Killing Unbelievers

Persecution against God's people has been a fact of life for thousands and thousands of years. It would be impossible to estimate the number of people who have been murdered for their commitment to God's laws. But we know the numbers have been enormous. The killing continues in our day and probably will until the Lord returns. In his discourse on the Mount of Olives, Jesus told his disciples: "They shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and kill you: and you shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake" (Mt. 24:9). At the conclusion of one the of our Lord's criticisms of the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, he said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets, and stone them who are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you would not" (Mt. 23:37).

One of the saddest chapters of man's inhumanity to man was the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The forerunner of our Lord told king Herod he had no right to have his brother Philip's wife. Herodias, Herod's illegal and immoral wife, was angry with John for his condemnation of her marriage to Herod. She used her influence to have Herod to behead the great prophet of God (Mt. 14:10). Surely no decent man or woman would have a preacher beheaded just because the preacher condemned that person's moral conduct. Do we not have a right as human beings to disagree on moral and spiritual issues without fearing for our lives? I am grateful that our country has not reached such depths of degradation that we kill unbelievers or people we consider to be unbelievers.

Jesus warned his disciples of the opposition and persecution and even death they would experience. "They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time comes, that whosoever kills you will think that he is doing God service" (John 16:2). We know Christ's predictions came true in most of the cities where the church of our Lord was established. Acts 6 records one of the saddest and most troubling incidents in the history of the church. The Grecian Jews complained to the apostles that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food and other supplies. The apostles suggested that the Grecians choose "seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit, and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business" (Acts 6:3). The Grecians selected Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas (Acts 6:5).

Luke refers to Stephen as a man "full of faith and power." God enabled him to do great wonders and miracles among the people. "Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, and of Asia, disputing with Stephen" (Acts 6:8-9). At this late date it may not be possible to know exactly what the people who opposed Stephen actually believed. But we know they were not able to deal with Stephen's arguments in favor of accepting Christ and Christianity. So they suborned witnesses to testify that they had heard Stephen "speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God." They stirred up the people, the Jewish elders and scribes and brought Stephen before the Jewish council (Acts 6:10-12).

The Jews did not accuse Stephen of causing an insurrection among the people. They disagreed with his religious convictions and falsely accused him because of their bias and anger. They claimed they had heard him say that Jesus would destroy this place and change the customs Moses had given to the Jewish people. "And all who sat in the (Jewish) council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel" (Acts 6:14-15). They lied about Stephen's beliefs and behavior. Why? >From their viewpoint, he was an unbeliever. So they determined to get rid of him at all costs.

The Jewish high priest asked Stephen if the charges brought against him were true. Stephen was allowed to defend his beliefs. His speech is a powerful summary of God's dealings with his people. Stephen began his recitation with Abraham and listed many of the great events in the history of the Israelite people. He concluded: "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them who showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it" (Acts 7:2, 51-53).

What was in Stephen's speech that warranted his being killed? As I have already indicated, Luke described Stephen as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5). His faith in God gave him the power to perform great wonders and miracles (Acts 6:8). The miracles were God's way of authenticating Stephen as God's spokesman. The Jews knew Stephen's historical material was correct. So why did they want to kill him? They did not want to hear the truth about Christ. Please listen to Luke's account of the Jews' murder of this good man. When they heard Stephen's speech, "they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. ...And they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep" (Acts 7:54, 58-60).

There is absolutely no justification for the killing of Stephen. Just for the sake of argument, let us assume that Stephen had invented most of the history of the Jewish nation, that he had falsely represented God and that he was actually guilty of blasphemy, as the Jews foolishly charged (Acts 6:11). Do we kill people whose religious convictions differ from ours? All sincere believers—whatever our religion— surely want others to believe what we believe. But is it honorable to kill men and women we consider unbelievers or apostates? There is nothing more abominable than that.

The apostle James, like Peter and John, belonged to the inner circle of Christ's disciples. In fact, on several occasions, Jesus took with him the three—Peter, James and John. The book of Acts says: "Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword" (Acts 12:1-2). Eusebius, the famous church historian, quotes Clement of Alexander, as saying that Herod decapitated James. That is probably true, but that is not the main thrust of the story. Herod and his companions did not like the preaching of James and the other apostles. And when Herod saw that killing James pleased the Jews, "he proceeded to take Peter also" (Acts 12:3). Herod did not kill the apostle Peter, but he was violent enough and unscrupulous enough to do so if he had had the opportunity.

How did Christ and the apostles handle rejection of their preaching? Not one time—not even one time—did Jesus Christ threaten to kill or to disable men and women who refused to obey the word of God. For example, he instructed the twelve: "And into whatsoever city or town you shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till you leave. And when you come into a house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city" (Mt. 10:11-15). While Christ and his apostles were disappointed when men rejected the gospel, they never threatened to do bodily harm to anyone.

Does that mean the apostles were never tempted to make people pay for their hardheartedness? As a matter of fact, it does not mean that. After all, the apostles were human with the same faults and temptations we face. On one occasion, Christ steadfastly set his face toward Jerusalem. He "sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him." The Samaritans did not receive him because his face was set as though he would go to Jerusalem. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, saw what was transpiring and asked the Lord, "Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, as Elijah did? But he turned and rebuked them, and said, You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them" (Lk. 9:51-56).

But should we not punish those who reject our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? The author of Hebrews tells us: "He who despised Moses' law died without mercy before two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, do you suppose, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under the foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of grace" (Heb. 10:28-29)? Does that not sound to you as if those who trample under foot the blood of the covenant deserve to be punished, even killed? There is not even the slightest doubt such people will be punished, but that is not our prerogative. Please listen further to the author of Hebrews. "For we know him who has said, Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. And again, The Lord will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:30-31). Nobody has a right to kill unbelievers and apostates. And it was apostates the author of Hebrews was discussing. They had "trodden under foot the blood of the covenant, wherewith they were sanctified, and unholy thing, and had done despite unto the Spirit of grace." Could unbelievers ever be described as having been sanctified?

The apostle Paul did the initial preaching in the ancient city of Corinth. He had been preaching in Athens, Greece, but left to visit Corinth, another Greek city. "And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ" (Acts 18:1-5). The Jews were very unhappy with Paul's preaching. Luke says the Jews opposed themselves and blasphemed. Was not their reaction to Paul's preaching sufficient to warrant an attack on them? Did not the Jews deserve to be driven out of the city or worse? Do you remember what actually happened? Paul simply shook his raiment, and said to his fellow Jews: "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles" (Acts 18:6). Paul did not threaten the Jews with beheading or having their limbs cut off or removing their worldly possessions from them. He turned to greener pastures.

Tragically, through the ages there have been professed Christians who killed thousands and thousands of innocent people because they would not accept their version of Christianity. So-called Christians have killed Jews, Muslims, infidels and others or forced them to be baptized to prevent being killed. Nobody—I repeat, nobody—ever had Christ's authority for such stupidity. The crusaders violated the clear teaching of Jesus Christ and of the apostles. Persecuting or putting to death so-called "Christ killers" is the very height of cruelty.

How should Christians deal with the enemies of Christ and of Christianity? The Bible does not leave us in the dark on this topic. The apostle Paul does not specifically identify the "enemies of the cross" at Philippi, but he provides some insight concerning treatment of those enemies. He pled with the Philippians: "Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them who walk so as to have us for an example. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things" (Phil. 3:17-19). Paul did not threaten the enemies of the cross with physical harm. He wept over the fact that they were enemies of the cross. We are not told if he prayed for those enemies, but is there any doubt in your mind that he did? He exposed their attitudes and behavior, but, regardless of their beliefs and conduct, he would not—indeed, he could not—do them bodily harm. What a great example for all who would please God!

Christians must imitate the teaching and example of our Lord. He had the power to wipe his enemies off the face of the earth. If he could calm a storm on the Sea of Galilee, could he not get rid of his enemies by simply speaking? But he never attacked anyone. In fact, when the apostle Peter cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, Jesus commanded Peter to put his sword into the sheath. "For all they who take the sword shall perish by the sword" (Mt. 26:51-52).

We know that our Lord Jesus Christ was full of love, compassion and mercy. Time will not allow an examination of the many wonderful examples in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Do you remember how Peter described Jesus to Cornelius, the first Gentile convert? "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) that word, I say, you know, which was published throughout Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed of the devil: for God was with him" (Acts 10:36-38). Can you imagine Christ's having a sword in his hand and killing those who criticized him or opposed his work? He could have stopped men's killing him by killing them, but that was not the Father's will.

In his great Sermon on the Mount, our Lord said, "You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them who curse you, do good to them who hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love them who love you, what reward have you? Do not the publicans the same" (Mt. 5:43-46)? Is it easy for us to love those who hate us, to pray for them and to do them good? Was it easy for our Lord to take the abuse he suffered throughout his life on earth?

Christians have two ways of dealing with the enemies of the cross of Christ: being examples of love, compassion and mercy and using persuasion to lead them to Christ. We know how Christ treated his enemies. Never one time did he take a sword to kill them. He treated all people with respect and sought to win them to the truth. Oh I know how severely he criticized the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. There really was no other way to shake them loose from their traditions and turn them to God for the forgiveness of their sins. His stern rebuke of the Pharisees was a supreme example of his concern for the eternal welfare of his enemies. Did Paul have our Lord's example in mind when he wrote: "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:17-21)?

In addition to exemplifying the attitude of our Lord, we can also use persuasion to reach enemies of the cross. Do you remember what Luke said about the Jews and their confrontation with Stephen in Jerusalem? "They were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke" (Acts 6:10). So they gnashed on him with their teeth, cast him out of the city and stoned him to death (Acts 7:54, 58). The truth should be too plain for us to miss: There is one sword and only one we can use in dealing with unbelievers and apostates: "The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17). "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). May God help us to use that sword to win the world to our Lord and Savior! We know that God our Savior wants "all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:3-4).

Winford Claiborne

The International Gospel Hour

P.O. Box 118

Fayetteville, TN 37334