empire stopped persecuting believers. If my conviction doesn’t imitate the conviction of the Messiah and the Apostles then I would say it is of very...

Cults often make fashion statements. Maybe it’s both, or neither. I’m leaning toward it being cult behavior, on the part of some.

* I love origin stories, but sometimes I wonder if they’re just myths, legends or cartoons.*

Is it?

Where did the “Just War” theory come from? And when? It didn’t come from Jesus. Nor did it come from his Apostled. The earliest Christians knew nothing about it. They were willing to suffer martyrdom (and many did) rather than to kill their enemies. I am clergy. I teach disciples to love their...

* Great word. Another name for internet discussion forums? I think a solid case could be made for it. *

It wasn’t God’s will for Adam to sin. I‘m speaking about simple church history during and under the reign of the Roman Empire. No. You’ve apparently missed the point. Not hardly. Paul had authority within the church, not outside the church.

I’m not arguing against Yahweh. I’m arguing against people who say that Yahweh wants those under the New Covenant to kill their enemies. I like your appeal to conscience. I seldom self-identify as a pacifist (because most people have it stuck in their heads that all pacifists are the same -...

See the Roman Empire. The Lord spoke through Paul. Paul (and his fellow believers) was living under the rule of the pagan Roman Empire. Paul’s solution was / is to live under that worldly system. That worldly system will be replaced by the Messiah’s system when the Messiah returns.

What did the early Church fathers say about those who voluntarily joined the Roman military? It depends on how early we look. For the first couple of centuries, they rejected it, and rejected those who joined the military. There is much discussion about allowing / not allowing those who served...

We aren’t living in Old Testament times. Many Christians seem to think we are, and act like it. Neither Jesus nor the Apostles called upon believers to defend the Roman Empire. Neither Jesus nor the Apostles called upon believers to keep order in society or punish evil doers. The early...