Violence is universally condemned. Parents around the world teach their children not to punch, kick, and bite. Countries have laws against battery and abuse. And international organizations promote peace between nations.
So what do we do with all the violence in Scripture?
I find it helpful to step back and look at the whole biblical canvas.
- The Father and Son existed in glory before the world began (Jn. 17:5). They were not locked in an eternal battle with each other or with the forces of evil. In the beginning violence did not exist.
- Unlike other ancient creation stories, the Genesis account is surprisingly nonviolent. For example, in the Babylonian myth everything begins with the gods Apsu (male) and Tiamat (female) who had children. After growing tired of the children’s noise, Apsu planned to kill them. But the oldest son heard of the plan and killed his father first. Tiamat then killed Apsu because he had killed their children. Later, a grandson named Marduk killed Tiamat by shooting an arrow down her throat thus becoming the sole ruler. And the violence continues.
- Human violence entered the world in Genesis 4 with Cain killing Abel, an act that God clearly condemned.
- God grieves over human violence in Genesis 6 and in response sends the flood.
- “You shall not murder” is one of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:13).
- God did not want Israel to have a king because “He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties . . . and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Sam. 8:12-20).
- God didn’t want King David to build his temple because David carried out many acts of violence. He told David, “You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight” (1 Chr. 22:8).
- Isaiah prophesies a time when divine judgment ends warfare and ushers in worldwide peace: “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (2:4).
- Jesus, who is the perfect revelation of God, gave an amazing example of nonviolence:
- Rather than calling on his Father to send angels to defend him, he allowed his accusers to mock, beat, crucify, and kill him (Matt. 26:53).
- He prayed for his persecutors to be forgiven (Lk. 23:34).
- After he was raised from the dead, he didn’t seek revenge on his killers.
- Jesus taught nonviolence:
- He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 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” (Matt. 5:38-39).
- He continues, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:43-45a).
- When one of Jesus’ followers attempted to protect him during his arrest, he said, “Put your sword back in its place . . . for all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Matt. 26:52).
- Hatred, discord, and fighting are acts of the flesh; the fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, and peace (Gal. 5:19-26).
- God’s eternal kingdom will be peaceful and pure. John says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev. 21:4). And things will never turn violent because “nothing impure will ever enter it” (v. 27).
Conclusion
I am not trying to avoid the challenge of Old Testament violence and especially herem warfare. I have attempted to face that problem in this post. But we must not blow that problem out of proportion.
God existed in peace long before anything else was created, he created without resorting to violence, he grieves over human aggression, and in the end, violence will be banished from God’s kingdom. In the middle the nonviolent Messiah points us to the kingdom of peace. Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place” (Jn. 18:36). While Jesus cleansed the temple with a whip and overturned tables, we don’t have any explicit references of him causing harm or even attempting to cause harm to another person.
When reading disturbing accounts of violence in Scripture, we must remember that human brutality is a temporary aberration to God’s ideal plan. It is part of this world, not the next. For now, however, God allows, grieves over, condemns, and uses violence for his ultimate purpose of peace.
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.