"I am a Christian, I cannot fight"

[Michael Snow]

Martin of Tours and his namesake Martin Luther Martin of Tours & Martin Luther

 

[Michael Snow]

Martin

"…I am the soldier of Christ: it is not lawful for me to fight.” ​

Martin of Tours & Martin Luther

St. Martin of Tours was born in 316 A.D. Thus, he grew up in the age of the Edict of Milan, issued in 313 by Emperors Constantine and Lucinius, which granted Christians equal tolerance in the Roman…

christianpacifismblog.wordpress.com

 

[Michael Snow]

 

[JM]

I'm too Reformed not to fight...it can fall under my vocational duties in the right circumstances.

 

[J_B_]

View attachment 336958

You're taking Luther out of context.

 

[Michael Snow]

You're taking Luther out of context.

No. The prime context is the witness of the early Christians that Luther knew, as did Martin of Tours. Early Christian Quotes

 

[Michael Snow]

I'm too Reformed not to fight...it can fall under my vocational duties in the right circumstances.

Others are too Christian to fight.

 

[J_B_]

No.

Yes, and a little more knowledge of Luther, his life, and his writings shows something different than what you are saying. He wrote a treatise called "Can Soldiers be Christians?" where he explicitly states their profession is justified: “The very fact that the sword has been instituted by God to punish the evil, protect the good, and preserve peace is powerful and sufficient proof that war and killing along with all the things that accompany wartime and martial law have been instituted by God.” Can Christians be Soldiers – The Lutheran Witness

What Luther objected to was not war, but religious crusades. In another treatise (On War Against the Turk, On War Against the Turk - Wikipedia), Luther chastises the RCC for it's Crusades, stating that the Gospel is not advanced by violence, but by love and sacrifice - a sacrifice Luther is willing to make. But at the same time he reinforces that it is perfectly legitimate for people to protect themselves against robbers, murderers, and other attacks against them.

Parents can punish their children. Police are necessary. Warfare to protect the innocent is justified.

That doesn't make it easy. Living in a sinful world makes discerning when one has crossed the line very difficult. Pretending everything is black and white doesn't aid that discernment.

 

[Wings like Eagles]

In the book of Esther we see God moving everything around and ultimately saved the Jews by way of a self defense decree.

Esther 8:11 The king’s decree gave the Jews in every city authority to unite to defend their lives. They were allowed to kill, slaughter, and annihilate anyone of any nationality or province who might attack them or their children and wives, and to take the property of their enemies.

 

[Michael Snow]

Yes, and a little more knowledge of Luther, his life, and his writings shows something different than what you are saying. He wrote a treatise called "Can Soldiers be Christians?" where he explicitly states their profession is justified: “The very fact that the sword has been instituted by God to punish the evil, protect the good, and preserve peace is powerful and sufficient proof that war and killing along with all the things that accompany wartime and martial law have been instituted by God.” Can Christians be Soldiers – The Lutheran Witness

What Luther objected to was not war, but religious crusades. In another treatise (On War Against the Turk, On War Against the Turk - Wikipedia), Luther chastises the RCC for it's Crusades, stating that the Gospel is not advanced by violence, but by love and sacrifice - a sacrifice Luther is willing to make. But at the same time he reinforces that it is perfectly legitimate for people to protect themselves against robbers, murderers, and other attacks against them.

Parents can punish their children. Police are necessary. Warfare to protect the innocent is justified.

That doesn't make it easy. Living in a sinful world makes discerning when one has crossed the line very difficult. Pretending everything is black and white doesn't aid that discernment.

1st, Luther was NOT referring to crusades in that quote.

Second, Romans 13 in context. Romans “13” In Context