Peacemakers & Just War
- James Collazo
- Aug 30, 2020
- 12 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
Introduction
Depending on the audience, Christianity and war can seem like total opposites or close companions. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matt. 5:9). To understand this teaching, we must first define the word peace. Many people think peace means the absence of war. Merriam-Webster defines peace as 1) "a state of tranquility or quiet," 2) "a state or period of mutual concord between governments," or 3) "a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity." A peacemaker, then, is someone who works to bring peace into conflict, finding solutions or defending the oppressed when peace seems impossible. The apostle Paul admonishes us, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Rom. 12:18).
A minority of Christians follow pacifism, which means rejecting war and violence as ways to solve conflict. They believe that any war between nations, or even serving in the military, is always morally wrong. Most Christians, however, accept the Just War Theory, which teaches that nations may use lethal force ethically in self-defense. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–430), a theologian from Numidia, first explained this idea, where he warned:
For even when we wage a just war, our adversaries must be sinning; and every victory, even though gained by wicked men, is a result of the first judgment of God, who humbles the vanquished either for the sake of removing or of punishing their sins (City of God 19.15).
Simply put, Christians must view violence with sorrow, not celebration. Every conflict must follow fair rules of engagement (Latin: Jus in bello) and ensure justice for all parties once the fighting ends (Latin: Jus post bellum). Together, these principles restrain the use of force and keep it accountable to moral truth rather than human passion.
Early Christians & Military Service
The early church largely opposed military service from the first through the fourth centuries. Tertullian of Carthage (c. AD 155–220), a theologian from Roman Africa, wrote:
How will a Christian man participate in war? It is true that soldiers came to John [the Baptist] and received the instructions for conduct [cf. Luke 3:13–14]. It is also true that a centurion believed [cf. Luke 7:7–9]. Nevertheless, the Lord afterward, in disarming Peter, disarmed every soldier (On Idolatry 19; cf. John 18:11).
Likewise, he asked:
Is it lawful to make an occupation of the sword when the Lord proclaims that he who uses the sword will perish by the sword? Will the son of peace participate in the battle when it does not become him even to sue at law? (Chaplet 11).
Other early church fathers, including Hippolytus of Rome (c. AD 170–235), Lactantius of Cirta (AD 240–c. 320), and Ambrose of Milan (AD 339–397), also spoke against Christians serving in the military. However, they permitted men who converted while in service to remain enlisted or commissioned. These leaders took Jesus' teaching to heart:
But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles (Matt. 5:39–41).
One primary reason Jews and Christians eventually separated was the church's refusal to join the Judean revolt from AD 66 to 70, choosing instead to flee to Pella (Eusebius, Church History 3.5; see also "Jew & Gentile: Parting Ways"). Eusebius also recorded an account of a legion of Christian soldiers from the Cappadocian city of Melitene who prayed to God for rain. God answered with a miraculous thunderstorm that defeated their German and Sarmatian enemies and saved the Roman army from dehydration (Church History 5.5). This story shows that Christian soldiers were already present in the second century and that not every church leader opposed military service.
Military Service in the Bible
The first generation of Christians came from a Jewish culture that had long experienced war and empire. The prophet Daniel described a statue representing four empires that ruled or would soon rule over Israel—Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome (Dan. 2:38–40). The Jews, however, were never an empire-building people. Even King Solomon's reign (c. 967–928 BC), which extended from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates, rested on peace treaties rather than conquest (1 Kings 4:20–21).
The Jewish festivals of Passover and Hanukkah both celebrate God's deliverance from foreign powers—the Egyptians and the Seleucid Greeks, respectively (Exod. 12:27; 1 Macc. 4:36–59; 2 Macc. 1:18–36 CEB). Israel never kept a large standing army poised to expand its borders. Instead, the people looked forward to the kingdom of heaven on earth, when every soldier would reshape his weapon into a farming tool (Isa. 2:4). Everything changed under Roman rule. In AD 6, Syrian governor Quirinius (c. 51 BC–AD 21) conducted a census in Judea (Luke 2:1–3; Acts 5:37; cf. Josephus, Antiquities 18.1). That event sparked the Zealot movement, leading to the First Judeo–Roman War (AD 66–70).
However, we must consider Jesus' eternal relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit (see "Trinity: Jewish & Gentile Views"). In the Old Testament, God led the Israelites out of Egypt and commanded them to enter Canaan with specific rules of engagement (Deut. 20:16–18). The prophet Zephaniah declared, "The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves" (Zeph. 3:17). Jesus never spoke against this truth because his Hebrew culture understood that God had acted justly in defending his people against oppressive nations.
Indeed, the same Jesus who said, "turn the other cheek" also declared, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matt. 10:34; cf. Luke 12:51). Jerome of Stridon (c. AD 347–419) was the only early church father to comment on this verse, leaving a rare silence in patristic writings. Yet warfare in the Old Testament was never about conquest or colonization, as many assume. God commanded Israel to destroy systems of pagan idolatry and oppression, not to commit genocide.
Jesus clearly urged his followers to seek peace and pursue nonviolent solutions to conflict. Still, he did not hesitate to use force when necessary, such as when he drove the money changers, sheep, and cattle from the temple with a whip (John 2:14–15).
Tertullian and other early church fathers often oversimplified Jesus' teachings about retaliation for insults, theft, and abuses of power. When Tertullian discussed Jesus' encounter with the centurion, he overlooked the clear implication that the soldier would return to his unit afterward. Jesus never told the centurion to desert, nor did John the Baptist. Likewise, when the apostle Peter baptized the Roman centurion Cornelius, he did not call him to leave the military (Acts 10:1–33). Luke records, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people" (Acts 10:22).
Even among his disciples, Jesus acknowledged the need for self-protection, saying, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you do not have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one" (Luke 22:36). His command to "turn the other cheek" (Matt. 5:39; Luke 6:29) taught believers to reject revenge, not to deny all forms of defense—personal or national. Christians should always seek to de-escalate conflict and avoid violence whenever possible. However, the Just War Theory teaches that a nation may use force only as a last resort in self-defense, never to wage offensive or aggressive war.
Conclusion
Since the Roman emperor Constantine (c. AD 280–337) legalized Christianity in AD 313, the church has supported many wars, including the Crusades (1095–1291), the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), and even the Global War on Terror (2001–2021). Today, we should remember the early church's example of nonviolent resistance. Around 4 BC, Jesus was born during the "Roman Peace" (Latin: Pax Romana), a time of stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean world when the emperor Augustus (27 BC–AD 14) used military power to enforce law and order. The Pax Romana lasted from his reign until the reign of Marcus Aurelius (AD 161–180).
Unlike Augustus—whose title meant "God revealed"—Jesus did not come with armies to impose peace. The angels at Bethlehem sang, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:14). The Romans used the Greek word euaggelion (G2098, "good news") to describe the so-called gospel of the Pax Romana. But Jesus brought a different kind of peace—"the peace of God, which transcends all understanding" (Phil. 4:7). He alone is God revealed, and only his gospel is the authentic good news. The world gives peace through war and its terms of surrender, but Jesus provides peace freely, without conditions. That is the good news the world still needs to hear.
Instead of peace achieved through war, Jesus tells us, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). The world offers peace only after conflict—peace bound by terms and conditions. Jesus, however, gives peace freely, without demands or fear. His peace restores the heart and reconciles humanity to God, which is excellent news for the world. In his letter to the Romans, Paul admonishes us:
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer (Rom. 13:3–4).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945), a German pastor who resisted the Nazis, wrote:
There is no doubt that the church... is not encouraged to get involved directly in specific political actions of the state. The church neither has to praise nor censure the state's laws; instead, it has to affirm the state as God's order of preservation in this godless world (2009, pp. 362–63).
Bonhoeffer abandoned his former pacifism to directly oppose tyranny, a decision that led to his execution on April 9, 1945—just two weeks before the United States Army liberated the Flossenbürg concentration camp where the Nazis had imprisoned him.
As Christians, one of our chief responsibilities is to resist evil. In this fallen world, Scripture teaches that there is "a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build" (Eccles. 3:3). We must remember the ethical and legal difference between killing and murder. The sixth commandment forbids murder (Exod. 20:13), but it does not apply to warfare; it is a civil law, not a law of armed conflict.
The early church leaders could afford to be pacifistic in part because Jews and most non-Italian Gentiles were exempt from military service due to their lack of Roman citizenship. For better or worse, the early church had little political power or cultural influence to address the ethics of warfare. The Roman army was mainly pagan and intensely nationalistic, so criticisms of idolatry and blasphemy—such as those made by Tertullian—made sense in its context. Yet the same Jesus who says, "Turn the other cheek" also warns, "Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth" (Rev. 2:16).
Epilogue: Lessons Learned for Peacemakers
Let the tragedy of Operation Turquoise in Rwanda stand as a warning about the dangers of strict pacifism. The United Nations assigned the French military to protect Tutsi refugees. Yet, they allowed Hutu militias to massacre about 800,000 Tutsi men, women, and children between June and August 1994—the "hundred days of death." A year later, in July 1995, the United Nations promised protection to sixty thousand Bosnian Muslim refugees from the Bosnian Serb army. When the Serbs attacked, the United Nations failed again, allowing the execution of 7,079 Bosnian men and boys and forcing more than fifty thousand women and children to flee to Tuzla without their husbands and fathers. The mass graves of Srebrenica echoed the horrors of Nazi Germany during World War II.
The UN "peacekeepers" did not keep the peace; their refusal to act cost thousands of innocent lives. Sometimes war and force become necessary to stop evildoers from destroying others and stealing peace itself. Philosophically and morally, the duty to rescue human life from annihilation outweighs the virtue of passive resistance or conscientious objection.
Pacifism is an immoral stance that allows victims of violence to suffer for the sake of abstract ideals rooted in moral blindness and self-absorption. The early church leaders were not pacifists, nor did they teach pacifism. Since the Radical Reformation (1525–1632), groups such as the Anabaptists have exaggerated the early church's disapproval of military service, turning it into a general doctrine of nonresistance. Yet no patristic writings address self-defense or the use of force to protect others.
The early Christians did not resist the Roman Empire during persecution, consistent with Paul's instruction to submit to governing authorities (Rom. 13:1–7). However, refusing to resist lawful authority differs greatly from refusing to resist criminals. Pacifists often blur this distinction. In the end, pacifism proves immoral because it allows evil to prevail unchecked. One need only recall Mohandas Gandhi's (1869–1948) shocking advice to the Jews after the Holocaust to see the moral failure of such thinking:
Hitler killed five million Jews. It is the greatest crime of our time. But the Jews should have offered themselves to the butcher's knife. They should have thrown themselves into the sea from the cliffs. As it is, they succumbed anyway in their millions.
Pacifism led Gandhi to minimize the reality of genocide and claim, "Hitler is not a bad man."
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of heaven and earth. The world seeks peace only through power, but only the coming of your Son brings true solace. Give us courage, mercy, and steadfastness, and lead us into his eternal peace. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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