Church, State, Sword & Christian Pacifism
Church, State, Sword & Christian Pacifism (Absolute Nonresistance vs. Just War & Magistracy in Matthew 5:38 & Romans 13:1–7 ): Examines Christ 's command to 'resist not evil' and 'turn the other cheek' ( Matt 5:38–44 ) in contrast to Paul's description of civil government bearing the sword to punish evildoers ( Rom 13:1–7 ). Within church history, this relates directly to Schleitheim Confession of Faith (1527 AD)—The Schleitheim Confession (*Brüderliche Vereinigung*) was authored by former Benedictine prior Michael Sattler at a clandestine gathering of Swiss Brethren in February 1527, articulating seven fundamental articles of the Anabaptist Radical Reformation: 1. Believer's baptism (rejecting infant baptism); 2. The Ban (excommunication for fallen members); 3. Breaking of Bread (only for baptized believers); 4. Separation from the evil world; 5. Shepherds in the church; 6. The Sword (absolute nonresistance / pacifism, forbidding holding civil office); and 7. The Oath (prohibiting swearing oaths).
Church History Lineage & Historical Movements
Schleitheim Confession of Faith (1527 AD) (Reformation & Post-Reformation (1517–1700 AD)): The Schleitheim Confession (*Brüderliche Vereinigung*) was authored by former Benedictine prior Michael Sattler at a clandestine gathering of Swiss Brethren in February 1527, articulating seven fundamental articles of the Anabaptist Radical Reformation: 1. Believer's baptism (rejecting infant baptism); 2. The Ban (excommunication for fallen members); 3. Breaking of Bread (only for baptized believers); 4. Separation from the evil world; 5. Shepherds in the church; 6. The Sword (absolute nonresistance / pacifism, forbidding holding civil office); and 7. The Oath (prohibiting swearing oaths). Catalyst: Meeting of the Swiss Brethren in Schleitheim (February 1527). Zealots & Sicarii (Fourth Philosophy) ( Second Temple (516 BC–70 AD)): The Zealots were a radical Jewish faction founded by Judas the Galilean that rejected Roman taxation and governance on the theological premise that God alone is King and Lord, employing guerrilla warfare and political assassination (the dagger-wielding Sicarii) to catalyze divine liberation. Catalyst: Census of Quirinius (6 AD). Declaration and Address (1809 AD) (Awakening & Restoration (1700–1900 AD)): The *Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of Washington* was authored by Thomas Campbell and published in 1809 in Washington, Pennsylvania, containing 13 core propositions articulating the founding manifesto of the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement: that division among Christians is a 'horrid evil', that the church of Christ on earth is essentially one, and that nothing ought to be admitted as an article of faith or term of communion that is not expressly taught in the Word of God. Catalyst: Founding of the Christian Association of Washington, Pennsylvania (1809).
Theological Perspectives & Multi-Tradition Framing
Church, State, Sword & Christian Pacifism (Christian Living & Ethics): Examines Christ 's command to 'resist not evil' and 'turn the other cheek' ( Matt 5:38–44 ) in contrast to Paul's description of civil government bearing the sword to punish evildoers ( Rom 13:1–7 ). Consensus: Universal confession that Christians are called to love their enemies, pray for persecutors, and respect civil authorities as established under God's providence. Divergence: Fundamental ethical divide between Christian nonresistance/pacifism (Anabaptist/Lipscomb CoC) and Just War theory with Christian participation in the state (Augustine/Luther/Calvin). Final Destiny: Eternal Torment vs. Annihilation (Eschatology & Millennium): Examines the nature and duration of hell and final punishment in Matthew 25:46 , Mark 9:43 , and Revelation 20:14 . Consensus: Universal Christian agreement that God will judge all people with perfect righteousness and that unrepentant wicked face solemn and terrible consequences. Divergence: Division between historic Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT), Conditional Immortality / Annihilationism (Adventist/Evangelical Conditionalist), and Universal Restoration (Apokatastasis). Original Sin : Inherited Guilt vs. Mortality (Soteriology & Sacraments): Examines the consequence of Adam 's fall on humanity in Romans 5:12 , comparing Augustinian inherited guilt (*reatus*) and total depravity with Eastern Orthodox ancestral sin (*propatorikon hamartema*) and mortality. Consensus: Universal acknowledgment that all accountable human beings sin and fall short of the glory of God and need redemption through Jesus Christ. Divergence: Western theology (Augustine, Catholic, Protestant) asserts inherited guilt and total depravity at conception, whereas Eastern Orthodoxy asserts that humans inherit mortality and inclination to sin, but not personal guilt for Adam 's transgression.
Connected Genealogical Figures & Lineage
Er (Generation 24 • Child of Judah ): ( Genesis 38:2-3 , Genesis 46:12 , 1 Chronicles 2:3 ) Er was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life. ( Genesis 38:7 ) (mentioned in Genesis 38 , Genesis 46 )
Scripture Witness (KJV) & Canonical Context
Primary KJV scripture witnesses include Romans 7:21 : "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me."; AP.SIR 14:8: "Evil is he that envies with his eye, Turning away the face, and despising the souls of men."; Romans 12:21 : "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.".
