"He said to them, "But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one." For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors.' For what is written about me has its fulfillment. And they said, "Look, Lord, here are two swords." And he said to them, "It is enough."" Luke 22:36-38
In the previous part, we looked at the correct interpretation and understanding of this passage. We even looked at some historical quotes from the critics and opponents of Christianity. Now we are going to look at what the evidence of early Christianity has to say.
Aristides of Athens (c. 125 A.D.)
"They appeal to those who wrong them and make them friendly to themselves; they are eager to do good to their enemies; they are gentle and forbearing... they abstain from all unlawful conversation and from all impurity; they despise not the widow, nor oppress the orphan." —Apology, 15
Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 A.D.)
"We who once hated and destroyed one another, and on account of their different customs would not live with men of a different tribe, now, since the coming of Christ, live familiarly with them, and pray for our enemies, and endeavour to persuade those who hate us unjustly to live conformably to the good precepts of Christ." —First Apology, 14
"We who formerly used to murder one another do not only now refrain from making war upon our enemies, but also, that we may not lie nor deceive our examiners, willingly die confessing Christ... for from Jerusalem there went out into the world, men, twelve in number... but by the power of God they proclaimed to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach to all the word of God; and we who formerly used to murder one another do not only now refrain from making war upon our enemies, but also... willingly die confessing Christ." —First Apology, 39
"We who were filled with war, and mutual slaughter, and every wickedness, have each through the whole earth changed our warlike weapons—our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into implements of tillage—and we cultivate piety, righteousness, philanthropy, faith, and hope." —Dialogue with Trypho, 110
Athenagoras of Athens (c. 133–190 A.D.)
"What then are those teachings in which we are reared? 'I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that persecute you...' For we have learned, not only not to return blow for blow, nor to go to law with those who plunder and rob us, but to those who smite us on one side of the face to offer the other side also." —A Plea for the Christians, 11
"But we, deeming that to see a man put to death is much the same as killing him, have abjured such spectacles. How, then, when we do not even look on, lest we should contract guilt and pollution, can we put people to death?" —A Plea for the Christians, 35
Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 A.D.)
"The custom of war being thus done away, the nations have formed their swords and war-lances into ploughshares, and changed them into pruning-hooks... and they are now unaccustomed to fighting, but when smitten, offer also the other cheek." —Against Heresies, 4.34.4
Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–215 A.D.)
"If you enroll as one of God’s people, heaven is your country and God your lawgiver. And what are His laws? 'Thou shalt not kill,' 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,' and 'To him that striketh thee on the one cheek, offer also the other.' ... The trumpet of Christ is His Gospel. He has blown it, and we have heard it. Let us arm ourselves with peace, putting on the breastplate of righteousness, and taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." —Protrepticus (Exhortation to the Heathen), 10
"He [Christ] with a single word of His, gathered an army which sheds no blood... The loud trumpet, when sounded, collects the soldiers, and proclaims war. And shall not Christ, breathing a strain of peace to the ends of the earth, gather together His own soldiers of peace? Well, by His blood, and by the word, He has gathered the bloodless host of peace." —Protrepticus (Exhortation to the Heathen), 11
"The Church is an army which sheds no blood... For it is not in war, but in peace, that we are trained. War needs great preparation... but peace and love, simple and plain nieces, require neither arms nor undue preparation." —The Paedagogus (The Instructor), 1:12
"For the community of the Gospel is not like the assembly of the Greeks, which is for war and for the sake of the lust of the flesh... but it is for peace and for the sake of the spirit." —Stromata, 4.8
"He [the Christian] does not seek revenge against those who hate him; he does not go to law with those who rob him; but he prays for those who insult him, and he loves his enemies." —Stromata, 4.13
"The Christian does not hurt even his enemy." —Stromata, 7:14
Tertullian (c. 155–220 A.D.)
"Is it likely that we, who are so ready to be slain, should be the ones to slay? ...The Christian does no harm even to his enemy." —Apology, 31
"For what war should we not be fit and ready, even though unequal in numbers, who so willingly yield ourselves to the sword, if in our religion it were not more lawful to be slain than to slay?" —Apology, 37
"How will a Christian man war, nay, how will he serve even in peace, without a sword, which the Lord has taken away? For albeit soldiers had come unto John, and had received the formula of their rule; albeit, likewise, a centurion had believed; still the Lord afterward, in disarming Peter, unbelted every soldier." —On Idolatry, 19
"Shall it be held lawful to make an occupation of the sword, when the Lord proclaims that he who uses the sword shall perish by the sword? And shall the son of peace take part in the battle when it does not become him even to sue at law?" —The Chaplet (De Corona), 11
"Is the laurel of the triumph made of leaves, or of corpses? Is it adorned with ribbons, or with tombs? Is it bedewed with ointments, or with the tears of wives and mothers?" —The Chaplet (De Corona), 12
Origen of Alexandria (c. 184–253 A.D.)
"We have come in accordance with the counsels of Jesus to cut down our warlike and arrogant swords of conflict into ploughshares, and we convert into pruning-hooks the spears which were formerly used by us in war. For we no longer take up 'sword against nation,' nor do we 'learn war anymore,' having become children of peace." —Against Celsus, 5:33
"And we (Christians) who formerly used weapons of war... have changed our swords into plowshares... we do not go forth as soldiers with the Emperor even if he should urge us... we fight on his behalf, forming a special army—an army of piety—by offering our prayers to God." —Against Celsus, 8:73
Cyprian of Carthage (c. 210–258 A.D.)
"They [Christians] are not allowed to kill, but they must be ready to be killed... they do not fight against those who attack them, for it is not lawful for the innocent even to kill the guilty" —Epistle to Cornelius, 60:2
"The world is soaked with mutual blood; and murder, which in the case of a single individual is a crime, is called a virtue when it is perpetrated wholesale. Impunity is claimed for the wicked deeds, not on the plea that they are guiltless, but because the cruelty is on a grand scale." —Epistle to Donatus, 1:6
"For since the Lord at His advent gathered together His sheep, and placed them in the midst of wolves, His sheep are not to fear the wolves, but are rather to pray for them... that the cruelty of the wolves may be changed into the gentleness of the sheep." —Treatise 11 (Exhortation to Martyrdom), 9
Arnobius of Sicca (c. 255–330 A.D.)
"We have learned from His [Christ's] teaching and His laws that evil ought not to be requited with evil, that it is better to suffer wrong than to inflict it, that we should rather shed our own blood than stain our hands and our conscience with that of another." —Against the Heathen (Adversus Gentes), 1.6
Lactantius (c. 250–325 A.D.)
"For how can a man be just who injures, who hates, who despoils, who puts to death? Yet they who strive to be serviceable to their country do all these things." —Divine Institutes, 6:6
"When God forbids us to kill, He not only prohibits us from open violence... but He warns us against the commission of those things which are esteemed lawful among men. Thus it will be neither lawful for a just man to engage in warfare... since it is the act of putting to death itself which is prohibited." —Divine Institutes, 6:20
Early Church Orders & Manuals
"A soldier of the civil authority must be taught not to kill men and to refuse to do so if he is commanded... If a catechumen or a believer seeks to become a soldier, they must be rejected, for they have despised God." —Apostolic Tradition, 16 (c. 215 A.D.)
"A soldier of the civil authority must be taught not to kill men and to refuse to do so if he is commanded... If he is unwilling to comply, he must be rejected for baptism." —Canons of Hippolytus, 13 (c. 235 A.D.)