Revelation: Christ and the Churches

Theology of Self Defense-2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2024-03-26

Synopsis: John Weaver addresses objections to biblical self-defense by examining the arrest of Jesus in the Gospels. He argues that Christ's command to Peter to put away his sword does not negate the duty of self-defense but rather corrects Peter's unwise, unnecessary, and unenlightened use of force. Weaver emphasizes that Luke 22:36 commands believers to acquire weapons for self-protection, and that the unique circumstances of Christ's voluntary sacrifice do not overturn the broader biblical mandate to preserve life.

[John Weaver] I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to four passages. We're going to be dealing with just one, but I want you to go ahead and find them, if you would, please. And that would be Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 and John 18. So Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. So you got Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke chapter 22, John chapter 18. Some of these I'm going to be quoting just for time's sake.

[John Weaver] Others we will be looking at because I think they're important to understanding the message. So I want you to open your Bibles to Luke chapter 22, if you would. And let's begin by just looking at several verses to read Luke chapter 22. And notice, if you would, beginning there with verse 35, and he said unto them, When I sent you without purse and script and shoes, lacked you anything? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now he that hath the purse, let him take it, and likewise his script. And he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and what? Buy one.

[John Weaver] For I send you that this is written in me, must yet be accomplished in me. And he was reckoned among the transgressors. for the things concerning me have an end."

[John Weaver] Now, last night I dealt with the fact that self-defense is not only biblical, it is obligatory, it is mandated, and it is an absolute necessity according to the Word of God, because if we do not defend our lives, it is a violation of the Sixth Commandment. The sixth commandment says, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not take life except on God's terms. But the positive is, thou shalt preserve life. So you have a duty and an obligation, not only to preserve your life, but the lives of your family, the lives of your friends and neighbors, and those who are in trouble. So clearly then, the word of God tells us that we do have an obligation to defend our lives. If we fail to defend our lives, then of course we are guilty of violating the sixth commandment, which basically teaches the preservation of life. And of course our Lord said very clearly in Matthew chapter 5 that He had not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but He had come to fulfill.

[John Weaver] So we look in both the Old Testament and the New Testament as well. Now, tonight I've mentioned four passages. We're going to be looking at each of these four passages, and hopefully we're going to endeavor to answer a question, or several questions, and especially those questions that have been raised that many people think that they've really got it nailed here that you do not have an obligation to defend yourself and defend

[John Weaver] others simply because of one particular passage of Scripture. So, usually the question or the objection to self-defense is formed like this. If self-defense is obligatory, if it's absolutely necessary to save your life and the lives of others, Why did Christ tell Peter to put his sword back into a sheath or to a scabbard? And how about this one? If self-defense is obligatory and mandatory, why did not Peter and the rest of the disciples just simply take their swords and hack their way out when they were surrounded by their enemies?

[John Weaver] I want to answer those questions, but I want to answer them from the Word of God. So let's begin by looking, if you would, at Luke chapter 22, beginning there with verse 35, because our Lord asked this simple question. Look at it. And He said unto them, When I sent you without purse and script and shoes, lacked you anything? And they said, Nothing.

[John Weaver] Now, you always have to interpret Scripture in light of Scripture. You always have to interpret Scripture in light of the context. And there's always an immediate context, but there's also a remote context. So when our Lord asked his disciples this question, when I sent you forth without person, stripped in shoes, what did you lack? And they said, absolutely nothing. Well, that refers back to Luke chapter 9 and verse 3, and Luke chapter 10 and verse 4, where our Lord sent His disciples out, and here's what He said,"...take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor script, neither bread, neither money, neither have two coats apiece." And again, He says,"...carry neither purse, nor script, nor shoes, and salute no man by the way." So, in Luke chapter 22 and verse 35, He is now sending his disciples out with new instructions. Because now he tells them that they need a purse, they need a script, they need a sword.

[John Weaver] And he said, if you don't have one, then you sell your garments and you buy one. So why in the world is this change? Well, you must remember that before this happened, before our Lord gave these words in Luke chapter 22, He was the one that provided for His disciples. He was the one that protected His disciples. That's why He asked them, when I sent you out and you did not have purse, you did not have script, you did not have a staff, you did not have anything, what did you lack?

[John Weaver] And they said, absolutely nothing. But I want you to look now at verse 36. Because He said,"...then said he unto them, But now he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his script. And he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and get one."

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. Our Lord here indicates there is a dramatic change that is taking place. For those of you that have had Greek, there are two little Greek words that are used for the word but in our Bible. The first one is Allah, A-L-L-A, and the second one is de, D-E, is how we would spell it in English. But the word Allah is a strong word of contrast. In other words, it is a word of emphasis.

[John Weaver] So it's just like I said to Mark, well, you beat me yesterday, but today I beat you. That's a strong word of contrast. And so that's exactly the word that our Lord used in verse 36. Then He said to them, but now, in other words, He emphasized this strong contrast.

[John Weaver] Now, He says, now when you go forth, You take your purse and the purse, of course, was a pouch or depository for money. And then he said, you take the script and the script was a leather pouch in which they carried food. And then he said, if you do not have a sword, you sell your garment and buy one. And the Greek word for the word garment refers to the outer garment. The outer garment that was worn in those days was the one that was most needed and most necessary. It was also the one that was most valuable. It was also the one that was used for many different things.

[John Weaver] And so our Lord is saying this. This change is coming around, so now here's what you do. You take your purse, you take your script, and if you don't have a sword, you sell the most important garment that you have and you buy yourself a sword. So we could translate it like this, whatever the cost, get yourself a weapon or get yourself a sword.

[John Weaver] Now, we must ask, why is this sudden change taking place? Well, if you look in your Bibles, verse 37, here is why this sudden change is taking place. He said, For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me. And he was reckoned among the transgressors, for the things concerning me have an end. In other words, what our Lord is saying, look, I am about to be crucified.

[John Weaver] I'm not going to be with you any longer. I've been protecting you. I've been providing for you. I've been taking care of you. But now I'm not going to be around to do that any longer. Our Lord is saying I'm going to be labeled a criminal. I'm going to be labeled with the trespassers. By the way, let me just say something. You do not have to do anything evil in this day and time to be labeled a criminal. All you have to do is stand for truth and righteousness and liberty and freedom, and folks will look down on you, and those in the positions of authority will hate you and classify you as a criminal.

[John Weaver] In fact, if you've read some of the local ordinances that have been published by the FBI on how to recognize real thorough criminals, they have a Bible. You know, they believe in firearms, they believe in liberty, they believe in freedom. You can be classified as a criminal very easily. And you know, our Lord was arrested. And the tendency today is for you and I to do this. We think when we hear that someone has been arrested that, boy, they must have done something wrong or they would not be in that predicament. Let me tell you something. You don't have to do anything wrong today to be arrested. Our Lord certainly did no wrong. Our Lord certainly was not a criminal.

[John Weaver] He was and still is the sinless Son of God. And yet He was arrested and yet He was crucified as well. So our Lord now is telling his disciples, I'm not going to be around any longer or much longer. I'm not going to be able to protect you as I have done and provided for you as I have done. And so our Lord laid this truth out for us in John chapter 15. Most of you know this passage where our Lord said, if the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you.

[John Weaver] And then he went on and he said this, remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than the master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will also keep your saying. So our Lord is saying, look, if they have taken me and they have classified me as a criminal and they have crucified me and they've mocked me and they ridicule me, What do you think they're going to do to you? In other words, if they, in their estimation, hate me and despise me and reject me and repudiate me, what do you think their estimation is going to be of you who happen to follow me and believe in me? In other words, he's saying there is coming a real change in this situation.

[John Weaver] Now, the truth of the matter is this. Christ is preparing his disciples to assume full responsibility for themselves. Christ was the miracle worker. You remember that passage in the book of Acts chapter 2 and verse 22. Peter was preaching and he said, You men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by many miracles, wonders and signs which God did in the midst of you, which you yourselves also know. What our Lord is saying is those miracles are coming to an end. in the degree and in the way that they were when he was with his disciples on this earth physically. Yes, we have miracles today, but not like the disciples had in those particular days. So our Lord is telling his disciples they must now be prepared to take responsibility for themselves. That's why he said you need to take yourself a purse.

[John Weaver] A script, and if you do not have a sword, you sell your garment and you get one. Now, although Christ is now emphasizing the fact that these disciples are going to be responsible for themselves, they're going to take care of themselves, we've got to understand that although we have a responsibility, there must be a proper balance in that responsibility. What do I mean by a proper balance in that responsibility? If you and I say, well, I've got plenty of money, I've got plenty of weapons, I've got plenty of everything I need. I just don't need anybody and I don't need anything. The implication is you don't even need God.

[John Weaver] In other words, you are trusting in whatever you have, you're trusting in whatever you've been given. Which, of course, is not only idolatrous, but it's also blasphemous as well. Because the truth of the matter is, we're not sufficient in and of ourselves. I get tickled all the times we think of all these billionaires. Have you ever stopped to think, I don't care how much money George Soros has. I don't care how much money Mark Zuckerberg has. Do you realize, with all their money, They could not even just feed the birds for one week in the world.

[John Weaver] Certainly not all the animals. So anybody who thinks they're sufficient in and of themselves are really self-deceived, that is for sure. But on the other hand, the truth of the matter is so many people just take the opposite and they say, well, what I'm going to do is I'm going to just trust in the Lord. In other words, I'm not going to take responsibility for myself. I'm going to just trust in the Lord. Well, I have a missionary friend who is a missionary pilot.

[John Weaver] And one of the things he often does is he flies into hot areas where wars are going on, insurrections are going on, and he goes down to rescue the missionaries that happen to be stationed there. And one of the questions he asked those people to whom he's going to rescue, he asked, do you have a weapon? Are you able to defend yourself? And if they say no, we're just trusting in the Lord. His response is, well, you just keep trusting because I'm going to go rescue others who are willing to fight for their lives. Now, you see what I'm trying to say. If on the one hand, you're trusting in your abilities and you're trusting what you have, that's absolute foolishness, it's idolatry, it's pride, it's arrogance. On the other hand, if you refuse to use the means that God has ordained, now you're tempting God.

[John Weaver] You remember what happened in the book of Judges, chapter 15 and verse 16, when Samson came down and all the Philistines roared against him. What did he do? He reached down and picked up the jawbone of an ass and slew a thousand Philistines. He didn't have an AK-47. He didn't have an AR-15. He just simply used whatever God had placed at his disposal. So you have to have a proper balance.

[John Weaver] You have to make sure that, yes, God has entrusted me to use the means that He has ordained, but yet at the same time, I'm not trusting in those means. I'm going to be trusting into the Lord and for His grace and His mercy and His powers Himself.

[John Weaver] Now, if you look back at verse 36, here's something else that you must understand. Then said He unto them, But now he that hath a purse, Let him take it, and likewise his strip, and he that hath no sword, let him." Let him. It's an imperative in the Greek, which means it's a command. Our Lord is saying, I command you to sell your garment and buy one. That's what He's saying.

[John Weaver] In other words, this change is going to take place in such a dramatic way that you're going to need everything that I'm going to tell you that you are going to need. You make sure that you do this right now.

[John Weaver] Now, our Lord gave this command. Let him buy one.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look, if you would, please, at verse 38. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, it is enough. Now. I want you to know what the Bible does not say. He did not say two swords are enough. What he said was it is enough. Now you're going to have to say What in the world did our Lord mean when He said, is it enough?

[John Weaver] I saw a cartoon and this woman walks into her house and there are flowers everywhere and boxes of chocolates. And she looks at her husband and said, OK, what kind of weapon did you buy today? Well, you know, It is enough. What in the world does that mean when our Lord said it is enough? Well, there are three ways that you possibly could interpret this. First of all, it could refer to the fact that our Lord is saying it is enough that has been said on the subject. That's it. It's over. The second way it could be interpreted is it could also refer to the reality that the disciples would understand what he meant much later. which I'm going to show you that's exactly, they did understand much later. And the third way that you could interpret this is our Lord is saying it is enough, meaning that the two swords would be sufficient to demonstrate His purpose, His intent, and His teaching. Now, it did not take the disciples too long to figure out exactly what our Lord meant.

[John Weaver] So if you will skip down to verse 49, Look at verse 49. When they which were about him saw what would follow. They said of him, Lord, shall we smite with a sword? Now, look at that, when they which were about him saw what would follow. Now, I want you to hold Luke 22, but I want you to turn back in your Bibles very quickly to Matthew chapter 26, and I want you to look at verse 47. Look at Matthew 26, verse 47. Look at what the Bible says. Matthew 26, verse 47.

[John Weaver] And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him, now note this, a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Wow. And while he yet spake, Probably while he's saying, it is enough. Hmm. Here came Judas with a great multitude with swords and staves.

[John Weaver] Now, when you look back at Luke 22 and verse. Forty nine. The Bible said they were about him saw what would follow. In other words, it was at this point the disciples put two and two together.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. If you're walking down the street and a gang of 15 or 20 tattooed men in black leather jackets and log chains hanging all over them, if they're walking towards you with a scowl on their faces, How long would it take you to put two and two together and figure out what's going to follow if you stay around? What about if you got surrounded in an alley? How long would it take you to realize, I better extricate myself from this situation as quickly as possible? Well, these disciples, then, all of a sudden, when they saw this great multitude and they were armed, they understood what was going to happen. And so, if you look in verse 49, when they which were about him saw what would follow, they said of him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? Wow.

[John Weaver] Now, it's unclear exactly when this question was asked. When I say that, were they asking permission to start a fight? Were they saying, Lord, Peter's already struck the first blow, should we join in? They were just simply asking, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? It could have been the fact that Peter's impetuosity had already driven him to make the first blow. I don't know. The Bible is not clear on that.

[John Weaver] But look at it in verse 50, if you would. And one of them smote the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

[John Weaver] Now, when you get to John chapter 18, verse 10, the Bible identifies both of these. The man with the sword that did the smiting was Peter, and the man whose ear he cut off was Malchus, who happened to be a servant of the chief priest. I've been asked many times, Pastor, do you really think that Peter meant to cut off Malchus's ear? And my response was, no, I do not think he meant to cut off his ear. I think he was aiming for the center of his head. He just missed.

[John Weaver] Because remember, these men were surrounding them and they were armed with swords and staves. Now, if you look at verse 51, Peter's cut off his ear, verse 51, and Jesus entered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And He touched his ear and healed it. Now, when our Lord said, Suffer you thus far, what He meant was this. Don't let this go any further. Let's just stop it right here. Let them take me.

[John Weaver] I'm willing to be taken. There's just to be no more fighting right at this particular point. So, suffer it thus far.

[John Weaver] Now, the words of Christ are not and cannot be a condemnation of self-defense. Neither are they a condemnation to what Peter did. I'm going to explain that just a little bit later. But then Christ does something absolutely surprising. If Peter cut off Malchus's ear, our Lord picked it up, stuck it back on. I don't know about you, But if I happen to be Malchus at that particular point, I think I'd be having second thoughts about whether or not I want to take this man. It's astounding. But our Lord pacified the situation. That's what he did. He told Peter, suffer, let him take me. And then he soothed the anger by putting Malchus's ear back on. Now, what I just said earlier I wanted to view in the context because I want you to see that what happened here in Luke chapter 22 and the other passages in the New Testament are not a condemnation of self-defense. They're not a condemnation even of Peter. So I'm going to give you three points tonight, and I want you to think with me.

[John Weaver] First of all, Peter's actions were unwise. If you look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26 and verse 52, again, we'll read it. Look at Matthew chapter 26 and verse 52. Look at this. Look what our Lord says. Matthew 26, verse 52, Then Jesus said of him, Put up again thy sword into his place. Watch, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. So our Lord looked at Peter and he said, put the sword in its place.

[John Weaver] Now, let me say this. Peter certainly acted unwisely at using the sword. I'm going to say it like this. Unwisely is a polite term. I could say that Peter acted stupidly. And he did, but I'll stick with the term unwisely. You can be unwise and yet not be sinful. Every one of us have done things in our lives that are unwise. They're not necessarily sinful in and of themselves.

[John Weaver] Years ago, I had a dear friend who was a wonderful carpenter. He could build anything. He could do anything. And he was by his swimming pool with a drill drilling in the concrete. And the drill bit got hot. It was electric drill. And unwisely, he stuck the tip in the pool water to cool the drill bit and was instantly electrocuted and killed. Now, that wasn't evil. That wasn't sinful.

[John Weaver] He didn't intend to do it. It was certainly unwise and it was certainly stupid. But you can do things that are unwise and not be evil and sinful at the same time.

[John Weaver] Now, how in the world can I say that Peter's actions were unwise? You have to remember in Luke chapter 22 and verse 38, how many swords did they have among them? Two. Two. And when you read from Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 and John 18, all of them say, all these verses say that there was a great multitude armed with swords and staves. Let me tell you, it's one thing to defend yourself against a mob. It's one thing to defend yourself against a multitude. It's quite another thing to start a fight with a mob or a multitude. Two totally different things. You remember in Genesis 37, Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi did something stupid like that.

[John Weaver] They took their swords and went in and slew Shechem and Hamer and all the men of Shechem. Because Shechem had raped their sister Dinah. And when they came out and Jacob found out about it, he said, you've made me to stink in the nostrils of the Amorites.

[John Weaver] Now they're going to band together and they're going to slay all of us. In other words, here's what he's saying. There's a difference between winning a battle and winning the war. And the only reason the Amorites did not chase Jacob, he got out of there, was God sovereignly protected him and held him back and held them off. That was it. But Jacob said, you made a mistake. You won the battle, but you cannot and we cannot win the war.

[John Weaver] Now, practically speaking, what Peter did by striking the first blow was he not only endangered himself, but he endangered the rest of the disciples as well. Why in the world would you further enrage an already angry mob that is determined To do something that's wicked and wrong, why would you further enrage them? Well, I mean, obviously, this is why Christ stopped the fight. That's why he looked at Peter and said, put your sword back up in the scabbard. That's why he reached down and healed Malchus's ear.

[John Weaver] He said, suffer it thus far. Let him take me. There's a reason why he said, let them take me. So let me say this again. In the context of all of this. Jesus Christ is not denying the biblical doctrine of self-defense, neither is he denouncing what Peter did. What Peter did was certainly unwise, but it was not necessarily sinful in and of itself.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand something else. Our Lord said, Matthew chapter 21 and verse 32, for John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not. But when the publicans and the harlots saw him, they believed him. Listen to this. And then he said, And you, when you had seen it, repented not that you might believe. Here's the principle. Our Lord is teaching us that we are bound, we are obligated to learn from the work of God in the lives of others. The publicans and the harlots believed the preaching of John.

[John Weaver] The Pharisees and Sadducees did not. He said, and you, when you saw it, you knew there were changes in those harlots and those publicans. You knew that. And yet you repented not, yet you did not believe. So God holds us accountable and responsible to learn from His providence in the lives of others, and we need to learn also from this incident where Peter and the disciples were here.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just point out the fact, and I'm going to show it to you from Scripture. This is a fact. This is a truth. When you and I are banded together, You talk about bravado, manly talk, I'll do this, I'll do that. They won't do that to me. I'll show them. Man, we can boast and we can do whatever we want to do. But when we get cut aside and cut off and we're by ourselves, And we're facing danger all alone.

[John Weaver] It's a horse of a different color. And you know what? All the disciples boasted and through their pride said, we will never, ever, we will die with you. And you know what? Every one of them fled and left Him. Every one of them. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would. Well, you can turn there to Proverbs 16, verse 18. Look at this. I can quote it. Proverbs 16, verse 18. The Bible said, Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

[John Weaver] So what happened with Peter? First of all, let me say this. His actions were a declaration of pride. I want you to go back in your Bibles. Look at this in Matthew chapter 26. Look at this. We're there. Let's begin reading there verse 31. This is astounding to me. Matthew 26, look in verse 31. Then said Jesus unto them. He's talking to his 12 disciples. Then said Jesus unto them, all you shall be offended because of me this night.

[John Weaver] For it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad." So our Lord says, you are going to be offended. He gives them the scripture. But then he says this, But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men should be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this night before the cock crow thou shalt deny me Christ. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Look at this.

[John Weaver] Likewise said all the disciples. Every one of them. And yet every one of them fled. Wow. The disciples were so emphatic. They were so vehement. We will never, ever deny you. We'll die with you. We'll go to prison with you. Wow. We have to benefit from the lessons that are taught here. So when they were surrounded by their friends and their neighbors, they were brave. But boy, when they got cut off one by one, they fell. Here's the second thing.

[John Weaver] Peter's actions were a demonstration of perceived power. Not only was there pride, but perceived power. In John 18, if you look at that passage very quickly, because Jesus Christ speaks, and here's what happens in verses 4-6. Look at this. John 18, verse 4, Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto them, this is the angry mob, Whom seek ye? They answered and said, Jesus and Nazareth. Jesus said unto them, I am he.

[John Weaver] And Judas also, who betrayed him, stood with them. And as soon as he said unto them, I am he, they went backward and fell to the ground. Then ask ye them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way, that the saying might be fulfilled which he spake of them, which thou hast given me, I have lost none."

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note this. When our Lord spoke, what in the world did they do? They went backward and fell on the ground. Now, if you and I were in a situation like Peter and the disciples, and you hear our Lord speak, or you hear a man speak, and there's such power and there's such force that those who are against him and against us, they all go backwards and fall on the ground.

[John Weaver] Wouldn't you think, wow, now would be the time to act? I mean, they're already down. And if just the words would cause fear in these people, and if just words would make them fall backwards, how much more would a manly display of swordsmanship really strike fear in them? Now would be our time to fight. Undoubtedly, Peter understood that and probably Peter thought like that. I cannot say for certain, but surely I mean, when our Lord said, I am He, and they went backwards and fell on the ground, it must have made some type of emphasis upon Peter and the others as well. Thirdly, we must understand this, that there was really no need for Peter to even display the sword. Why?

[John Weaver] Because the disciples were not in danger. What do you mean they were not in danger? They came after Jesus Christ. They did not come after his disciples. That's why Jesus said, I'm he. I'm the one you're looking at for. Let these go their way. You're not interested in them. Let them go. So in reality. Neither Peter nor the other disciples were in danger up until this point. They had been under and were still under the authority and the protection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The multitude was not after Peter. The multitude were not after the disciples. They were after the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note something. If you look in Matthew, chapter 26 and verse 52 again, I want you to see what our Lord said. Look at Matthew, chapter 26, verse 52. We read it earlier. I'm going to point it out again. Our Lord simply said this to Peter. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place. For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. First of all, let me point out. Our Lord said, put the sword up in its place. He did not say, throw away that sword. He did not say, don't touch that thing. He did not say, why did you draw that sword out? He did not say, thou shalt not kill. He did not say, weapons are evil. All he said was, put it back in the scabbard. That's it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you this. Since he told him to put the sword back in the scabbard, Christ went on to expose and to expound a legal maxim. When he told him to put that sword up, he went on to say, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

[John Weaver] Now, what in the world does that mean? It is indeed a legal maxim that is for sure. There are several interpretations that have been offered to this. And the first one would be this, those who use the sword to resist lawful authority shall die by the sword. And you will find that out many times when criminals think that they can just walk around and murder people and do things they should not be doing. Usually they get taken down by someone in position of authority. That's one interpretation. The second one is this. Those who use the sword against innocent individuals will be consumed by the sword because of divine vengeance.

[John Weaver] God is not going to let the wicked escape. That is for sure. And then there's a third interpretation, and that's the most satisfactory one, and that Peter had acted rashly in endeavoring to attack a whole band of men and his unseasonable and imprudent actions could have been the occasion of his destruction and those of the other disciples as well." So, our Lord just simply said, put it back up. So, what our Lord is doing is saying, Peter, you're not going to act irrationally. You're not going to act impetuously here.

[John Weaver] There is a legal maxim. You'll find this quoted in Revelation 13, verse 10. Let me read it. Our Lord said, He that leaves in captivity shall go into captivity. He that kills with the sword must be killed by the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints. So this New Testament quote is actually taken from Isaiah 33, verse 1. Where God says, Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled. Woe to thee that dealest treacherously, and thou wast not dealt treacherously with. When thou ceases to be spoiled, when thou ceases to be spoiling, thou shalt be spoiled. And when thou ceases to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

[John Weaver] It's called the Lex Talionis. It's the law of retribution. It's where God makes the punishment fit the crime.

[John Weaver] Now, there's a good illustration of this in the book of Judges, chapter 1, in verse 7. You remember the king, by the name of Adonai Bezek, it was captured by Joshua and his men. And they took Adonai Bezek and they cut off his thumbs and his great toes. Why in the world would they do that? Well, let me ask you a question. Can you hold a sword without your thumb? No. Can you hold a glock without your thumb? No. Can you balance without your big toes? No. You're thoroughly impotent and helpless without your thumbs and without your big toes. And here's what Adonai Bezek said when they cut off his thumbs and his big toes. He said in the book of Judges, chapter 1, verse 7, Three sworn ten kings, having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table.

[John Weaver] As I have done, so has God done unto me." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died. So Adonai Bezek said, Lex Talionis, the law of retribution has found me as I have done to 70 others. So now it has been done to me. So, first of all, Peter's actions, we could say, were unwise.

[John Weaver] Secondly, let me put it like this. Peter's actions were unnecessary. If you look in Matthew 26 and verse 40, verse 53, it is Matthew 26 and verse 53. Look at this. The Bible says, thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my father and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? After he told Peter to put the sword back into his scabbard, he said, thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my father and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? Notice, if you would, he said more than twelve legions of angels. If Peter thought that he was protecting Jesus Christ, he thought wrongly. Jesus Christ did not need protection. If Jesus Christ needed protection, it would come from a totally different source. It would not come from a frail, weakly human. He said, my Father would send me more than twelve legions of angels. In other words, if I needed protection, there would be divine intervention.

[John Weaver] a Roman legion with 6,000 men. Twelve legions would be 72,000 angels, and our Lord said more than twelve legions. When you stop and think about the fact, in Isaiah 37 and verse 36, one angel in one night with one stroke of the sword killed 185,000 Assyrians I don't think 72,000 angels would have any difficulty with the high priest and the big mob there. I don't think they'd have any difficulty with the entire world.

[John Weaver] But I'm just simply pointing out, Peter's actions were unnecessary. That's what our Lord was saying. Well, you know, I've often thought about all our Lord had to do was mutter, help me. All our Lord had to do was wiggle His little finger. All our Lord had to do was blink an eye and more than 72,000 angels would be at His disposal. Peter was not needed. His actions were not only unwise, they were unnecessary because our Lord said, I don't need protection. Thirdly, I want to point out Peter's actions were unenlightened. unenlightened.

[John Weaver] What do I mean by that? Well, you're in Matthew chapter 26. Look at verse 54. Our Lord then asked, after he tells Peter to put up his sword and his scabbard, then he asked him, thinkest thou not that I cannot now call on my father and get more than twelve legions of angels? Then in verse 54, he says this, but how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be? Lord Peter, if you save me from this, how will the Scriptures be fulfilled?

[John Weaver] Jesus Christ said, I came to die. Do you know Peter had a problem with that? If you'll go back in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 16, Look in Matthew chapter 16 beginning there in verse 21. Look at this. Matthew 16 verse 21. From that time forth began Jesus has shown to his disciples how that he must go into Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee. But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offense unto me, for thou savest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of man. Wow. Peter said, Lord, no, no, this is not going to happen to you. Our Lord said, Yes, it is. It is going to happen. Wow, it's going to happen. Why is it going to happen? Because Christ came to die.

[John Weaver] He came to be the propitiation for his people. He said, the cup which my heavenly father gave me, I must drink. In John 12 and verse 27, he said it like this, Now is my soul troubled, but what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour, for this very hour came I into the world. He came to die. And John 10 and verse 17 and verse 18, he said, Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life. I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from my Father. No man taketh my life from me. He came to die. He knew He was going to die.

[John Weaver] If Peter had saved Christ, so to speak, that's what Christ is asking. What about the Scriptures? How would they be fulfilled? No, I came to die. That's why the Bible says in Matthew 1 in verse 21, the angel told Joseph and Mary, thou shalt call his name Jesus' wife, for he shall save his people from their sins. And our salvation is found in his death. That's why the Bible says in 1 Peter 3 and verse 18, he died the just for the unjust that he might bring us back unto God.

[John Weaver] So Peter's actions then were not only unwise. They were unnecessary and they were unenlightened. I want you to remember this. Christ did not rebuke Peter for having a sword. He commanded him to have a sword. He did not rebuke Peter for drawing that sword. He did not even rebuke Peter for using that sword. He just said, put it back in the scabbard.

[John Weaver] Now is not the time to use it. It is not needed at this moment. I want them to take me. This is the will of my father. But what our Lord did point out to Peter was you do not use your sword or you do not use a weapon unwisely, unnecessarily, without proper enlightenment and instruction.

[John Weaver] Now, let me put this together for you. The case of Jesus Christ is unique. There's none like it. There's no other illustration concerning it. And so it's impossible, then, to take this unique case and say, well, now, The entirety of the rest of the Bible of the doctrine of biblical self-defense has to be wrong because Christ told Peter to put his sword back into the scabbard. That's totally, completely illogical.

[John Weaver] Our Lord did use means of resistance. He used the means of avoidance. Read John chapter 7, verse 1. And Jesus walked in Galilee. He would no longer walk in jury, for they sought to kill him. So what did he do? He just withdrew from them. He got out of their way. So you cannot say that Luke 22 is a denial of the biblical doctrine of self-defense. It is not.

[John Weaver] Secondly, Christ is not forbidding the ownership of weapons since he commanded to buy a sword. He is not forbidding the use of weapons since one was used, obviously. But what he is forbidding is using those weapons unwisely and unnecessarily. You know what the Bible says in James, chapter one, verse 17. Verse 19, it is. He said, Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye, listen carefully, be ye slow to wrath. Swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. Be ye swift to hear.

[John Weaver] I marvel at all the illustrations and videos that you can find on the Internet on rogue rage. Of people pulling out a weapon and just shooting people as they drive by. It is insane. This is what our Lord is forbidding. He said that we are to be slow to wrath. Yes. Slow to speak. Yes. Swift to hear. Let me put it to you like this. We have a modern saying in South Georgia.

[John Weaver] Don't let your mouth overload your brain. And that's exactly what our Lord is saying here. No. You've got to understand there are consequences when weaponry are involved or is involved. You have to understand that. Let me point this out. Even when we use our weapons in self-defense, we have to consider the fact that there will be consequences. I have known men Thankfully, it's never happened to me. But I have known men who had to kill other men, not just in war, but in self-defense. And I've got news for you, the emotional, the mental and the spiritual strain is almost unbelievable. And men that have lived through this in war and killed innumerable people.

[John Weaver] I'll give you one illustration. I'm not going to call a name. But I knew this young man since he was a child. He was not only raised in church. He was not only homeschooled. His father was a pastor. I preached in that church innumerable times. This young man took martial arts and was very, very good. In fact, he took a very deadly form of martial arts. He joined the military.

[John Weaver] After he got out, he stayed overseas. And one day I got a phone call from him out of the blue. And he said, Pastor, he said, I need you to pray for me. He said, I'm unsaved. And I've known this boy all of his life. I said, well, I'll certainly pray for you, but please tell me, since I knew his background, what makes you think that you're unsaved? Here's what he said. You have no idea what I've done. You have no idea how many people I've killed at the behest of the government. He said when I got out, he said I still could not stop killing. He was a mercenary.

[John Weaver] He said, I can't sleep. I can't eat. This young man was in his 20s. I met one other fellow just like that. I'm just saying, folks, we need to come to grips with reality and we don't need to be expressing bravado, saying, well, I'll do this. Let me tell you something. You don't know what you're going to do until you get in that predicament. And then it's all going to come out. But I will tell you what you will do.

[John Weaver] You will default to the way that you were trained. And if you haven't been trained, I'm sorry.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to give you something. One of the objections against carrying weapons, one of the objections of using weapons in self-defense, you hear from the liberals all day long, well, You want to turn us back into the Old West again. I would like that. Why? Because the Old West was not what Hollywood brings forth on the screen. Let me give you a quote. This is from a book.

[John Weaver] Legends, lies, and cherished myths of American history. Written by Richard Shankman. And he wrote that in 1878, in the heyday of the cattle drives in boontowns in Kansas, Dodge City, Dodge City recorded five homicides. Ryan McMaken noted all the big cattle towns of Kansas combined saw a total of 45 murders during the period of 1870 through 1885. Dodge City alone saw 15 people die violently from 1876 to 1885, an average of 1.5 per year. Yes!

[John Weaver] I'd like to go back to that when you consider more than that are killed in Chicago alone on a weekend. The point is this. You think of the lives that could be saved and would be saved if everybody carried and were trained. You have to remember the old saying that we had For years, an armed society is a polite society. I had, and still do, a pastor friend who was a very small man. Very small man, but yet he was a Marine. And he carried, but he had one of those little pouches on his front, he carried his pistol in that pouch. And he and his wife and children were coming out of a restaurant and a man bumped into him, knocked him into his wife and cussed them as he went out. The man didn't even know him. And he took God's name in vain, and this young pastor went out and said, Sir, you owe my wife and myself an apology. And moreover, you owe God an apology. You took his name in vain.

[John Weaver] And the man started cursing again. And my friend said, sir. You are not very observant. He said, do you see my hand in this pouch? He said, if I had pulled my hand out, you were either going to the hospital or the morgue. Sir, you owe us an apology. The man began apologizing. An armed society is a polite society. Let me tell you something. The sixth commandment, as I taught last week and last night, is very simple. Thou shalt not kill. The positive is thou shalt preserve life. You have the duty, you have the responsibility to preserve life, and you cannot take the words of our Lord to Peter, put your sword back in your scabbard as a denial of the truth of the entirety of the word of God.

[John Weaver] You cannot misinterpret one passage and make it contradict hundreds of other passages in the Bible. God requires us to defend ourselves and others. He has had no sword. Here's what God said, our Lord, in the imperative, I command you, Sell your garment and get one. Modern-day phrasing, our Lord would say, if it has no glock, sell your coat and get one. Beyond. It's your responsibility. I'm not here to protect you anymore, physically is what He's saying. That's on you.

[John Weaver] You must prepare You must prepare economically. You must prepare physically. You must prepare medically. You must prepare mentally. You must prepare spiritually. You must prepare every way, because He's now given us the responsibility to take care of ourselves. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And Lord, we ask You to help us to hear to really, truly hear Your Word and apply it to our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

Theology of Self Defense-2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	3272484316822
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Christ and the Churches
Genre	Sermon
Date	2024-03-26
Dictation Name
Book	Book 108: Theology of Self Defense — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	94

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Weaver introduces the four Gospel accounts of Jesus' arrest and reads Luke 22:35-37, highlighting the command to buy a sword.

I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to four passages. We're going to be dealing with just one, but I want you to go ahead and find them, if you would, please. And that would be Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 18. So Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So you've got Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke chapter 22, John chapter 18. Some of these I'm going to be quoting just for time's sake. Others we will be looking at because I think they're important to understanding the message. So I want you to open your Bibles to Luke chapter 22, if you would. And let's begin by just looking at several verses to read Luke chapter 22. And notice, if you would, beginning there with verse 35, "And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and what? Buy one."

"For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end."

The Biblical Mandate for Self-Defense

Weaver recaps the previous sermon, stating that self-defense is obligatory under the Sixth Commandment, which requires the preservation of life.

Now, last night I dealt with the fact that self-defense is not only biblical, it is obligatory, it is mandated, and it is an absolute necessity according to the Word of God, because if we do not defend our lives, it is a violation of the Sixth Commandment. The Sixth Commandment says, "Thou shalt not kill," thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not take life except on God's terms. But the positive is, thou shalt preserve life. So you have a duty and an obligation, not only to preserve your life, but the lives of your family, the lives of your friends and neighbors, and those who are in trouble. So clearly then, the Word of God tells us that we do have an obligation to defend our lives. If we fail to defend our lives, then of course we are guilty of violating the Sixth Commandment, which basically teaches the preservation of life. And of course our Lord said very clearly in Matthew chapter 5 that He had not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but He had come to fulfill.

So we look in both the Old Testament and the New Testament as well. Now, tonight I've mentioned four passages. We're going to be looking at each of these four passages, and hopefully we're going to endeavor to answer a question, or several questions, and especially those questions that have been raised that many people think that they've really got it nailed here that you do not have an obligation to defend yourself and defend others simply because of one particular passage of Scripture. So, usually the question or the objection to self-defense is formed like this. If self-defense is obligatory, if it's absolutely necessary to save your life and the lives of others, why did Christ tell Peter to put his sword back into a sheath or to a scabbard? And how about this one? If self-defense is obligatory and mandatory, why did not Peter and the rest of the disciples just simply take their swords and hack their way out when they were surrounded by their enemies?

The Objection from Christ's Arrest

Weaver presents the common objection: if self-defense is mandatory, why did Christ tell Peter to put away his sword?

I want to answer those questions, but I want to answer them from the Word of God. So let's begin by looking, if you would, at Luke chapter 22, beginning there with verse 35, because our Lord asked this simple question. Look at it.

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:35-38

"And He said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing."

The Change in Christ's Instructions

Weaver explains the shift from Luke 9-10 (no provisions) to Luke 22 (take purse, scrip, sword) as preparation for Christ's departure and the disciples' new responsibility.

Now, you always have to interpret Scripture in light of Scripture. You always have to interpret Scripture in light of the context. And there's always an immediate context, but there's also a remote context. So when our Lord asked His disciples this question,

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:35-38

"When I sent you forth without purse, and scrip, and shoes, what did you lack?"

And they said, "Absolutely nothing." Well, that refers back to Luke chapter 9 and verse 3, and Luke chapter 10 and verse 4, where our Lord sent His disciples out, and here's what He said, "...take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece." And again, He says, "...carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way." So, in Luke chapter 22 and verse 35, He is now sending His disciples out with new instructions. Because now He tells them that they need a purse, they need a scrip, they need a sword. And He said, if you don't have one, then you sell your garments and you buy one. So why in the world is this change? Well, you must remember that before this happened, before our Lord gave these words in Luke chapter 22, He was the one that provided for His disciples. He was the one that protected His disciples. That's why He asked them, "When I sent you out and you did not have purse, you did not have scrip, you did not have a staff, you did not have anything, what did you lack?" And they said, "Absolutely nothing." But I want you to look now at verse 36. Because He said, "...then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and get one."

Now, the interesting thing is this. Our Lord here indicates there is a dramatic change that is taking place. For those of you that have had Greek, there are two little Greek words that are used for the word "but" in our Bible. The first one is alla, A-L-L-A, and the second one is de, D-E, is how we would spell it in English. But the word alla is a strong word of contrast. In other words, it is a word of emphasis.

So it's just like I said to Mark, "Well, you beat me yesterday, but today I beat you." That's a strong word of contrast. And so that's exactly the word that our Lord used in verse 36. Then He said to them, "But now," in other words, He emphasized this strong contrast. Now, He says, now when you go forth, you take your purse—and the purse, of course, was a pouch or depository for money. And then He said, you take the scrip—and the scrip was a leather pouch in which they carried food. And then He said, if you do not have a sword, you sell your garment and buy one. And the Greek word for the word "garment" refers to the outer garment. The outer garment that was worn in those days was the one that was most needed and most necessary. It was also the one that was most valuable. It was also the one that was used for many different things.

And so our Lord is saying this. This change is coming around, so now here's what you do. You take your purse, you take your scrip, and if you don't have a sword, you sell the most important garment that you have and you buy yourself a sword. So we could translate it like this: whatever the cost, get yourself a weapon or get yourself a sword.

Now, we must ask, why is this sudden change taking place? Well, if you look in your Bibles, verse 37, here is why this sudden change is taking place. He said, "For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end." In other words, what our Lord is saying, "Look, I am about to be crucified."

The Command to Buy a Sword

Weaver emphasizes that 'let him buy one' is an imperative, a command to acquire a weapon, and discusses the meaning of 'It is enough.'

Now, if you look back at verse 36, here's something else that you must understand. "Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him." Let him. It's an imperative in the Greek, which means it's a command. Our Lord is saying, "I command you to sell your garment and buy one." That's what He's saying. In other words, this change is going to take place in such a dramatic way that you're going to need everything that I'm going to tell you that you are going to need. You make sure that you do this right now.

Now, our Lord gave this command. Let him buy one. Now, I want you to look, if you would, please, at verse 38. "And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough." Now, I want you to know what the Bible does not say. He did not say two swords are enough. What he said was, "It is enough." Now you're going to have to say, "What in the world did our Lord mean when He said, 'It is enough'?"

I saw a cartoon and this woman walks into her house and there are flowers everywhere and boxes of chocolates. And she looks at her husband and said, "OK, what kind of weapon did you buy today?" Well, you know, "It is enough." What in the world does that mean when our Lord said, "It is enough"? Well, there are three ways that you possibly could interpret this. First of all, it could refer to the fact that our Lord is saying it is enough that has been said on the subject. That's it. It's over. The second way it could be interpreted is it could also refer to the reality that the disciples would understand what He meant much later, which I'm going to show you that's exactly—they did understand much later. And the third way that you could interpret this is our Lord is saying, "It is enough," meaning that the two swords would be sufficient to demonstrate His purpose, His intent, and His teaching. Now, it did not take the disciples too long to figure out exactly what our Lord meant.

The Disciples' Question and Peter's Action

Weaver describes the arrival of the armed multitude, the disciples' realization, and Peter striking Malchus.

So if you will skip down to verse 49, look at verse 49. "When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" Now, look at that, "when they which were about him saw what would follow." Now, I want you to hold Luke 22, but I want you to turn back in your Bibles very quickly to Matthew chapter 26, and I want you to look at verse 47. Look at Matthew 26, verse 47. Look at what the Bible says. Matthew 26, verse 47.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 26:47

"And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people."

Wow.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 26:47

"And while he yet spake"

—probably while he's saying, "It is enough.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 26:47

" Hmm. Here came Judas with a great multitude with swords and staves.

Now, when you look back at Luke 22 and verse 49, the Bible said they were about him saw what would follow. In other words, it was at this point the disciples put two and two together. Now, let me ask you a question. If you're walking down the street and a gang of 15 or 20 tattooed men in black leather jackets and log chains hanging all over them, if they're walking towards you with a scowl on their faces, how long would it take you to put two and two together and figure out what's going to follow if you stay around? What about if you got surrounded in an alley? How long would it take you to realize, "I better extricate myself from this situation as quickly as possible"? Well, these disciples, then, all of a sudden, when they saw this great multitude and they were armed, they understood what was going to happen. And so, if you look in verse 49, "When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" Wow.

Now, it's unclear exactly when this question was asked. When I say that, were they asking permission to start a fight? Were they saying, "Lord, Peter's already struck the first blow, should we join in?" They were just simply asking, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" It could have been the fact that Peter's impetuosity had already driven him to make the first blow. I don't know. The Bible is not clear on that.

But look at it in verse 50, if you would.

Scripture Reading — John 18:10

"And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear."

Now, when you get to John chapter 18, verse 10, the Bible identifies both of these. The man with the sword that did the smiting was Peter, and the man whose ear he cut off was Malchus, who happened to be a servant of the chief priest. I've been asked many times, "Pastor, do you really think that Peter meant to cut off Malchus's ear?" And my response was, "No, I do not think he meant to cut off his ear. I think he was aiming for the center of his head. He just missed."

Because remember, these men were surrounding them and they were armed with swords and staves. Now, if you look at verse 51, Peter's cut off his ear, verse 51, "And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him." Now, when our Lord said, "Suffer ye thus far," what He meant was this. "Don't let this go any further. Let's just stop it right here. Let them take me."

Christ's Response: 'Suffer ye thus far'

Weaver explains that Christ stopped the fight, healed Malchus, and allowed Himself to be taken, but this was not a condemnation of self-defense.

"I'm willing to be taken. There's just to be no more fighting right at this particular point." So, "Suffer it thus far." Now, the words of Christ are not and cannot be a condemnation of self-defense. Neither are they a condemnation to what Peter did. I'm going to explain that just a little bit later. But then Christ does something absolutely surprising. If Peter cut off Malchus's ear, our Lord picked it up, stuck it back on. I don't know about you, but if I happen to be Malchus at that particular point, I think I'd be having second thoughts about whether or not I want to take this man. It's astounding. But our Lord pacified the situation. That's what He did. He told Peter, "Suffer, let him take me." And then He soothed the anger by putting Malchus's ear back on. Now, what I just said earlier I wanted to view in the context because I want you to see that what happened here in Luke chapter 22 and the other passages in the New Testament are not a condemnation of self-defense. They're not a condemnation even of Peter. So I'm going to give you three points tonight, and I want you to think with me.

Peter's Actions Were Unwise

Weaver argues that Peter's use of the sword was unwise because it endangered the disciples against a large mob, and Christ's command to put away the sword was a correction of imprudence, not a prohibition of weapons.

First of all, Peter's actions were unwise. If you look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26 and verse 52, again, we'll read it. Look at Matthew chapter 26 and verse 52. Look at this. Look what our Lord says. Matthew 26, verse 52, "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." So our Lord looked at Peter and He said, "Put the sword in its place."

Now, let me say this. Peter certainly acted unwisely at using the sword. I'm going to say it like this. Unwisely is a polite term. I could say that Peter acted stupidly. And he did, but I'll stick with the term unwisely. You can be unwise and yet not be sinful. Every one of us have done things in our lives that are unwise. They're not necessarily sinful in and of themselves.

Years ago, I had a dear friend who was a wonderful carpenter. He could build anything. He could do anything. And he was by his swimming pool with a drill drilling in the concrete. And the drill bit got hot. It was an electric drill. And unwisely, he stuck the tip in the pool water to cool the drill bit and was instantly electrocuted and killed. Now, that wasn't evil. That wasn't sinful.

He didn't intend to do it. It was certainly unwise and it was certainly stupid. But you can do things that are unwise and not be evil and sinful at the same time. Now, how in the world can I say that Peter's actions were unwise? You have to remember in Luke chapter 22 and verse 38, how many swords did they have among them? Two. Two. And when you read from Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 18, all of them say, all these verses say that there was a great multitude armed with swords and staves. Let me tell you, it's one thing to defend yourself against a mob. It's one thing to defend yourself against a multitude. It's quite another thing to start a fight with a mob or a multitude. Two totally different things. You remember in Genesis 37, Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi did something stupid like that.

They took their swords and went in and slew Shechem and Hamor and all the men of Shechem. Because Shechem had raped their sister Dinah. And when they came out and Jacob found out about it, he said, "You've made me to stink in the nostrils of the Amorites." "Now they're going to band together and they're going to slay all of us." In other words, here's what he's saying. There's a difference between winning a battle and winning the war. And the only reason the Amorites did not chase Jacob—he got out of there—was God sovereignly protected him and held him back and held them off. That was it. But Jacob said, "You made a mistake. You won the battle, but you cannot and we cannot win the war."

Now, practically speaking, what Peter did by striking the first blow was he not only endangered himself, but he endangered the rest of the disciples as well. Why in the world would you further enrage an already angry mob that is determined to do something that's wicked and wrong, why would you further enrage them? Well, I mean, obviously, this is why Christ stopped the fight. That's why He looked at Peter and said, "Put your sword back up in the scabbard." That's why He reached down and healed Malchus's ear. He said, "Suffer it thus far. Let him take me." There's a reason why He said, "Let them take me." So let me say this again. In the context of all of this, Jesus Christ is not denying the biblical doctrine of self-defense, neither is He denouncing what Peter did. What Peter did was certainly unwise, but it was not necessarily sinful in and of itself.

Peter's Actions Were Unnecessary

Weaver points out that Christ did not need protection, as He could call twelve legions of angels, making Peter's defense unnecessary.

Secondly, let me put it like this. Peter's actions were unnecessary. If you look in Matthew 26 and verse 53—it is Matthew 26 and verse 53. Look at this. The Bible says, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" After he told Peter to put the sword back into his scabbard, he said, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" Notice, if you would, he said "more than twelve legions of angels." If Peter thought that he was protecting Jesus Christ, he thought wrongly. Jesus Christ did not need protection. If Jesus Christ needed protection, it would come from a totally different source. It would not come from a frail, weakly human. He said, "My Father would send me more than twelve legions of angels." In other words, if I needed protection, there would be divine intervention.

A Roman legion had 6,000 men. Twelve legions would be 72,000 angels, and our Lord said "more than twelve legions." When you stop and think about the fact, in Isaiah 37 and verse 36, one angel in one night with one stroke of the sword killed 185,000 Assyrians. I don't think 72,000 angels would have any difficulty with the high priest and the big mob there. I don't think they'd have any difficulty with the entire world.

But I'm just simply pointing out, Peter's actions were unnecessary. That's what our Lord was saying. Well, you know, I've often thought about all our Lord had to do was mutter, "Help me." All our Lord had to do was wiggle His little finger. All our Lord had to do was blink an eye and more than 72,000 angels would be at His disposal. Peter was not needed. His actions were not only unwise, they were unnecessary because our Lord said, "I don't need protection." Thirdly, I want to point out Peter's actions were unenlightened. Unenlightened.

Peter's Actions Were Unenlightened

Weaver explains that Peter failed to understand that Christ had to die to fulfill Scripture, and his attempt to prevent the arrest was contrary to God's redemptive plan.

What do I mean by that? Well, you're in Matthew chapter 26. Look at verse 54. Our Lord then asked, after He tells Peter to put up his sword in his scabbard, then He asked him, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" Then in verse 54, He says this, "But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" Lord Peter, if you save me from this, how will the Scriptures be fulfilled? Jesus Christ said, "I came to die." Do you know Peter had a problem with that? If you'll go back in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 16, look in Matthew chapter 16 beginning there in verse 21. Look at this. Matthew 16 verse 21. "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." Wow. Peter said, "Lord, no, no, this is not going to happen to you." Our Lord said, "Yes, it is. It is going to happen." Wow, it's going to happen. Why is it going to happen? Because Christ came to die.

He came to be the propitiation for His people. He said, "The cup which my heavenly Father gave me, I must drink." In John 12 and verse 27, He said it like this, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour." He came to die. And John 10 and verse 17 and verse 18, He said, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." No man taketh my life from me. He came to die. He knew He was going to die.

If Peter had saved Christ, so to speak, that's what Christ is asking. What about the Scriptures? How would they be fulfilled? No, I came to die. That's why the Bible says in Matthew 1 and verse 21, the angel told Joseph and Mary, "Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." And our salvation is found in His death. That's why the Bible says in 1 Peter 3 and verse 18, "He died the just for the unjust, that he might bring us back unto God."

So Peter's actions then were not only unwise. They were unnecessary and they were unenlightened. I want you to remember this. Christ did not rebuke Peter for having a sword. He commanded him to have a sword. He did not rebuke Peter for drawing that sword. He did not even rebuke Peter for using that sword. He just said, "Put it back in the scabbard."

Proper Use of Weapons and Conclusion

Weaver concludes that Christ forbids unwise and unnecessary use of weapons, not their ownership or use in legitimate self-defense. He reiterates the command to be prepared and armed, and closes in prayer.

"Now is not the time to use it. It is not needed at this moment. I want them to take me. This is the will of my Father." But what our Lord did point out to Peter was you do not use your sword or you do not use a weapon unwisely, unnecessarily, without proper enlightenment and instruction.

Now, let me put this together for you. The case of Jesus Christ is unique. There's none like it. There's no other illustration concerning it. And so it's impossible, then, to take this unique case and say, "Well, now, the entirety of the rest of the Bible of the doctrine of biblical self-defense has to be wrong because Christ told Peter to put his sword back into the scabbard." That's totally, completely illogical. Our Lord did use means of resistance. He used the means of avoidance. Read John chapter 7, verse 1. "And Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him." So what did He do? He just withdrew from them. He got out of their way. So you cannot say that Luke 22 is a denial of the biblical doctrine of self-defense. It is not.

Secondly, Christ is not forbidding the ownership of weapons since He commanded to buy a sword. He is not forbidding the use of weapons since one was used, obviously. But what He is forbidding is using those weapons unwisely and unnecessarily. You know what the Bible says in James, chapter one, verse 19. He said, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." Be ye swift to hear. I marvel at all the illustrations and videos that you can find on the Internet on road rage. Of people pulling out a weapon and just shooting people as they drive by. It is insane. This is what our Lord is forbidding. He said that we are to be slow to wrath. Yes. Slow to speak. Yes. Swift to hear. Let me put it to you like this. We have a modern saying in South Georgia.

"Don't let your mouth overload your brain." And that's exactly what our Lord is saying here. No. You've got to understand there are consequences when weaponry are involved or is involved. You have to understand that. Let me point this out. Even when we use our weapons in self-defense, we have to consider the fact that there will be consequences. I have known men—thankfully, it's never happened to me. But I have known men who had to kill other men, not just in war, but in self-defense. And I've got news for you, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual strain is almost unbelievable. And men that have lived through this in war and killed innumerable people.

I'll give you one illustration. I'm not going to call a name. But I knew this young man since he was a child. He was not only raised in church. He was not only homeschooled. His father was a pastor. I preached in that church innumerable times. This young man took martial arts and was very, very good. In fact, he took a very deadly form of martial arts. He joined the military.

After he got out, he stayed overseas. And one day I got a phone call from him out of the blue. And he said, "Pastor," he said, "I need you to pray for me." He said, "I'm unsaved." And I've known this boy all of his life. I said, "Well, I'll certainly pray for you, but please tell me," since I knew his background, "what makes you think that you're unsaved?" Here's what he said. "You have no idea what I've done. You have no idea how many people I've killed at the behest of the government." He said, "When I got out," he said, "I still could not stop killing." He was a mercenary. He said, "I can't sleep. I can't eat." This young man was in his 20s. I met one other fellow just like that. I'm just saying, folks, we need to come to grips with reality and we don't need to be expressing bravado, saying, "Well, I'll do this." Let me tell you something. You don't know what you're going to do until you get in that predicament. And then it's all going to come out. But I will tell you what you will do.

You will default to the way that you were trained. And if you haven't been trained, I'm sorry. Now, I want to give you something. One of the objections against carrying weapons, one of the objections of using weapons in self-defense, you hear from the liberals all day long, "Well, you want to turn us back into the Old West again." I would like that. Why? Because the Old West was not what Hollywood brings forth on the screen. Let me give you a quote. This is from a book.

"Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History," written by Richard Shenkman. And he wrote that in 1878, in the heyday of the cattle drives in boomtowns in Kansas, Dodge City recorded five homicides. Ryan McMaken noted all the big cattle towns of Kansas combined saw a total of 45 murders during the period of 1870 through 1885. Dodge City alone saw 15 people die violently from 1876 to 1885, an average of 1.5 per year. Yes!

I'd like to go back to that when you consider more than that are killed in Chicago alone on a weekend. The point is this. You think of the lives that could be saved and would be saved if everybody carried and were trained. You have to remember the old saying that we had for years, "An armed society is a polite society." I had, and still do, a pastor friend who was a very small man. Very small man, but yet he was a Marine. And he carried, but he had one of those little pouches on his front, he carried his pistol in that pouch. And he and his wife and children were coming out of a restaurant and a man bumped into him, knocked him into his wife and cussed them as he went out. The man didn't even know him. And he took God's name in vain, and this young pastor went out and said, "Sir, you owe my wife and myself an apology. And moreover, you owe God an apology. You took His name in vain."

And the man started cursing again. And my friend said, "Sir, you are not very observant." He said, "Do you see my hand in this pouch?" He said, "If I had pulled my hand out, you were either going to the hospital or the morgue. Sir, you owe us an apology." The man began apologizing. An armed society is a polite society. Let me tell you something. The Sixth Commandment, as I taught last week and last night, is very simple. "Thou shalt not kill." The positive is thou shalt preserve life. You have the duty, you have the responsibility to preserve life, and you cannot take the words of our Lord to Peter, "Put your sword back in your scabbard," as a denial of the truth of the entirety of the Word of God.

You cannot misinterpret one passage and make it contradict hundreds of other passages in the Bible. God requires us to defend ourselves and others. He that hath no sword—here's what God said, our Lord, in the imperative, "I command you, sell your garment and get one." Modern-day phrasing, our Lord would say, "If he has no Glock, sell your coat and get one." Beyond. It's your responsibility. I'm not here to protect you anymore, physically is what He's saying. That's on you. You must prepare. You must prepare economically. You must prepare physically. You must prepare medically. You must prepare mentally. You must prepare spiritually. You must prepare every way, because He's now given us the responsibility to take care of ourselves. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And Lord, we ask You to help us to hear, to really, truly hear Your Word and apply it to our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Biblical Mandate for Self-Defense

Summary: Self-defense is not only permitted but obligatory under the Sixth Commandment, which requires the preservation of life.

Evidence: The Sixth Commandment says, 'Thou shalt not kill,' thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not take life except on God's terms. But the positive is, thou shalt preserve life. So you have a duty and an obligation, not only to preserve your life, but the lives of your family...

Christ's Command to Acquire Weapons

Summary: Jesus commanded His disciples to buy a sword, indicating a new era of personal responsibility for self-protection.

Evidence: Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

Proper Balance in Self-Reliance

Summary: Believers must use God-ordained means for protection without trusting in those means idolatrously or tempting God by refusing to act.

Evidence: If on the one hand, you're trusting in your abilities and you're trusting what you have, that's absolute foolishness, it's idolatry... On the other hand, if you refuse to use the means that God has ordained, now you're tempting God.

Christ's Arrest Does Not Negate Self-Defense

Summary: The unique circumstances of Christ's voluntary sacrifice do not overturn the general biblical teaching on self-defense.

Evidence: The case of Jesus Christ is unique. There's none like it... it's impossible, then, to take this unique case and say, 'Well, now, the entirety of the rest of the Bible of the doctrine of biblical self-defense has to be wrong because Christ told Peter to put his sword back into the scabbard.'

Unwise vs. Sinful Use of Weapons

Summary: Peter's action was unwise due to the circumstances, not inherently sinful; Christ corrected the timing and manner, not the possession or use of the sword.

Evidence: Peter certainly acted unwisely at using the sword... You can be unwise and yet not be sinful.

Consequences of Using Weapons

Summary: Using weapons, even in self-defense, carries serious emotional, mental, and spiritual consequences that must be considered.

Evidence: I have known men who had to kill other men, not just in war, but in self-defense. And I've got news for you, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual strain is almost unbelievable.

An Armed Society as a Polite Society

Summary: Widespread responsible armament can deter violence and promote civility, contrary to modern misconceptions.

Evidence: An armed society is a polite society... You think of the lives that could be saved and would be saved if everybody carried and were trained.

Key Arguments

The Sixth Commandment Requires Self-Defense

Summary: The command 'Thou shalt not kill' positively obligates the preservation of life, making self-defense a duty.

Evidence: If we fail to defend our lives, then of course we are guilty of violating the Sixth Commandment, which basically teaches the preservation of life.

Luke 22:36 Is a Command, Not a Suggestion

Summary: The Greek imperative 'let him buy' indicates a direct command from Christ to acquire a sword.

Evidence: Let him. It's an imperative in the Greek, which means it's a command. Our Lord is saying, 'I command you to sell your garment and buy one.'

Christ's 'Put Away Your Sword' Was Situational

Summary: Christ did not forbid sword ownership or use; He corrected Peter's unwise, unnecessary, and unenlightened action in that specific context.

Evidence: Christ did not rebuke Peter for having a sword. He commanded him to have a sword. He did not rebuke Peter for drawing that sword. He did not even rebuke Peter for using that sword. He just said, 'Put it back in the scabbard.'

Peter's Defense Was Unnecessary Because Christ Chose to Die

Summary: Christ did not need protection; He willingly submitted to arrest to fulfill Scripture and accomplish redemption.

Evidence: Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

The Disciples Were Not in Danger

Summary: The mob came for Jesus, not the disciples, so Peter's violent response was not a legitimate act of self-defense.

Evidence: They came after Jesus Christ. They did not come after His disciples. That's why Jesus said, 'I am He. I'm the one you're looking for. Let these go their way.'

Lex Talionis Applies to Unjust Violence

Summary: The maxim 'all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword' refers to divine retribution for unjust violence, not a prohibition of all sword use.

Evidence: It's called the lex talionis. It's the law of retribution. It's where God makes the punishment fit the crime.

Scripture References

Luke 22:35-38

Context: Jesus asks about previous provision, then commands disciples to take purse, scrip, and buy a sword; disciples show two swords, He says 'It is enough.'

Luke 9:3

Context: Earlier instruction to take nothing for the journey, referenced as background for the change in Luke 22.

Luke 10:4

Context: Similar earlier instruction to carry no purse, scrip, or shoes.

Matthew 5:17

Context: Christ came to fulfill the law, not destroy it, supporting the continuity of the Sixth Commandment.

John 15:18-20

Context: The world will hate and persecute believers as it did Christ, necessitating preparedness.

Acts 2:22

Context: Jesus was approved by God through miracles, which were now diminishing in the same manner.

Judges 15:16

Context: Samson used the jawbone of an ass to slay Philistines, illustrating using available means.

Matthew 26:47

Context: Judas arrives with a great multitude armed with swords and staves.

John 18:10

Context: Identifies Peter as the one who struck Malchus.

Matthew 26:52

Context: Jesus tells Peter to put up his sword, stating 'all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.'

Genesis 37

Context: Simeon and Levi's slaughter of Shechem was winning a battle but endangering the whole family, illustrating unwise violence.

Matthew 21:32

Context: Principle of learning from God's work in others' lives, applied to learning from Peter's mistake.

Proverbs 16:18

Context: Pride goes before destruction, applied to Peter's boastful declaration.

Matthew 26:31-35

Context: Jesus predicts the disciples' scattering and Peter's denial; Peter and all disciples boast they will not deny Him.

John 18:4-9

Context: Jesus identifies Himself, causing the mob to fall back, and asks that the disciples be let go.

Revelation 13:10

Context: Quotes the lex talionis: 'he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.'

Isaiah 33:1

Context: Old Testament basis for the law of retribution.

Judges 1:7

Context: Adoni-Bezek acknowledges God's retribution for cutting off thumbs and big toes of seventy kings.

Matthew 26:53-54

Context: Jesus says He could call twelve legions of angels, but Scripture must be fulfilled.

Isaiah 37:36

Context: One angel killed 185,000 Assyrians, demonstrating angelic power.

Historical References

Roman legion size (6,000 men)

Context: Used to calculate that twelve legions of angels would be 72,000, emphasizing Christ's available power.

Adoni-Bezek (Judges 1:7)

Context: Historical example of lex talionis: a king who mutilated seventy kings was himself mutilated.

Dodge City and Kansas cattle towns homicide rates (1870-1885)

Context: Cited to argue that the 'Old West' was less violent than modern cities, supporting an armed society.

Richard Shenkman's book 'Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History'

Context: Source for the historical homicide statistics of the Old West.

FBI local ordinances on recognizing criminals

Context: Mentioned to illustrate that standing for biblical truth can lead to being classified as a criminal.

Important Quotes

Let him. It's an imperative in the Greek, which means it's a command. Our Lord is saying, 'I command you to sell your garment and buy one.'

Significance: Emphasizes the forceful nature of Christ's instruction to be armed.

Christ did not rebuke Peter for having a sword. He commanded him to have a sword. He did not rebuke Peter for drawing that sword. He did not even rebuke Peter for using that sword. He just said, 'Put it back in the scabbard.'

Significance: Key argument that Christ's response was not a condemnation of weapons or self-defense, but a situational correction.

The case of Jesus Christ is unique. There's none like it. There's no other illustration concerning it. And so it's impossible, then, to take this unique case and say, 'Well, now, the entirety of the rest of the Bible of the doctrine of biblical self-defense has to be wrong because Christ told Peter to put his sword back into the scabbard.'

Significance: Directly refutes the objection that Christ's arrest nullifies the biblical teaching on self-defense.

An armed society is a polite society.

Significance: Summarizes the practical benefit of widespread responsible armament.

If on the one hand, you're trusting in your abilities and you're trusting what you have, that's absolute foolishness, it's idolatry, it's pride, it's arrogance. On the other hand, if you refuse to use the means that God has ordained, now you're tempting God.

Significance: Articulates the balanced biblical approach to self-reliance and divine trust.

Discussion Questions

How does the Sixth Commandment's positive requirement to preserve life shape our understanding of self-defense?

Context: Weaver argues that self-defense is obligatory because the commandment implies a duty to preserve life.

In what ways does Luke 22:36 represent a dramatic change in Christ's instructions to His disciples, and what does that imply for believers today?

Context: Weaver contrasts the earlier sending without provisions with the new command to take purse, scrip, and sword.

How can we maintain a proper balance between trusting God and using practical means like weapons for protection?

Context: Weaver warns against both idolatrous self-reliance and tempting God by refusing to use ordained means.

Why is it important to distinguish between unwise and sinful actions when evaluating Peter's use of the sword?

Context: Weaver argues Peter acted unwisely but not necessarily sinfully, and that Christ corrected the timing, not the act itself.

What does Christ's statement 'all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword' mean in its context, and how does it apply to self-defense?

Context: Weaver explains it as a legal maxim of retribution for unjust violence, not a blanket prohibition.

How does the uniqueness of Christ's redemptive mission prevent us from using His arrest as a universal argument against self-defense?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that Christ voluntarily laid down His life to fulfill Scripture, a situation not applicable to ordinary believers.

What are the potential emotional, mental, and spiritual consequences of using lethal force in self-defense, and how should that affect our preparation?

Context: Weaver shares anecdotes about the heavy toll on those who have killed, even justly.

Applications

Acquire and Be Trained in Self-Defense

Summary: Believers are commanded to obtain weapons and be prepared to use them responsibly for the protection of life.

Evidence: He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one... You must prepare. You must prepare economically. You must prepare physically.

Use Weapons Wisely and Only When Necessary

Summary: Weapons should not be used impetuously, pridefully, or without proper assessment of the situation and consequences.

Evidence: Christ is not forbidding the ownership of weapons... But what He is forbidding is using those weapons unwisely and unnecessarily.

Trust God, Not Your Own Strength

Summary: While using means, believers must ultimately rely on God's sovereignty and not fall into pride or self-sufficiency.

Evidence: If on the one hand, you're trusting in your abilities... that's absolute foolishness, it's idolatry... On the other hand, if you refuse to use the means that God has ordained, now you're tempting God.

Learn from Biblical Examples

Summary: Believers should learn from Peter's mistakes—pride, perceived power, and failure to understand God's redemptive plan—to avoid similar errors.

Evidence: God holds us accountable and responsible to learn from His providence in the lives of others, and we need to learn also from this incident where Peter and the disciples were here.

Be Slow to Wrath and Swift to Hear

Summary: In potentially violent situations, believers must exercise restraint, patience, and careful judgment rather than reacting in anger.

Evidence: Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath... Don't let your mouth overload your brain.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:48:44Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:38:05Z

Clean Transcript

Theology of Self Defense-2

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

I want you to open your Bibles, if you would, to four passages. We're going to be dealing with just one, but I want you to go ahead and find them, if you would, please. And that would be Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 18. So Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So you've got Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke chapter 22, John chapter 18. Some of these I'm going to be quoting just for time's sake.
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Others we will be looking at because I think they're important to understanding the message. So I want you to open your Bibles to Luke chapter 22, if you would. And let's begin by just looking at several verses to read Luke chapter 22. And notice, if you would, beginning there with verse 35, "And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and what? Buy one."
#2 | 0:29 to 1:11 | cleaned
"For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end."
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Now, last night I dealt with the fact that self-defense is not only biblical, it is obligatory, it is mandated, and it is an absolute necessity according to the Word of God, because if we do not defend our lives, it is a violation of the Sixth Commandment. The Sixth Commandment says, "Thou shalt not kill," thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not take life except on God's terms. But the positive is, thou shalt preserve life. So you have a duty and an obligation, not only to preserve your life, but the lives of your family, the lives of your friends and neighbors, and those who are in trouble. So clearly then, the Word of God tells us that we do have an obligation to defend our lives. If we fail to defend our lives, then of course we are guilty of violating the Sixth Commandment, which basically teaches the preservation of life. And of course our Lord said very clearly in Matthew chapter 5 that He had not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but He had come to fulfill.
#4 | 1:22 to 2:25 | cleaned
So we look in both the Old Testament and the New Testament as well. Now, tonight I've mentioned four passages. We're going to be looking at each of these four passages, and hopefully we're going to endeavor to answer a question, or several questions, and especially those questions that have been raised that many people think that they've really got it nailed here that you do not have an obligation to defend yourself and defend
#5 | 2:25 to 2:54 | cleaned
others simply because of one particular passage of Scripture. So, usually the question or the objection to self-defense is formed like this. If self-defense is obligatory, if it's absolutely necessary to save your life and the lives of others, why did Christ tell Peter to put his sword back into a sheath or to a scabbard? And how about this one? If self-defense is obligatory and mandatory, why did not Peter and the rest of the disciples just simply take their swords and hack their way out when they were surrounded by their enemies?
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I want to answer those questions, but I want to answer them from the Word of God. So let's begin by looking, if you would, at Luke chapter 22, beginning there with verse 35, because our Lord asked this simple question. Look at it. "And He said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing."
#7 | 3:42 to 4:04 | cleaned
Now, you always have to interpret Scripture in light of Scripture. You always have to interpret Scripture in light of the context. And there's always an immediate context, but there's also a remote context. So when our Lord asked His disciples this question, "When I sent you forth without purse, and scrip, and shoes, what did you lack?" And they said, "Absolutely nothing." Well, that refers back to Luke chapter 9 and verse 3, and Luke chapter 10 and verse 4, where our Lord sent His disciples out, and here's what He said, "...take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece." And again, He says, "...carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way." So, in Luke chapter 22 and verse 35, He is now sending His disciples out with new instructions. Because now He tells them that they need a purse, they need a scrip, they need a sword.
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And He said, if you don't have one, then you sell your garments and you buy one. So why in the world is this change? Well, you must remember that before this happened, before our Lord gave these words in Luke chapter 22, He was the one that provided for His disciples. He was the one that protected His disciples. That's why He asked them, "When I sent you out and you did not have purse, you did not have scrip, you did not have a staff, you did not have anything, what did you lack?"
#9 | 5:14 to 5:46 | cleaned
And they said, "Absolutely nothing." But I want you to look now at verse 36. Because He said, "...then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and get one."
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Now, the interesting thing is this. Our Lord here indicates there is a dramatic change that is taking place. For those of you that have had Greek, there are two little Greek words that are used for the word "but" in our Bible. The first one is alla, A-L-L-A, and the second one is de, D-E, is how we would spell it in English. But the word alla is a strong word of contrast. In other words, it is a word of emphasis.
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So it's just like I said to Mark, "Well, you beat me yesterday, but today I beat you." That's a strong word of contrast. And so that's exactly the word that our Lord used in verse 36. Then He said to them, "But now," in other words, He emphasized this strong contrast.
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Now, He says, now when you go forth, you take your purse—and the purse, of course, was a pouch or depository for money. And then He said, you take the scrip—and the scrip was a leather pouch in which they carried food. And then He said, if you do not have a sword, you sell your garment and buy one. And the Greek word for the word "garment" refers to the outer garment. The outer garment that was worn in those days was the one that was most needed and most necessary. It was also the one that was most valuable. It was also the one that was used for many different things.
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And so our Lord is saying this. This change is coming around, so now here's what you do. You take your purse, you take your scrip, and if you don't have a sword, you sell the most important garment that you have and you buy yourself a sword. So we could translate it like this: whatever the cost, get yourself a weapon or get yourself a sword.
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Now, we must ask, why is this sudden change taking place? Well, if you look in your Bibles, verse 37, here is why this sudden change is taking place. He said, "For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end." In other words, what our Lord is saying, "Look, I am about to be crucified."
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"I'm not going to be with you any longer. I've been protecting you. I've been providing for you. I've been taking care of you. But now I'm not going to be around to do that any longer." Our Lord is saying, "I'm going to be labeled a criminal. I'm going to be labeled with the transgressors." By the way, let me just say something. You do not have to do anything evil in this day and time to be labeled a criminal. All you have to do is stand for truth and righteousness and liberty and freedom, and folks will look down on you, and those in the positions of authority will hate you and classify you as a criminal.
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In fact, if you've read some of the local ordinances that have been published by the FBI on how to recognize real thorough criminals, they have a Bible. You know, they believe in firearms, they believe in liberty, they believe in freedom. You can be classified as a criminal very easily. And you know, our Lord was arrested. And the tendency today is for you and I to do this. We think when we hear that someone has been arrested that, boy, they must have done something wrong or they would not be in that predicament. Let me tell you something. You don't have to do anything wrong today to be arrested. Our Lord certainly did no wrong. Our Lord certainly was not a criminal.
#17 | 9:36 to 10:26 | cleaned
He was and still is the sinless Son of God. And yet He was arrested and yet He was crucified as well. So our Lord now is telling His disciples, "I'm not going to be around any longer, or much longer. I'm not going to be able to protect you as I have done and provided for you as I have done." And so our Lord laid this truth out for us in John chapter 15. Most of you know this passage where our Lord said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."
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And then He went on and He said this, "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." So our Lord is saying, "Look, if they have taken me and they have classified me as a criminal and they have crucified me and they've mocked me and they ridicule me, what do you think they're going to do to you?" In other words, if they, in their estimation, hate me and despise me and reject me and repudiate me, what do you think their estimation is going to be of you who happen to follow me and believe in me? In other words, He's saying there is coming a real change in this situation.
#19 | 11:08 to 11:53 | cleaned
Now, the truth of the matter is this. Christ is preparing His disciples to assume full responsibility for themselves. Christ was the miracle worker. You remember that passage in the book of Acts chapter 2 and verse 22. Peter was preaching and he said, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know." What our Lord is saying is those miracles are coming to an end, in the degree and in the way that they were when He was with His disciples on this earth physically. Yes, we have miracles today, but not like the disciples had in those particular days. So our Lord is telling His disciples they must now be prepared to take responsibility for themselves. That's why He said you need to take yourself a purse,
#20 | 11:54 to 12:59 | cleaned
a scrip, and if you do not have a sword, you sell your garment and you get one. Now, although Christ is now emphasizing the fact that these disciples are going to be responsible for themselves, they're going to take care of themselves, we've got to understand that although we have a responsibility, there must be a proper balance in that responsibility. What do I mean by a proper balance in that responsibility? If you and I say, "Well, I've got plenty of money, I've got plenty of weapons, I've got plenty of everything I need. I just don't need anybody and I don't need anything." The implication is you don't even need God.
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In other words, you are trusting in whatever you have, you're trusting in whatever you've been given. Which, of course, is not only idolatrous, but it's also blasphemous as well. Because the truth of the matter is, we're not sufficient in and of ourselves. I get tickled all the times we think of all these billionaires. Have you ever stopped to think, I don't care how much money George Soros has. I don't care how much money Mark Zuckerberg has. Do you realize, with all their money, they could not even just feed the birds for one week in the world.
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Certainly not all the animals. So anybody who thinks they're sufficient in and of themselves are really self-deceived, that is for sure. But on the other hand, the truth of the matter is so many people just take the opposite and they say, "Well, what I'm going to do is I'm going to just trust in the Lord." In other words, I'm not going to take responsibility for myself. I'm going to just trust in the Lord. Well, I have a missionary friend who is a missionary pilot.
#23 | 14:21 to 14:53 | cleaned
And one of the things he often does is he flies into hot areas where wars are going on, insurrections are going on, and he goes down to rescue the missionaries that happen to be stationed there. And one of the questions he asked those people to whom he's going to rescue, he asked, "Do you have a weapon? Are you able to defend yourself?" And if they say, "No, we're just trusting in the Lord," his response is, "Well, you just keep trusting because I'm going to go rescue others who are willing to fight for their lives." Now, you see what I'm trying to say. If on the one hand, you're trusting in your abilities and you're trusting what you have, that's absolute foolishness, it's idolatry, it's pride, it's arrogance. On the other hand, if you refuse to use the means that God has ordained, now you're tempting God.
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You remember what happened in the book of Judges, chapter 15 and verse 16, when Samson came down and all the Philistines roared against him. What did he do? He reached down and picked up the jawbone of an ass and slew a thousand Philistines. He didn't have an AK-47. He didn't have an AR-15. He just simply used whatever God had placed at his disposal. So you have to have a proper balance.
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You have to make sure that, yes, God has entrusted me to use the means that He has ordained, but yet at the same time, I'm not trusting in those means. I'm going to be trusting in the Lord and for His grace and His mercy and His power Himself.
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Now, if you look back at verse 36, here's something else that you must understand. "Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him." Let him. It's an imperative in the Greek, which means it's a command. Our Lord is saying, "I command you to sell your garment and buy one." That's what He's saying.
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In other words, this change is going to take place in such a dramatic way that you're going to need everything that I'm going to tell you that you are going to need. You make sure that you do this right now.
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Now, our Lord gave this command. Let him buy one.
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Now, I want you to look, if you would, please, at verse 38. "And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough." Now, I want you to know what the Bible does not say. He did not say two swords are enough. What he said was, "It is enough." Now you're going to have to say, "What in the world did our Lord mean when He said, 'It is enough'?"
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I saw a cartoon and this woman walks into her house and there are flowers everywhere and boxes of chocolates. And she looks at her husband and said, "OK, what kind of weapon did you buy today?" Well, you know, "It is enough." What in the world does that mean when our Lord said, "It is enough"? Well, there are three ways that you possibly could interpret this. First of all, it could refer to the fact that our Lord is saying it is enough that has been said on the subject. That's it. It's over. The second way it could be interpreted is it could also refer to the reality that the disciples would understand what He meant much later, which I'm going to show you that's exactly—they did understand much later. And the third way that you could interpret this is our Lord is saying, "It is enough," meaning that the two swords would be sufficient to demonstrate His purpose, His intent, and His teaching. Now, it did not take the disciples too long to figure out exactly what our Lord meant.
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So if you will skip down to verse 49, look at verse 49. "When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" Now, look at that, "when they which were about him saw what would follow." Now, I want you to hold Luke 22, but I want you to turn back in your Bibles very quickly to Matthew chapter 26, and I want you to look at verse 47. Look at Matthew 26, verse 47. Look at what the Bible says. Matthew 26, verse 47.
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"And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people." Wow. "And while he yet spake"—probably while he's saying, "It is enough." Hmm. Here came Judas with a great multitude with swords and staves.
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Now, when you look back at Luke 22 and verse 49, the Bible said they were about him saw what would follow. In other words, it was at this point the disciples put two and two together.
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Now, let me ask you a question. If you're walking down the street and a gang of 15 or 20 tattooed men in black leather jackets and log chains hanging all over them, if they're walking towards you with a scowl on their faces, how long would it take you to put two and two together and figure out what's going to follow if you stay around? What about if you got surrounded in an alley? How long would it take you to realize, "I better extricate myself from this situation as quickly as possible"? Well, these disciples, then, all of a sudden, when they saw this great multitude and they were armed, they understood what was going to happen. And so, if you look in verse 49, "When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" Wow.
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Now, it's unclear exactly when this question was asked. When I say that, were they asking permission to start a fight? Were they saying, "Lord, Peter's already struck the first blow, should we join in?" They were just simply asking, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" It could have been the fact that Peter's impetuosity had already driven him to make the first blow. I don't know. The Bible is not clear on that.
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But look at it in verse 50, if you would. "And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear."
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Now, when you get to John chapter 18, verse 10, the Bible identifies both of these. The man with the sword that did the smiting was Peter, and the man whose ear he cut off was Malchus, who happened to be a servant of the chief priest. I've been asked many times, "Pastor, do you really think that Peter meant to cut off Malchus's ear?" And my response was, "No, I do not think he meant to cut off his ear. I think he was aiming for the center of his head. He just missed."
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Because remember, these men were surrounding them and they were armed with swords and staves. Now, if you look at verse 51, Peter's cut off his ear, verse 51, "And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him." Now, when our Lord said, "Suffer ye thus far," what He meant was this. "Don't let this go any further. Let's just stop it right here. Let them take me."
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"I'm willing to be taken. There's just to be no more fighting right at this particular point." So, "Suffer it thus far."
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Now, the words of Christ are not and cannot be a condemnation of self-defense. Neither are they a condemnation to what Peter did. I'm going to explain that just a little bit later. But then Christ does something absolutely surprising. If Peter cut off Malchus's ear, our Lord picked it up, stuck it back on. I don't know about you, but if I happen to be Malchus at that particular point, I think I'd be having second thoughts about whether or not I want to take this man. It's astounding. But our Lord pacified the situation. That's what He did. He told Peter, "Suffer, let him take me." And then He soothed the anger by putting Malchus's ear back on. Now, what I just said earlier I wanted to view in the context because I want you to see that what happened here in Luke chapter 22 and the other passages in the New Testament are not a condemnation of self-defense. They're not a condemnation even of Peter. So I'm going to give you three points tonight, and I want you to think with me.
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First of all, Peter's actions were unwise. If you look in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26 and verse 52, again, we'll read it. Look at Matthew chapter 26 and verse 52. Look at this. Look what our Lord says. Matthew 26, verse 52, "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." So our Lord looked at Peter and He said, "Put the sword in its place."
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Now, let me say this. Peter certainly acted unwisely at using the sword. I'm going to say it like this. Unwisely is a polite term. I could say that Peter acted stupidly. And he did, but I'll stick with the term unwisely. You can be unwise and yet not be sinful. Every one of us have done things in our lives that are unwise. They're not necessarily sinful in and of themselves.
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Years ago, I had a dear friend who was a wonderful carpenter. He could build anything. He could do anything. And he was by his swimming pool with a drill drilling in the concrete. And the drill bit got hot. It was an electric drill. And unwisely, he stuck the tip in the pool water to cool the drill bit and was instantly electrocuted and killed. Now, that wasn't evil. That wasn't sinful.
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He didn't intend to do it. It was certainly unwise and it was certainly stupid. But you can do things that are unwise and not be evil and sinful at the same time.
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Now, how in the world can I say that Peter's actions were unwise? You have to remember in Luke chapter 22 and verse 38, how many swords did they have among them? Two. Two. And when you read from Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 18, all of them say, all these verses say that there was a great multitude armed with swords and staves. Let me tell you, it's one thing to defend yourself against a mob. It's one thing to defend yourself against a multitude. It's quite another thing to start a fight with a mob or a multitude. Two totally different things. You remember in Genesis 37, Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi did something stupid like that.
#46 | 27:31 to 28:32 | cleaned
They took their swords and went in and slew Shechem and Hamor and all the men of Shechem. Because Shechem had raped their sister Dinah. And when they came out and Jacob found out about it, he said, "You've made me to stink in the nostrils of the Amorites."
#47 | 28:33 to 28:55 | cleaned
"Now they're going to band together and they're going to slay all of us." In other words, here's what he's saying. There's a difference between winning a battle and winning the war. And the only reason the Amorites did not chase Jacob—he got out of there—was God sovereignly protected him and held him back and held them off. That was it. But Jacob said, "You made a mistake. You won the battle, but you cannot and we cannot win the war."
#48 | 28:56 to 29:25 | cleaned
Now, practically speaking, what Peter did by striking the first blow was he not only endangered himself, but he endangered the rest of the disciples as well. Why in the world would you further enrage an already angry mob that is determined to do something that's wicked and wrong, why would you further enrage them? Well, I mean, obviously, this is why Christ stopped the fight. That's why He looked at Peter and said, "Put your sword back up in the scabbard." That's why He reached down and healed Malchus's ear.
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He said, "Suffer it thus far. Let him take me." There's a reason why He said, "Let them take me." So let me say this again. In the context of all of this, Jesus Christ is not denying the biblical doctrine of self-defense, neither is He denouncing what Peter did. What Peter did was certainly unwise, but it was not necessarily sinful in and of itself.
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Now, I want you to understand something else. Our Lord said, Matthew chapter 21 and verse 32, "For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him." Here's the principle. Our Lord is teaching us that we are bound, we are obligated to learn from the work of God in the lives of others. The publicans and the harlots believed the preaching of John.
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The Pharisees and Sadducees did not. He said, "And ye, when ye had seen it," you knew there were changes in those harlots and those publicans. You knew that. "And yet ye repented not, that ye might believe him." So God holds us accountable and responsible to learn from His providence in the lives of others, and we need to learn also from this incident where Peter and the disciples were here.
#52 | 31:21 to 31:47 | cleaned
Now, let me just point out the fact, and I'm going to show it to you from Scripture. This is a fact. This is a truth. When you and I are banded together, you talk about bravado, manly talk, "I'll do this, I'll do that. They won't do that to me. I'll show them." Man, we can boast and we can do whatever we want to do. But when we get cut aside and cut off and we're by ourselves, and we're facing danger all alone,
#53 | 31:47 to 32:32 | cleaned
it's a horse of a different color. And you know what? All the disciples boasted and through their pride said, "We will never, ever, we will die with you." And you know what? Every one of them fled and left Him. Every one of them. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would. Well, you can turn there to Proverbs 16, verse 18. Look at this. I can quote it. Proverbs 16, verse 18. The Bible said, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
#54 | 32:32 to 33:09 | cleaned
So what happened with Peter? First of all, let me say this. His actions were a declaration of pride. I want you to go back in your Bibles. Look at this in Matthew chapter 26. Look at this. We're there. Let's begin reading there verse 31. This is astounding to me. Matthew 26, look in verse 31. "Then saith Jesus unto them," He's talking to His 12 disciples. "Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night:
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for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad." So our Lord says, "You are going to be offended." He gives them the scripture. But then He says this, "But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee." Look at this.
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"Likewise also said all the disciples." Every one of them. And yet every one of them fled. Wow. The disciples were so emphatic. They were so vehement. "We will never, ever deny you. We'll die with you. We'll go to prison with you." Wow. We have to benefit from the lessons that are taught here. So when they were surrounded by their friends and their neighbors, they were brave. But boy, when they got cut off one by one, they fell. Here's the second thing.
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Peter's actions were a demonstration of perceived power. Not only was there pride, but perceived power. In John 18, if you look at that passage very quickly, because Jesus Christ speaks, and here's what happens in verses 4-6. Look at this. John 18, verse 4, "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them," this is the angry mob, "Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he.
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And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: that the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none."
#59 | 35:39 to 36:07 | cleaned
Now, I want you to note this. When our Lord spoke, what in the world did they do? They went backward and fell on the ground. Now, if you and I were in a situation like Peter and the disciples, and you hear our Lord speak, or you hear a man speak, and there's such power and there's such force that those who are against him and against us, they all go backwards and fall on the ground,
#60 | 36:07 to 36:36 | cleaned
wouldn't you think, "Wow, now would be the time to act"? I mean, they're already down. And if just the words would cause fear in these people, and if just words would make them fall backwards, how much more would a manly display of swordsmanship really strike fear in them? Now would be our time to fight. Undoubtedly, Peter understood that and probably Peter thought like that. I cannot say for certain, but surely—I mean, when our Lord said, "I am He," and they went backwards and fell on the ground, it must have made some type of emphasis upon Peter and the others as well. Thirdly, we must understand this, that there was really no need for Peter to even display the sword. Why?
#61 | 36:37 to 37:32 | cleaned
Because the disciples were not in danger. What do you mean they were not in danger? They came after Jesus Christ. They did not come after His disciples. That's why Jesus said, "I am He. I'm the one you're looking for. Let these go their way. You're not interested in them. Let them go." So in reality, neither Peter nor the other disciples were in danger up until this point. They had been under and were still under the authority and the protection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The multitude was not after Peter. The multitude were not after the disciples. They were after the Lord Jesus Christ.
#62 | 37:33 to 38:23 | cleaned
Now, I want you to note something. If you look in Matthew, chapter 26 and verse 52 again, I want you to see what our Lord said. Look at Matthew, chapter 26, verse 52. We read it earlier. I'm going to point it out again. Our Lord simply said this to Peter. "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." First of all, let me point out. Our Lord said, "Put the sword up in its place." He did not say, "Throw away that sword." He did not say, "Don't touch that thing." He did not say, "Why did you draw that sword out?" He did not say, "Thou shalt not kill." He did not say, "Weapons are evil." All He said was, "Put it back in the scabbard." That's it.
#63 | 38:23 to 39:28 | cleaned
Now, let me ask you this. Since He told him to put the sword back in the scabbard, Christ went on to expose and to expound a legal maxim. When He told him to put that sword up, He went on to say, "For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."
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Now, what in the world does that mean? It is indeed a legal maxim, that is for sure. There are several interpretations that have been offered to this. And the first one would be this: those who use the sword to resist lawful authority shall die by the sword. And you will find that out many times when criminals think that they can just walk around and murder people and do things they should not be doing. Usually they get taken down by someone in position of authority. That's one interpretation. The second one is this: those who use the sword against innocent individuals will be consumed by the sword because of divine vengeance.
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God is not going to let the wicked escape. That is for sure. And then there's a third interpretation, and that's the most satisfactory one, and that Peter had acted rashly in endeavoring to attack a whole band of men and his unseasonable and imprudent actions could have been the occasion of his destruction and those of the other disciples as well. So, our Lord just simply said, "Put it back up." So, what our Lord is doing is saying, "Peter, you're not going to act irrationally. You're not going to act impetuously here."
#66 | 40:48 to 41:28 | cleaned
There is a legal maxim. You'll find this quoted in Revelation 13, verse 10. Let me read it. Our Lord said, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." So this New Testament quote is actually taken from Isaiah 33, verse 1. Where God says, "Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee."
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It's called the lex talionis. It's the law of retribution. It's where God makes the punishment fit the crime.
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Now, there's a good illustration of this in the book of Judges, chapter 1, in verse 7. You remember the king, by the name of Adoni-Bezek, it was captured by Joshua and his men. And they took Adoni-Bezek and they cut off his thumbs and his great toes. Why in the world would they do that? Well, let me ask you a question. Can you hold a sword without your thumb? No. Can you hold a Glock without your thumb? No. Can you balance without your big toes? No. You're thoroughly impotent and helpless without your thumbs and without your big toes. And here's what Adoni-Bezek said when they cut off his thumbs and his big toes. He said in the book of Judges, chapter 1, verse 7, "Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table:
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as I have done, so God hath requited me." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died. So Adoni-Bezek said, "Lex talionis, the law of retribution has found me as I have done to 70 others. So now it has been done to me." So, first of all, Peter's actions, we could say, were unwise.
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Secondly, let me put it like this. Peter's actions were unnecessary. If you look in Matthew 26 and verse 53—it is Matthew 26 and verse 53. Look at this. The Bible says, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" After he told Peter to put the sword back into his scabbard, he said, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" Notice, if you would, he said "more than twelve legions of angels." If Peter thought that he was protecting Jesus Christ, he thought wrongly. Jesus Christ did not need protection. If Jesus Christ needed protection, it would come from a totally different source. It would not come from a frail, weakly human. He said, "My Father would send me more than twelve legions of angels." In other words, if I needed protection, there would be divine intervention.
#71 | 43:55 to 45:08 | cleaned
A Roman legion had 6,000 men. Twelve legions would be 72,000 angels, and our Lord said "more than twelve legions." When you stop and think about the fact, in Isaiah 37 and verse 36, one angel in one night with one stroke of the sword killed 185,000 Assyrians. I don't think 72,000 angels would have any difficulty with the high priest and the big mob there. I don't think they'd have any difficulty with the entire world.
#72 | 45:09 to 45:48 | cleaned
But I'm just simply pointing out, Peter's actions were unnecessary. That's what our Lord was saying. Well, you know, I've often thought about all our Lord had to do was mutter, "Help me." All our Lord had to do was wiggle His little finger. All our Lord had to do was blink an eye and more than 72,000 angels would be at His disposal. Peter was not needed. His actions were not only unwise, they were unnecessary because our Lord said, "I don't need protection." Thirdly, I want to point out Peter's actions were unenlightened. Unenlightened.
#73 | 45:49 to 46:31 | cleaned
What do I mean by that? Well, you're in Matthew chapter 26. Look at verse 54. Our Lord then asked, after He tells Peter to put up his sword in his scabbard, then He asked him, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" Then in verse 54, He says this, "But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" Lord Peter, if you save me from this, how will the Scriptures be fulfilled?
#74 | 46:32 to 47:08 | cleaned
Jesus Christ said, "I came to die." Do you know Peter had a problem with that? If you'll go back in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 16, look in Matthew chapter 16 beginning there in verse 21. Look at this. Matthew 16 verse 21. "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." Wow. Peter said, "Lord, no, no, this is not going to happen to you." Our Lord said, "Yes, it is. It is going to happen." Wow, it's going to happen. Why is it going to happen? Because Christ came to die.
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He came to be the propitiation for His people. He said, "The cup which my heavenly Father gave me, I must drink." In John 12 and verse 27, He said it like this, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour." He came to die. And John 10 and verse 17 and verse 18, He said, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." No man taketh my life from me. He came to die. He knew He was going to die.
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If Peter had saved Christ, so to speak, that's what Christ is asking. What about the Scriptures? How would they be fulfilled? No, I came to die. That's why the Bible says in Matthew 1 and verse 21, the angel told Joseph and Mary, "Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." And our salvation is found in His death. That's why the Bible says in 1 Peter 3 and verse 18, "He died the just for the unjust, that he might bring us back unto God."
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So Peter's actions then were not only unwise. They were unnecessary and they were unenlightened. I want you to remember this. Christ did not rebuke Peter for having a sword. He commanded him to have a sword. He did not rebuke Peter for drawing that sword. He did not even rebuke Peter for using that sword. He just said, "Put it back in the scabbard."
#78 | 49:54 to 50:27 | cleaned
"Now is not the time to use it. It is not needed at this moment. I want them to take me. This is the will of my Father." But what our Lord did point out to Peter was you do not use your sword or you do not use a weapon unwisely, unnecessarily, without proper enlightenment and instruction.
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Now, let me put this together for you. The case of Jesus Christ is unique. There's none like it. There's no other illustration concerning it. And so it's impossible, then, to take this unique case and say, "Well, now, the entirety of the rest of the Bible of the doctrine of biblical self-defense has to be wrong because Christ told Peter to put his sword back into the scabbard." That's totally, completely illogical.
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Our Lord did use means of resistance. He used the means of avoidance. Read John chapter 7, verse 1. "And Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him." So what did He do? He just withdrew from them. He got out of their way. So you cannot say that Luke 22 is a denial of the biblical doctrine of self-defense. It is not.
#81 | 51:38 to 52:09 | cleaned
Secondly, Christ is not forbidding the ownership of weapons since He commanded to buy a sword. He is not forbidding the use of weapons since one was used, obviously. But what He is forbidding is using those weapons unwisely and unnecessarily. You know what the Bible says in James, chapter one, verse 19. He said, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." Be ye swift to hear.
#82 | 52:11 to 52:54 | cleaned
I marvel at all the illustrations and videos that you can find on the Internet on road rage. Of people pulling out a weapon and just shooting people as they drive by. It is insane. This is what our Lord is forbidding. He said that we are to be slow to wrath. Yes. Slow to speak. Yes. Swift to hear. Let me put it to you like this. We have a modern saying in South Georgia.
#83 | 52:54 to 53:34 | cleaned
"Don't let your mouth overload your brain." And that's exactly what our Lord is saying here. No. You've got to understand there are consequences when weaponry are involved or is involved. You have to understand that. Let me point this out. Even when we use our weapons in self-defense, we have to consider the fact that there will be consequences. I have known men—thankfully, it's never happened to me. But I have known men who had to kill other men, not just in war, but in self-defense. And I've got news for you, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual strain is almost unbelievable. And men that have lived through this in war and killed innumerable people.
#84 | 53:37 to 54:49 | cleaned
I'll give you one illustration. I'm not going to call a name. But I knew this young man since he was a child. He was not only raised in church. He was not only homeschooled. His father was a pastor. I preached in that church innumerable times. This young man took martial arts and was very, very good. In fact, he took a very deadly form of martial arts. He joined the military.
#85 | 54:52 to 55:31 | cleaned
After he got out, he stayed overseas. And one day I got a phone call from him out of the blue. And he said, "Pastor," he said, "I need you to pray for me." He said, "I'm unsaved." And I've known this boy all of his life. I said, "Well, I'll certainly pray for you, but please tell me," since I knew his background, "what makes you think that you're unsaved?" Here's what he said. "You have no idea what I've done. You have no idea how many people I've killed at the behest of the government." He said, "When I got out," he said, "I still could not stop killing." He was a mercenary.
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He said, "I can't sleep. I can't eat." This young man was in his 20s. I met one other fellow just like that. I'm just saying, folks, we need to come to grips with reality and we don't need to be expressing bravado, saying, "Well, I'll do this." Let me tell you something. You don't know what you're going to do until you get in that predicament. And then it's all going to come out. But I will tell you what you will do.
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You will default to the way that you were trained. And if you haven't been trained, I'm sorry.
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Now, I want to give you something. One of the objections against carrying weapons, one of the objections of using weapons in self-defense, you hear from the liberals all day long, "Well, you want to turn us back into the Old West again." I would like that. Why? Because the Old West was not what Hollywood brings forth on the screen. Let me give you a quote. This is from a book.
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"Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History," written by Richard Shenkman. And he wrote that in 1878, in the heyday of the cattle drives in boomtowns in Kansas, Dodge City recorded five homicides. Ryan McMaken noted all the big cattle towns of Kansas combined saw a total of 45 murders during the period of 1870 through 1885. Dodge City alone saw 15 people die violently from 1876 to 1885, an average of 1.5 per year. Yes!
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I'd like to go back to that when you consider more than that are killed in Chicago alone on a weekend. The point is this. You think of the lives that could be saved and would be saved if everybody carried and were trained. You have to remember the old saying that we had for years, "An armed society is a polite society." I had, and still do, a pastor friend who was a very small man. Very small man, but yet he was a Marine. And he carried, but he had one of those little pouches on his front, he carried his pistol in that pouch. And he and his wife and children were coming out of a restaurant and a man bumped into him, knocked him into his wife and cussed them as he went out. The man didn't even know him. And he took God's name in vain, and this young pastor went out and said, "Sir, you owe my wife and myself an apology. And moreover, you owe God an apology. You took His name in vain."
#91 | 59:07 to 1:00:29 | cleaned
And the man started cursing again. And my friend said, "Sir, you are not very observant." He said, "Do you see my hand in this pouch?" He said, "If I had pulled my hand out, you were either going to the hospital or the morgue. Sir, you owe us an apology." The man began apologizing. An armed society is a polite society. Let me tell you something. The Sixth Commandment, as I taught last week and last night, is very simple. "Thou shalt not kill." The positive is thou shalt preserve life. You have the duty, you have the responsibility to preserve life, and you cannot take the words of our Lord to Peter, "Put your sword back in your scabbard," as a denial of the truth of the entirety of the Word of God.
#92 | 1:00:31 to 1:01:28 | cleaned
You cannot misinterpret one passage and make it contradict hundreds of other passages in the Bible. God requires us to defend ourselves and others. He that hath no sword—here's what God said, our Lord, in the imperative, "I command you, sell your garment and get one." Modern-day phrasing, our Lord would say, "If he has no Glock, sell your coat and get one." Beyond. It's your responsibility. I'm not here to protect you anymore, physically is what He's saying. That's on you.
#93 | 1:01:29 to 1:02:23 | cleaned
You must prepare. You must prepare economically. You must prepare physically. You must prepare medically. You must prepare mentally. You must prepare spiritually. You must prepare every way, because He's now given us the responsibility to take care of ourselves. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And Lord, we ask You to help us to hear, to really, truly hear Your Word and apply it to our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T23:48:44Z

Theology of Self Defense-2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver addresses objections to biblical self-defense by examining the arrest of Jesus in the Gospels. He argues that Christ's command to Peter to put away his sword does not negate the duty of self-defense but rather corrects Peter's unwise, unnecessary, and unenlightened use of force. Weaver emphasizes that Luke 22:36 commands believers to acquire weapons for self-protection, and that the unique circumstances of Christ's voluntary sacrifice do not overturn the broader biblical mandate to preserve life.

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Weaver introduces the four Gospel accounts of Jesus' arrest and reads Luke 22:35-37, highlighting the command to buy a sword.

"For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end."

The Biblical Mandate for Self-Defense

Weaver recaps the previous sermon, stating that self-defense is obligatory under the Sixth Commandment, which requires the preservation of life.

The Objection from Christ's Arrest

Weaver presents the common objection: if self-defense is mandatory, why did Christ tell Peter to put away his sword?

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:35-38

"And He said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing."

The Change in Christ's Instructions

Weaver explains the shift from Luke 9-10 (no provisions) to Luke 22 (take purse, scrip, sword) as preparation for Christ's departure and the disciples' new responsibility.

Scripture Reading — Luke 22:35-38

"When I sent you forth without purse, and scrip, and shoes, what did you lack?"

The Command to Buy a Sword

Weaver emphasizes that 'let him buy one' is an imperative, a command to acquire a weapon, and discusses the meaning of 'It is enough.'

The Disciples' Question and Peter's Action

Weaver describes the arrival of the armed multitude, the disciples' realization, and Peter striking Malchus.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 26:47

"And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people."

Wow.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 26:47

"And while he yet spake"

—probably while he's saying, "It is enough.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 26:47

" Hmm. Here came Judas with a great multitude with swords and staves.

But look at it in verse 50, if you would.

Scripture Reading — John 18:10

"And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear."

Christ's Response: 'Suffer ye thus far'

Weaver explains that Christ stopped the fight, healed Malchus, and allowed Himself to be taken, but this was not a condemnation of self-defense.

Peter's Actions Were Unwise

Peter's Actions Were Unnecessary

Weaver points out that Christ did not need protection, as He could call twelve legions of angels, making Peter's defense unnecessary.

Peter's Actions Were Unenlightened

Weaver explains that Peter failed to understand that Christ had to die to fulfill Scripture, and his attempt to prevent the arrest was contrary to God's redemptive plan.

Proper Use of Weapons and Conclusion

Theology of Self Defense-2

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	3272484316822
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation: Christ and the Churches
Genre	Sermon
Date	2024-03-26
Dictation Name
Book	Book 108: Theology of Self Defense — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	94

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Scripture Reading: Weaver introduces the four Gospel accounts of Jesus' arrest and reads Luke 22:35-37, highlighting the command to buy a sword.
The Biblical Mandate for Self-Defense: Weaver recaps the previous sermon, stating that self-defense is obligatory under the Sixth Commandment, which requires the preservation of life.
The Objection from Christ's Arrest: Weaver presents the common objection: if self-defense is mandatory, why did Christ tell Peter to put away his sword?
The Change in Christ's Instructions: Weaver explains the shift from Luke 9-10 (no provisions) to Luke 22 (take purse, scrip, sword) as preparation for Christ's departure and the disciples' new responsibility.
The Command to Buy a Sword: Weaver emphasizes that 'let him buy one' is an imperative, a command to acquire a weapon, and discusses the meaning of 'It is enough.'
The Disciples' Question and Peter's Action: Weaver describes the arrival of the armed multitude, the disciples' realization, and Peter striking Malchus.
Christ's Response: 'Suffer ye thus far': Weaver explains that Christ stopped the fight, healed Malchus, and allowed Himself to be taken, but this was not a condemnation of self-defense.
Peter's Actions Were Unwise: Weaver argues that Peter's use of the sword was unwise because it endangered the disciples against a large mob, and Christ's command to put away the sword was a correction of imprudence, not a prohibition of weapons.
Peter's Actions Were Unnecessary: Weaver points out that Christ did not need protection, as He could call twelve legions of angels, making Peter's defense unnecessary.
Peter's Actions Were Unenlightened: Weaver explains that Peter failed to understand that Christ had to die to fulfill Scripture, and his attempt to prevent the arrest was contrary to God's redemptive plan.
Proper Use of Weapons and Conclusion: Weaver concludes that Christ forbids unwise and unnecessary use of weapons, not their ownership or use in legitimate self-defense. He reiterates the command to be prepared and armed, and closes in prayer.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The Sixth Commandment Requires Self-Defense

The command 'Thou shalt not kill' positively obligates the preservation of life, making self-defense a duty.

If we fail to defend our lives, then of course we are guilty of violating the Sixth Commandment, which basically teaches the preservation of life.

Luke 22:36 Is a Command, Not a Suggestion

The Greek imperative 'let him buy' indicates a direct command from Christ to acquire a sword.

Let him. It's an imperative in the Greek, which means it's a command. Our Lord is saying, 'I command you to sell your garment and buy one.'

Christ's 'Put Away Your Sword' Was Situational

Christ did not forbid sword ownership or use; He corrected Peter's unwise, unnecessary, and unenlightened action in that specific context.

Christ did not rebuke Peter for having a sword. He commanded him to have a sword. He did not rebuke Peter for drawing that sword. He did not even rebuke Peter for using that sword. He just said, 'Put it back in the scabbard.'

Peter's Defense Was Unnecessary Because Christ Chose to Die

Christ did not need protection; He willingly submitted to arrest to fulfill Scripture and accomplish redemption.

Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

The Disciples Were Not in Danger

The mob came for Jesus, not the disciples, so Peter's violent response was not a legitimate act of self-defense.

They came after Jesus Christ. They did not come after His disciples. That's why Jesus said, 'I am He. I'm the one you're looking for. Let these go their way.'

Lex Talionis Applies to Unjust Violence

The maxim 'all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword' refers to divine retribution for unjust violence, not a prohibition of all sword use.

It's called the lex talionis. It's the law of retribution. It's where God makes the punishment fit the crime.

Scripture References

Luke 22:35-38: Jesus asks about previous provision, then commands disciples to take purse, scrip, and buy a sword; disciples show two swords, He says 'It is enough.'
Luke 9:3: Earlier instruction to take nothing for the journey, referenced as background for the change in Luke 22.
Luke 10:4: Similar earlier instruction to carry no purse, scrip, or shoes.
Matthew 5:17: Christ came to fulfill the law, not destroy it, supporting the continuity of the Sixth Commandment.
John 15:18-20: The world will hate and persecute believers as it did Christ, necessitating preparedness.
Acts 2:22: Jesus was approved by God through miracles, which were now diminishing in the same manner.
Judges 15:16: Samson used the jawbone of an ass to slay Philistines, illustrating using available means.
Matthew 26:47: Judas arrives with a great multitude armed with swords and staves.
John 18:10: Identifies Peter as the one who struck Malchus.
Matthew 26:52: Jesus tells Peter to put up his sword, stating 'all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.'
Genesis 37: Simeon and Levi's slaughter of Shechem was winning a battle but endangering the whole family, illustrating unwise violence.
Matthew 21:32: Principle of learning from God's work in others' lives, applied to learning from Peter's mistake.
Proverbs 16:18: Pride goes before destruction, applied to Peter's boastful declaration.
Matthew 26:31-35: Jesus predicts the disciples' scattering and Peter's denial; Peter and all disciples boast they will not deny Him.
John 18:4-9: Jesus identifies Himself, causing the mob to fall back, and asks that the disciples be let go.
Revelation 13:10: Quotes the lex talionis: 'he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.'
Isaiah 33:1: Old Testament basis for the law of retribution.
Judges 1:7: Adoni-Bezek acknowledges God's retribution for cutting off thumbs and big toes of seventy kings.
Matthew 26:53-54: Jesus says He could call twelve legions of angels, but Scripture must be fulfilled.
Isaiah 37:36: One angel killed 185,000 Assyrians, demonstrating angelic power.

Historical References

Roman legion size (6,000 men): Used to calculate that twelve legions of angels would be 72,000, emphasizing Christ's available power.
Adoni-Bezek (Judges 1:7): Historical example of lex talionis: a king who mutilated seventy kings was himself mutilated.
Dodge City and Kansas cattle towns homicide rates (1870-1885): Cited to argue that the 'Old West' was less violent than modern cities, supporting an armed society.
Richard Shenkman's book 'Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History': Source for the historical homicide statistics of the Old West.
FBI local ordinances on recognizing criminals: Mentioned to illustrate that standing for biblical truth can lead to being classified as a criminal.

Important Quotes

Let him. It's an imperative in the Greek, which means it's a command. Our Lord is saying, 'I command you to sell your garment and buy one.'

Emphasizes the forceful nature of Christ's instruction to be armed.

Christ did not rebuke Peter for having a sword. He commanded him to have a sword. He did not rebuke Peter for drawing that sword. He did not even rebuke Peter for using that sword. He just said, 'Put it back in the scabbard.'

Key argument that Christ's response was not a condemnation of weapons or self-defense, but a situational correction.

The case of Jesus Christ is unique. There's none like it. There's no other illustration concerning it. And so it's impossible, then, to take this unique case and say, 'Well, now, the entirety of the rest of the Bible of the doctrine of biblical self-defense has to be wrong because Christ told Peter to put his sword back into the scabbard.'

Directly refutes the objection that Christ's arrest nullifies the biblical teaching on self-defense.

An armed society is a polite society.

Summarizes the practical benefit of widespread responsible armament.

If on the one hand, you're trusting in your abilities and you're trusting what you have, that's absolute foolishness, it's idolatry, it's pride, it's arrogance. On the other hand, if you refuse to use the means that God has ordained, now you're tempting God.

Articulates the balanced biblical approach to self-reliance and divine trust.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the Sixth Commandment's positive requirement to preserve life shape our understanding of self-defense?

[Context]

Weaver argues that self-defense is obligatory because the commandment implies a duty to preserve life.

[Question]

In what ways does Luke 22:36 represent a dramatic change in Christ's instructions to His disciples, and what does that imply for believers today?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts the earlier sending without provisions with the new command to take purse, scrip, and sword.

[Question]

How can we maintain a proper balance between trusting God and using practical means like weapons for protection?

[Context]

Weaver warns against both idolatrous self-reliance and tempting God by refusing to use ordained means.

[Question]

Why is it important to distinguish between unwise and sinful actions when evaluating Peter's use of the sword?

[Context]

Weaver argues Peter acted unwisely but not necessarily sinfully, and that Christ corrected the timing, not the act itself.

[Question]

What does Christ's statement 'all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword' mean in its context, and how does it apply to self-defense?

[Context]

Weaver explains it as a legal maxim of retribution for unjust violence, not a blanket prohibition.

[Question]

How does the uniqueness of Christ's redemptive mission prevent us from using His arrest as a universal argument against self-defense?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that Christ voluntarily laid down His life to fulfill Scripture, a situation not applicable to ordinary believers.

[Question]

What are the potential emotional, mental, and spiritual consequences of using lethal force in self-defense, and how should that affect our preparation?

[Context]

Weaver shares anecdotes about the heavy toll on those who have killed, even justly.

Applications

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