Matthew 10:34

[Wolf Georges]

As a new Christian I am spending a lot of time praying and reading the Bible. Feeling good about it the whole time but I'm having a problem with this verse,

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

I'm not sure how this is meant and would sincerely appreciate any clarity.

Thanks

 

[Lilly of the Valley]

This verse is saying that the Lord came to expose sin. Also, it is saying that by serving the Lord and following his ways, some will hate you. Thus, the world will be divided. This isn't saying that the Lord came to cause division, however, divisioin will occur because some of those who don't serve the Lord will despise and not want anything to do with those who do. It can also relate to the verse in the Bible that talks about the Word being a two edged sword and dividing marrow and spirit, further illustrating that sin will be shown, thus seperating the holy from the wicked. (Sorry if confusing, it was hard to put into words...I hope I helped.)

 

[Dad Ernie]

Greetings Wolf,

As a new Christian I am spending a lot of time praying and reading the Bible. Feeling good about it the whole time but I'm having a problem with this verse,

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

I'm not sure how this is meant and would sincerely appreciate any clarity.

Matt 10:34-37 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Hermeneutics is a big word, but an important one for the Christian. You can type the word in Google or a Christian answer site on the web and get a fairly good definition, but it simply means HOW to study your Bible. The top three priorities in hermeneutics is CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT. This cannot be overemphasized enough. There are other rules as well, but as you can see this is what applies here.

The answer to your question about Jesus coming with a sword is followed in red by the explanation what He meant.

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

 

[Christian Dude]

I think this verse means that basically, while we proclaim Christ and evil still abounds in the Earth and in the spiritual realms... that peace will not be completed.

So, as of now... we cannot have the peace until Christ returns. Through His final return and final judgment, all things evil will be done away with and peace and all things of the Lord will reign forevermore.

 

[Theophorus]

...the sword, then, is the word of faith which severs our bond to our families and relatives when they hinder our piety towards God.

Blessed Theophylact, 12th century

 

[angelwind]

Blessed Theophylact, 12th century

I think there is much truth in this...but we can still be living in the same family...the same marriage...being seperated spiritually from our closest relationships...but we can still grow in grace and love...learning to love and serve Him in every circumstance; praying for the unbelievers and bearing much fruit...anyway.

 

[Theophorus]

I think there is much truth in this...but we can still be living in the same family...the same marriage...being seperated spiritually from our closest relationships...but we can still grow in grace and love...learning to love and serve Him in every circumstance; praying for the unbelievers and bearing much fruit...anyway.

I would agree, the seperation is not accomplished by either the believer or the "heretic", but by the word of faith, or even more precisely Christ himself. It is a position that people find themselves in when presented with the truth of Christ. You are with Christ or not. Our virtue towards this situation does not abregate the fact that Christ has "draw a line in the sand", so to speak.
As a result, people will find themselves at variance with one another, hence the importance of the beatitude, " blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God."
The Lord also warns in other places that non Christians will find fault with Christians, and he dictates the response, turn the other cheek, pray for your enemies, if he asks you to walk a mile with him, walk two miles, etc.
The enmity between two individuals in this instance is not the fault of the believer, for that could easily be overcome, but the source is Christ himself. Being the light and truth incarnate, He can not be ignored. Our response to conflicts of this nature then should be one that mirrors the Master, Faith in God, blessing those who are at odds with us, prayer, fasting, and if nessecary, personal sacrifice.

 

[arunma]

Hello Wolf. I'm a fairly new Christian too (I've been one for about a year and a half now). Actually, Matthew 10:34 makes a lot of sense to me. Before I became a Christian, I was fully involved in the ways of the world, and no one ever really questioned my actions. Nowadays, however, I find that I can't behave as my peers do. Unlike my other college-aged friends, I don't get to excessively drink, have premarital sex, do drugs, ignore the poor, or do other such things. And I find that I'm always having to defend my actions before everyone. I think that this is precisely the division that the Lord said would come.

Remember that the church is God's chosen people, and we are to live separate from the rest of the world. That doesn't mean we have to be reclusive, but still people will try to oppose us, and they will try to convince us to rejoin them in sinful lifestyles. I think it's clear that this is the "peace" that Jesus opposes. Obviously he preached that physically, we must live in peace with the world.

 

[Wolf Georges]

Thank you so much. Reading the passage after all of your input I understand what Jesus was saying. Each of you helped tremendously, and Dad Ernie and Theophorus had my brain going as well as my spirit. I will continue praying, reading my Bible and if I have any more confusion it's wonderful to know that there's a place to go for help.

God Bless you all.