Should Christians Carry Guns?

messianist said:

didn't see anything on cars in the op

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it's ok dude,

i'll let other people read through our exchange and see the problem in the thinking.

call me lazy, I just don't feel like explaining something so obvious.

THE W said:

it's ok dude,

i'll let other people read through our exchange and see the problem in the thinking.

call me lazy, I just don't feel like explaining something so obvious.

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I know exactly what your trying to say, you can't stick to the op so you bring other things into question ps elohim knows both our thoughts deed and intentions on the matter. what other people read or understand on it is irrelevant.

There are a few times through this people have mentioned judgemental;

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

Southernscotty said:

Ok... Let's do this friend... You are standing before the congregation and all the sudden the doors swings open and a demon steps in spraying bullets into innocent women and children.
Prayer? Or do you wish you had used the common sense that God gives you to carry a gun?
Your choice?

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Are we not people of God who belong to His Church? Isn't it part of our ministry to face dangers? Shouldn't we imitate Christ and follow the example of His ministry? The way I see it, if a follower of Christ feels that they need to carry a gun with them while speaking from the pulpit or sharing the gospel, maybe they should consider leaving the ministry and joining the police department or the military instead.

As a former deputy and corrections officer, I carried a gun for years and would rather Christians who love others are carrying a weapon than someone else. But, I would suggest being trained if you are not, so you feel confident in all situations. I still carry if I am hiking or camping. When I worked at a large metropolitan county jail, I was amazed how many murders took place in the mountains by villains preying on campers, pretending to befriend them when actually stalking. The down side is of course having to use it if your life or the life of another is threatened to the point where you must to save a life or lives.

A couple of thoughts. Although people think about gun ownership in terms of self-protection, each year many, many people (mostly men) shoot themselves with their own gun. Suicide. Look up the statistics. There is a real risk rhat if you own a gun, and you become depressed, that you will use it on yourself.

Second, lets suppose that you have concealed carry. Lets suppose that you 'save the day' and stop a random shooter in a public place. And lets suppose that a split second later a Sheriffs Deputy bursts through the door. Who's holding the gun, now? YOU are. So if the Deputy shoots you dead, you have no reason to complain, do you? We honestly cant expect law enforcement to do miracles. They cant assess a situation and make a perfect judgment. So the bottom line is, you could easily get shot dead too.

Just things to consider.

At the most recent incident in Thousand Oaks, CA a well trained deputy did the right thing. He was brave. He was a hero. But he was still shot dead by the assailant. The same conclusions apply to you ... you can be shot by the assailant, OR by the police. Having a gun in your hands wont necessarily save you. It might, but it might not.

It is a dangerous and a highly unpredictable situation.

Bleesings!

JosephZ said:

Are we not people of God who belong to His Church? Isn't it part of our ministry to face dangers? Shouldn't we imitate Christ and follow the example of His ministry? The way I see it, if a follower of Christ feels that they need to carry a gun with them while speaking from the pulpit or sharing the gospel, maybe they should consider leaving the ministry and joining the police department or the military instead.

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It is only loving to have it with me in this day and age. Many people do not have real world expectations of what can happen. I do and therefore I choose to love in word and deed.
I am not some mealy mouth fake that spouts a fake message behind the ten thousand dollar pulpit with security in black suites. I preach the Word of God in truth and in action.
Times are much different now and it requires diligence as wolves are on the prowl.
I have the right, I am trained, I have the permit and I also have the means. I do not apologize for using my God given rights and "brain" to protect the flock from would be monsters who wish to distinguish our lives before the proper time.
Having a gun promotes the gospel because it keeps one alive long enough to preach it and if you are a minister who goes into drug infested areas such as some of us do. It is only wise to have a little backup to go along with the Spirit.

Question: "How should a Christian view gun control?"

Answer: The recent shootings across the United States have caused much heartache. The senseless and tragic incidents have also renewed the intensity of discussion regarding American gun laws. Politicians, sportsmen, and theologians have all weighed in on the issue of gun control. Guns are readily available in the U.S., and ownership is protected by the Constitution. How should a Christian view gun control? What does the Bible have to say that would apply to gun control?

The Bible was written long before the invention of any type of gun, so the phrase “gun control” will not be found in Scripture. However, the Bible records many accounts of wars, battles, and the use of weapons. Warfare is presented as an inevitable part of living in a fallen world (Mark 13:7; James 4:1), and weaponry is a necessary part of warfare. Weapons in the Bible were also used for personal protection. In some parts of Israel, robbers were common (see Luke 10:30), and many people carried weapons when they traveled. Carrying a weapon for self-defense is never condemned in the Bible. In fact, it was mentioned in a positive light by Jesus Himself on one occasion (Luke 22:35-38).

Christians are called to submit to governing authorities, and they are to obey the laws of the land (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). This would have to apply to gun laws, too. If American gun laws change, American Christians should submit to these changes and work through democratic means toward any desired alternatives. The Bible does not forbid the possession of weapons, and neither does it command such possession. Laws may come and go, but the goal of the believer in Jesus Christ remains the same: to glorify the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Another biblical principle to consider is that “all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Jesus said this to Peter when Peter tried to mount an imprudent “defense” of Jesus against the mob that had come to arrest Him. Peter’s actions were not only futile against such a “large crowd armed with swords and clubs” (verse 47), but his rash behavior also belied Jesus’ submissive attitude (verse 50) and worked against the fulfillment of Scripture (verse 54). There is “a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:8), and Peter confused the two.

Christianity supports personal freedom. Romans 14:1-4 indicates that, when Scripture does not clearly address a particular issue, there is freedom for individual choice. America has historically embraced the concept of personal freedom that resonates with this principle, and the founding documents guarantee wide freedoms regarding firearms. Some point to Matthew 5:9, in which Jesus pronounces a blessing on the peacemakers, and apply it to the issue of gun control. The idea is that guns are antithetical to peace. This may be more of a philosophical or political idea than a theological one, however. There is nothing theologically, or even logically, that links guns to a lack of peace; sometimes, guns help maintain civil peace.

Debates over whether to control guns or how much to control them depend largely on political and philosophical arguments, not moral ones. This is not to say that there is no moral component to the issue. Obviously, the gun itself is amoral, an object that can be used for good or for evil. More important is the morality of the person wielding the gun, and that is too often the missing consideration in the gun control argument. The fact that some sinners use guns to commit sin does not mean guns are the problem. Sin is the problem, and that’s a moral and spiritual issue. Since the very beginning of humanity, people have been killing other people, with and without weapons (see Genesis 4). Taking a certain weapon out of circulation might make murder more difficult but by no means impossible.

As far as the Bible is concerned, the use of guns is a matter of personal conviction. There is nothing unspiritual about owning a gun or knowing how to use one. There is nothing wrong with protecting oneself or loved ones, even if it involves the use of weapons. We need not pretend there is never a need for guns, but pointing a gun at a person should always be a last resort. We should seek to neutralize threats without violence whenever possible.

So, how should a Christian view gun control? With the authority God has entrusted to it, the government has the right to allow or disallow gun ownership to whatever degree it deems right. We, as citizens, are called to submit to whatever gun control laws the government institutes. This is not, however, a statement on the wisdom of gun control. There are good reasons to allow law-abiding citizens to own guns. Ultimately, guns are not the problem. Sinful people are the problem.

step_by_step said:

This is not an attempt to make anyone angry or stir up anything. This is a real question that I'm struggling with in my life right now. I just want to start a friendly debate/discussion and I also don't want to include politics in this.

That being said, I'm considering getting a permit to carry a concealed weapon. It's something that I've thought about for a long time now and it's been back on the front of my mind lately. I would want to train myself so I knew how to use the weapon and when using it, I would never want to kill anyone.

But my question is, is it wrong for a Christian to carry a gun? In Matthew 26:52, Jesus warns Peter that all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Does this mean that we shouldn't arm ourselves? I personally know a few Christians who live firmly by the second amendment and therefore have lots of guns for protection. Does God frown upon this?

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You have answered your own question. What Jesus said and the example He prescribed was followed by His early disciples and the entire Church for 300 years. We are instructed to make no provision for the flesh; is that what you are doing? You say you do not want to kill anyone then why own a gun? If you make provision for murder then when the opportunity arises you will kill. The commercial church ignores the plain words of Christ and promotes the killing of their enemies, they are no better than the Pharisees who justified themselves and their actions, and Christ rejected them.

step_by_step said:

This is not an attempt to make anyone angry or stir up anything. This is a real question that I'm struggling with in my life right now. I just want to start a friendly debate/discussion and I also don't want to include politics in this.

That being said, I'm considering getting a permit to carry a concealed weapon. It's something that I've thought about for a long time now and it's been back on the front of my mind lately. I would want to train myself so I knew how to use the weapon and when using it, I would never want to kill anyone.

But my question is, is it wrong for a Christian to carry a gun? In Matthew 26:52, Jesus warns Peter that all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Does this mean that we shouldn't arm ourselves? I personally know a few Christians who live firmly by the second amendment and therefore have lots of guns for protection. Does God frown upon this?

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I seriously wondered this very same question recently with the latest mass shooting...

and it came to me that the united states kills a lot of people, and when our own come back from service and rather than protect us, they kill us, It does occur to me that perhaps we are reaping what we have sewn, in a very biblical way?

so to address the OP, I think that we will die by the sword if we live by it, just as Jesus said.

I am thinking that this great nation will fall, due to our love of violence and the big business of war and making war-which is not at all what Messiah taught.

Southernscotty said:

Times are much different now and it requires diligence as wolves are on the prowl.

I have the right, I am trained, I have the permit and I also have the means. I do not apologize for using my God given rights and "brain" to protect the flock from would be monsters who wish to distinguish our lives before the proper time.

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We act in the person of Christ and are preachers of the Word. While I agree that the world we live in is dangerous, still to me, it does not warrant that servants of Christ carry firearms. When we have questions as to what we should and should not do in this life, and in the case of carrying a firearm while serving Him, we only need to ask ourselves would Jesus do that?

Southernscotty said:

Having a gun promotes the gospel because it keeps one alive long enough to preach it

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Which do you feel would make a better witness to those who do not know Christ?

An armed minister of the gospel who kills another man during an attack or one who is not afraid to die at the hands of an attacker while sharing the gospel unarmed?

Southernscotty said:

if you are a minister who goes into drug infested areas such as some of us do. It is only wise to have a little backup to go along with the Spirit.

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I go to some pretty dangerous places and I prefer to put my faith in Christ and those involved in law enforcement rather than carry a gun myself. Personally I feel that it would send mixed messages to those I'm trying to reach if I showed up in their communities armed.

No

step_by_step said:

This is not an attempt to make anyone angry or stir up anything. This is a real question that I'm struggling with in my life right now. I just want to start a friendly debate/discussion and I also don't want to include politics in this.

That being said, I'm considering getting a permit to carry a concealed weapon. It's something that I've thought about for a long time now and it's been back on the front of my mind lately. I would want to train myself so I knew how to use the weapon and when using it, I would never want to kill anyone.

But my question is, is it wrong for a Christian to carry a gun? In Matthew 26:52, Jesus warns Peter that all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Does this mean that we shouldn't arm ourselves? I personally know a few Christians who live firmly by the second amendment and therefore have lots of guns for protection. Does God frown upon this?

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Jesus be warning Peter about the improper use of violence, there was no self defense action required in Matthew 26:52... the arrest by authorities should not
of been met with such a violent action...example: If the police come to your
house to arrest you(a christian), your response to them isn't to be pull out a gun and shoot 'em, you submit to being arrested and go along peacefully.
False charges or not...you submit to the arrest.

Is it wrong for a Christian to carry a gun? Is it against the law where you?
if it is, then you don't buy/and or carry a gun.
Did the Lord reveal to you that "You" shouldn't have a gun? if so, don't get
a gun.
If it be legal where you live and you want a gun and qualify to have permits
to buy guns, then you able to do so.

Also, study the meaning of the Greek word: anthistémi ... Strong's Greek: 436. ἀνθίστημι (anthistémi) -- to set against, i.e. withstand