The Warist always quotes Romans 13:1-4 to prove that Christians should **PARTICIPATE** in their governments wars against their enemies and punishment for those who done evil against you. The Warist reading of Romans 12:17-21 immediately followed by Romans 13:1-4, should the two chapters to be read together as a single argument, does not actually provide a warrant for Christian **PARTICIPATION** in the state’s violence. Even if the state is intended to be God’s agent for vengeance (i.e., violent punishment and war), Paul explicitly teaches that Christians are not to be involved in this vengeance in Romans 12:19 below and many Scriptures in this Bible study!
**ROMANS 12:17-21 AND ROMANS 13:1-4 READ TOGETHER**
Romans 12:14,17-21: Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse... Do not repay anyone **EVIL FOR EVIL**. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible , as far as it **DEPENDS ON YOU**, **LIVE AT PEACE WITH EVERYONE**. **DO NOT TAKE REVENGE**, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written "IT IS MINE TO AVENGE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this you will heap burning coals on his head. Don not be overcome by evil, but **OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD**! Romans :13:1-4: Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling what God has instituted and those who do so will be bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring judgment on the wrong doer.
2 Corinthians 10:3,4: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are *NOT* the weapons of the world."
Ephesians 6:14-17: Stand firm then, with belt of Truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the **GOSPEL OF PEACE**. in addition to all this, take up the shield of Faith, with which you can extinguish all the arrows of the Evil One. Take the helmet of Salvation and the **SWORD OF THE SPIRIT**, which is the **WORD OF GOD**!!
Matthew 26:30-34: They seized Jesus and arrested Him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "For *ALL* **WHO DRAW BY THE SWORD WILL DIE BY THE SWORD**!"
James 4:1-4: What causes fights among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but you do not have, so you kill. You covet but cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God!
John 18:36: Jesus says, " My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were my servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now My Kingdom is from another place!!"
Matthew 5:43-45: Jesus says, You have heard that it was said, 'Kill your enemies.' {As per Lev 26:7,8 below} But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven!"
Leviticus 26:7,8: God said to Israel, "You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the *SWORD* before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the SWORD before you!" Numbers 25:16,17" The Lord said to Moses, "Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them!" etc etc
Matthew 5:38,39: Jesus commands, "You have heard that it was said {In Exodus 21:23-25}, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek turn to him the other also!"
Luke 6:27-29: Jesus commands, "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you. do not demand it back!"
Romans 12:18-21: If it is possible, as far as it DEPENDS ON YOU, LIVE AT PEACE WITH EVERYONE! **DO NOT TAKE REVENGE** my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written, "IT IS MINE TO AVENGE**, I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head" Do not be overcome by evil but **OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD**!!
The Warist always quotes Romans 13:1-4 to prove that Christians should **PARTICIPATE** in their governments wars against their enemies and punishment for those who done evil against you.
However, Romans 13:1-4 does not eliminate God's inspired words in James 5:12 and Matthew 5:33-37!!
When you join the military and become a professional killer you must make a **VOW** that you will obey all the commands of your commanding officer. And so if He commands you to drop an Atomic Bomb that will kill about 100,000 civilians including about 25,000 innocent children you must obey this command!!!
The following **OATH** is given by a officer in the US army to be repeated by all army recruits while they raise their right hand:
I, _____, do solemnly *SWEAR* that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. **SO HELP ME GOD**."
What is the OT command concerning *VOWS* and *OATHS*?? Numbers 30:2: Moses said, "This is what the Lord commands: When a man makes a *VOW* to the Lord or takes an *OATH* to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said!"
What are the NT commands concerning making *VOWS* and **OATHS*??
James 5:12: "ABOVE ALL, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or **YOU WILL BE CONDEMNED**!"
Matthew 5:33-37: Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said to your people long ago {Numbers 30:2 above}, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' BUT I tell you, Do not swear at all....Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No, 'No'; anything beyond this comes **FROM THE EVIL ONE**!!"
And so every oath that you swear to is **CONDEMNED* and is **FROM THE EVIL ONE** in the New Testament era!!
Cupcakeme: Do you agree with the Words of God in our New Covenant with God that born again saints should no longer swear to any **OATH** which are all **COMDEMNED** and is from the **EVIL ONE**??
Cupcakeme quote: You can learn from Elizabeth Elliot??
**IS IT PERMISSABLE FOR WOMEN TO PREACH OR TEACH MEN IN THE NT CHURCHES**??
**ONLY THE **SONS** OR **MEN** FROM THE TRIBE OF LEVI WERE ALLOWED TO BE PRIESTS IN THE OT**
Numbers 18:1,2: The Lord said to Aaron, "You and your **SONS** are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the Sanctuary. and you and your **SONS** **ALONE** are to bear responsibility for offenses connected to the **PRIESTHOOD**. Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your **SONS** minister before tent of the Covenant Law!"
**THE SOVEREIGN LORD INSPIRED 32 **MEN** TO WRITE THE OT AND 8 **MEN** TO WRITE THE NT**
**JESUS CHRIST WAS BOTH GOD AND MAN AND IS CALLED THE **SON OF MAN** OVER 60 TIMES IN THE NT**
**THE SON OF MAN CHOSE 12 APOSTLES WHO WERE ALL **MEN**
**ALL THE PREACHERS IN THE NT ARE ALSO CALLED ELDERS AND ALL THE ELDERS IN THE NT ARE ALL **MEN**
I Timothy 5:17: The **ELDERS** who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is **PREACHING** and **TEACHING**!
Titus 1:6-9: An **ELDER** must be blameless, faithful to **HIS** wife, a **MAN** whose children behave and are not open to the charge of being wild or disobedient, Since an overseer manages God's household **HE** must be blameless--not overbearing, not quick tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather **HE** must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. **HE** must hold to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by **SOUND DOCTRINE** and **REFUTE THOSE WHO OPPOSE I**!
And so all the **ELDERS** in the NT church whose work in church are **PREACHERS** are **ALL MEN**.
**IS IT PERMISSABLE FOR WOMEN TO TEACH OR PREACH IN THE NT CHURCH WHEN MEN ARE PRESENT**??
**WHAT DOES GOD"S INSPIRED WORDS SAY**??
I Corinthians 14:34,35: Women should remain silent In the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their husbands at home; for it is **DISGRACEFUL** for a woman to speak in the church.
I Timothy 2:11: A Woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or assume authority over a man she must be quiet!
There is not one passage in the NT showing women preaching to men in a church!! However women are allowed to teach other women as per Titus 2:3-5 and boys under 13 years old and members of their own family. There is also an example of a woman {Priscilla} and her husband {Aquila} teaching a man in their home in:
Acts 18:26: **HE* began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard **HIM**, they invited **HIM** to their home, and explained to **HIM** the way of God more adequately!
2 Timothy 3:15,16: 4:1,2: You have known the **HOLY SCRIPTURES**, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. **ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD-BREATHED** and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge:
**PREACH THE WORD**!! {**WHICH IS THE ENTIRE NEW COVENANT AND NEW TESTAMENT**!!} Be prepared in season and out of season: **CORRECT, REBUKE and ENCIOURAGE**--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the Truth and turn aside to myths! (Like the **PROSPERITY GOSPEL** and **WOMEN PREACHERS** such as Victoria Osteen, Joyce Meyer and **ELIZABETH ELLIOT**!}
